Waterville, WI Tornado, Apr 1880

OLD SETTLER OF WATERVILLE TELLS OF TORNADO WHICH STRUCK VILLAGE

Wind Blows Child Several Hundred Feet, and Lamb is Tossed High Into Tree

(The following is a paper read at the recent meeting of the County Historical society held at Waterville and relates some interesting facts regarding the early days in that section. The article is from the pen of Mrs. J. H. Green.)

Mr. John E. Thomas has car-[sic] on in "The [S}tory of Waterville," from the settlements made in the early 1840's up to the coming of the Chicago and North Western Railway into the territory between Milwaukee and Madison in 1881. I shall, therefore, pick up the story with ashocking act of nature that was most unwelcome, although it occurred the year before.

At the close of an unusually warm day for that season of the year, on Sunday, April 18, 1880 occurred a storm which changed the appearance of the little village and the surrounding farms. In the late afternoon of this lovely day, suddenly there rose in the sky at the southwest, the ominous black tornado cloud, and the fierce wind and accompanying hail storm were a combination of the elements altogether unknown in this section of the country. Trees were uprooted, barns and fences were blown down and on one farm all the buildings were destroyed excepting the original log house built in 1844 and that was unroofed.

In speaking of this storm, Mr. John E. Thomas has told us his rememberance of it, when he was a small boy, he and two of his sisters were in the log house while his father, mother, and elder sister, Ruth, were gone out to milk. As the wind increased in velocity, the children divided the few moments between looking out the window at the barn, and wishing they were there with their parents, then running to push the door shut, which would blow open.

Roof Blew Away

Suddenly the roof blew away, and there was a great mix-up of children, and kitchen utensils, dead leaves and twigs, and to smooth over the whilrling mass was a crock of sour cream, which had been left ready for a churning on Monday morning. Mr. Thomas says: "We started down to the barn and there was no barn there, just a heap of timbers. Up in a tree was Martha's pet lamb and on a nearby bush hung Martha's Sunday dress - a red one. Up from Scuppernong creek came Ruth, dripping with water, for the wind had blown her there from the milking shed. All four children hurried to the collapsed barn where their mother was trying hard to disengage the father from the heavy timbers that had pinned him down. He was finally rescued with a broken limb, but with a spirit undaunted. At the same time, Mr. James W. Powell, one of the early Welsh settlers, was returning to his home from the Sunday School meeting at Moriah church his home being on the south side of State Highway No. 18 and a few rods east of Scuppernong. However, he was forced to seek shelter in a small house on the north side of the road, and still East of his home. This hous was occupied by David P. Jones, with his family. With their united strength they managed to keep the door closed against the storm, while smaller buildings and trees nearby were demolished. As the wind abated, Mr. Powell ventured again on his homeward way, but found only the ruins of his home scattered about the knoll on which it had stood. Sympathetic and willing neighbors soon helped replace the ruined fences, and bewildered stock straying here and there were returned to their owners.

Waukesha Freeman, Waukesha, WI 15 Nov 1929
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Transcribed by Tim Taugher. Thanks, Tim!