Dress Plaza in the 1937 flood. Dress Plaza was constructed in 1936 by the Public Works Administration. It had just been completed when the flood of 1937 inundated downtown, putting the new plaza underwater. (Engler, Joe. Evansville. (Postcard History Series) Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2012, p. 127) Between January 11-Fewbruary 19, the Ohio River valley area suffered tremendous flooding. The January 31 crest at Evansville was at 53.97 ft., almost 19 feet over flood stage.