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History | 1925 Tornado

The Anita Record, Thursday, June 4, 1925, pg. 1, col. 1:

This vicinity was visited Tuesday night by a teriffic wind storm, bordering close to the clyclone [sic cyclone] stage. At the B. D. Carlton farm, occupied by Eddie Carlton and family, there are two sets of buildings, one located on the east, and the other on the west side of the road. The barns, corn cribs, hog houses, chicken houses and other out-buildings on the east side of the road were completely demolished, and the barn on the west side of the road was stripped clean of shingles, and the building moved from its foundation. The Carlton family saw the storm coming and went into the cave until it was over, expecting to find everything swept away when they came out. The dwelling houses were but slightly damaged.

At the Frank Barber farm, a few miles north of Anita, occupied by Archie Van Aerman [sic? Aernam], the barn and out buildings wer eeither blown down or damaged more or less; the dwelling house moved several feet from the foundation, trees broken off or uprooted, and the running gears of a wagon were picked up bodily and slammed down into a manure spreader.

The storm swept on east, doing a great amount of damange between the Carlton farm and Adair, taking a northeasterly course, demolishing buildings, uprooting trees, blowing down fences, and doing other unusual stunts. More or less damage was done along the entire path of the storm, but the Carlton farm was the worst hit.

The Anita Record, Thursday, June 11, 1925, pg. 1, col. 6:

There is every indication that the cyclone which passed through this vicinity, had its beginning of damage-doing at the T. F. DeMent Farm, two miles north of Anita, jumping across the field from there to the Frank Barber farm, occupied by Archie Van Aerman [sic? Aernam], then on to the Eddie Carlton farm, where it seems to have gathered force sufficient to wreck everything in its path, including the killing of three and seriously injuring five other persons in the Adair and Casey vicinities.


Another high wind struck in the vicinity of the Carl Hansen farm, eleven miles southeast of Anita, on Sunday evening, blowing a large hog house to pieces, breaking off trees and doing other damage, much the same as a full-grown cyclone is quite likely to do, when in action. The wind storm was immediately followed by a soaking rain, very much needed, and which will be of great benefit to growing cropos, pastures and gardens.

The Anita Record, Thursday, June 18, 1925, pg. 1, col. 1-2:

The path of the tornado which passed north of Adair Tuesday evening of laswt week, has been the mecca of sighseers from miles and miles around. Hundreds of auto loads visited the devastated district during the week, but on Sunday the number reached the thousands. At the Harris place, where three members of the family were killed, the congestion became so great, that self-appointed traffic cops had to take charge to untangle the mess. At this place a free-will offering was taken, and it is said that between $300.00 and $400.00 was raised. The money will be used to defray the funeral expenses of the three members of the family who were killed.

Fred Schallow, who lives on the road between the Wedemeyer and Elgin Bros. farms, made a count of the autos that passed his place for one hour, from 3 till 4 o'clock, and the count showed 280. For an hour earlier in the day, Wm. Wesack, who lives on the same road, counted 184 cars. It would be hard to estimate the number of sight-seers, but we would put the number close to 5,000.

The members of the Harris family, Ed. Harris, father and two daughters, who were killed in the storm, were buried at Bear Grove, Friday afternoon. The funeral services were held at the home of a son, and were largely attended.

A large delegation of residents of Adair, and farmers from the neighborhood, went to the Wedemeyer, Henry Elgin and Elgin Bros. farms last Thursday to clean up the places, and when the day was ended there was some difference in the looks of the three places.

Mr. and Mrs. H. S. Elgin and son, Robert, who were injured when their home was destroyed, are getting along very nicely. Mr. Elgin suffered the most serious injures, but he was able to be out and around Monday, and on Tuesday went out to view the wreckage of his home.

John Harris, the surviving member of the Harris family, who lived at home, is getting along nicely, and has been superintending the clearing of the wreckage at the Harris farm.

A cyclone cuts some peculiar capers. At the Elgin Bros. farm, a medium sized pine tree, in the path of the storm, was left standing. Some of those who were visiting this scene noticed a bird's nest in the tree, and, upon investigation, it was found that the nest contained two young birds that had escaped the fury of the storm.

On either side of the road where the tornado crossed over and hit the Elgin Bros. farm, most of the fence posts are left standing, but they are plasted with mud on one side, which is close to an inch thick.

Henry Elgin had $1,500 insurance on his residence property, and $500 on his household goods. This will no cover the loss, but will surely come in mighty handy in re-building their home. The Elgin Bros. had about $2,500 insurance on the two barns which were destroyed.

H. P. H. Wedemeyer's loss was probably the largest of those who were hit by the storm. Those who have viewed the wreckage, place his loss at $15,000. It might not be quite that large, but it will be close to that figure. He only had $3,400 insurance. It is thought the house can be moved back onto the foundation, but it will take a lot of work before it will be in good condition, and it never will be as good as it was before it was hit by the storm.

First reports last week were to the ecect [sic? effect] that the place occupied by Chas. Arnberg had not suffered very great loss, outside of the destruction of a barn and the unroofing of the kitchen. The writer visited the Arnberg place Sunday, and was surprised to find that things were torn up there as badly as at any of the others, except where residences were destroyed. All of the buildings on the place were badly wrecked, and the house was moved several inches off its foundation. Mr. and Mrs. Arnberg had gone to their room to retire for the night, and before getting into bed, Mrs. Arnberg looked out of the window and saw the storm coming. Mr. Arnberg was in bed when she warned him of its approach, and before they could get dressed and out of the room, the storm had passed on, leaving a path of wreckage. A fine looking orchard on this place was entirely destroyed.

The cyclone was the wildest at this place of any that it hit, as did considerable damage to the place across the road, and a little south of the Arnberg place. It seemed to break up after leaving this place, and did very little damage, except to a few trees in the timber a mile or so northeast of Arnbergs'.

--Adair News.


Contributed and transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass, February, 2024.

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