HISTORICAL
CHAPTER III. - WEATHER (CONT'D).
HAIL STORMS.
Shelby county has had some very destructive hail storms in her history. In July, 1874, one of the worst of these hail storms passed through Cass, Washington and Grove townships. The Shelby County Record, quoting as its authority B. F. Leland, a well known pioneer for whom Leland's Grove was named, says of the storm in Cass township:
"The storm was very severe, entirely destroying the crops of Jonathan Bullard, Charles LeMay and David Hall; nearly all of the crops of William Williams, J. J. Copeland, John Burks, Thomas Bell, Abner Copeland, John Leytham, Richard Leytham and William Askwith, while that of Mr. Shakelton was partially destroyed, and the crops of Mr. Leland, Mr. Halliday and Mr. Sedan were slightly damaged. The storm in the locality named was probably the most severe that has visited western Iowa. While the destruction it has caused will be severely felt by all who suffered from it, the effects will be most severely felt by those who, like the majority of our citizens, have payments to meet upon their lands and were depending upon their crops to do so."
Continuing, the same paper gives authority for the statement that hailstones in some instances weighing five pounds fell in this storm and states that this matter was well authenticated and that these stones pushed through shingles, the sides of houses, and crushed through the sides of animals. Referring to the same storm in the northwest part of the county, the paper says: "In Grove township the hail storm in many cases finished what the grasshoppers commenced, and the losers must feel especially favored with misfortunes. Thirty-one window lights were broken in one house. Large numbers of swine and chickens were killed, and persons caught out in the storm were forced to cover their heads with valises, blankets, etc., and even then got severe bruises."
Cass township, on June 1, 1883, suffered another severe storm, which, it was estimated, did ten thousand dollars' worth of damage to corn in that township alone. Jefferson township, so William Wooster states, had a severe hail storm on August 6, 1883. This also damaged Polk township.
On August 17, 1877, there was a very destructive hail storm in Polk township. A Harlan paper of the time has this to say of it:
HOUSE AND BARN OF N. MORGAN, CENTER TOWNSHIP,
DESTROYED BY TORNADO MARCH 23, 1913.
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RESIDENCE OF O. B. HELFIN, CENTER TOWNSHIP.
Before and After the Tornado of March 23, 1913.
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"Last Friday afternoon, the southwest corner of Polk township was visited by a severe hail storm which almost entirely destroyed about five hundred acres of corn. The principal sufferers are John Harris, Shelton Gaer, H. M. Snyder, J. M. Longcor, William Pearson, Mr. Smith, Enos Crum, Lysander Sweat and E. Myers. Every tassel and blade was stripped off the stalks and, as much of the corn was only in roasting ear, it is a question if it is not entirely ruined. Hail stones fell to the depth of three to four inches and some of them were an inch and a half in diameter."
Late in August, 1874, there was a hail storm in the settlement north of Irwin, Monroe township, about twenty-five years ago, suffered a very destructive hail storm.
On Thursday night, July 14. 1892, a hail storm a short distance north of Irwin damaged crops; the crops of Fred Renfeldt, Henry Jessen and Rev. Farrell were totally destroyed and others in the immediate neighborhood were more or less damaged by the storm.
There was a severe hail storm in the eastern part of Shelby county, July 20, 1903; the losses in Polk, Jackson and Clay townships were especially heavy.
On July 18. 1884, there was an exceedingly destructive hail storm at Defiance and in the surrounding country.
Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass, November, 2019 from the Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, by Edward S. White, P.A., LL. B.,Volume 1, Indianapolis: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1915, pp. 56-57.
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