By Vince Matthews
Not only can we have earthquakes here, but the 20th century witnessed two felt earthquakes in the Arkansas River Valley. And the scientific data shows us that we will have large earthquakes in the San Luis and Arkansas River Valleys in the future. What we don’t know is exactly where, or when.
Past earthquakes
At the turn of the last century, the following newspaper account on Nov. 15, 1901 described an earthquake felt in Buena Vista.
“At 3 o’clock this morning this city experienced an earthquake shock that lasted for about 6 seconds. Many people rushed from their residences in night attire, fearing their homes would be demolished. The large plate glass in one of the saloons collapsed and was crushed. The windows and the brick buildings were badly shaken. It is reported here that the waters of Cottonwood Lake rose considerably. Many large boulders on Mount Princeton and Mount Harvard rolled down the side of the mountain. The trembling seemed to travel from the southwest to the northeast. This is the first earthquake felt in Buena Vista and this morning is the general topic of conversation.”