Reasons why I like living in Newark and Licking County......................

Reason #47:  The anti-flooding totem pole.  You just can't be to careful.

My adopted hometown, Newark, Ohio, was seriously impacted by a great flood on a cold winter's day in 1959.   I wasn't here then, but they say that an enormous amount of rain fell on snow-covered and frozen ground.  The rivers and normal drainage outlets were unable to do much in the way of carrying the waters away.  Ergo, much of the town went under water.  We have not had a similar flood since.  Perhaps this is the reason:

The sign reads:
      TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE
OF THE GREAT FLOOD  JAN. 21, 1959
      DEDICATED JUNE 1, 1962
BY THE RISING RIVER ASSOCIATION
THIS PLAQUE POSITION DESIGNATES
←   HIGH WATER LEVEL

The local legend is that the "Rising River Association" hired a shaman from the Great Northwest to create a totem pole that would protect the area from another catastrophic flood.  (Perhaps they added the fence and barbed wire to keep evil spirits from tampering with the positive energy of the totem pole.)  So far I'd say they've gotten their monies worth.