|
Forward And Dedication
April 3, 1974 will live in the memory of every
Meade Countian. The horror, desolation ant despair will possibly dim in our
minds, only to resurface at unexpected times. On occasion when the skies
grow black, or the wind picks up, we will wonder if a tornado is coming, and
possibly for a brief instant, will relive the terror of April 3.
At The Messenger, we were in the tornado, and we were not able to get out
our’ ‘tornado book” as quickly as other newspapers. Much of our equipment
was ruined by the tornado, and for weeks, it was a major struggle to simply
get out the week’s papers and to keep Meal Countians informed about what was
going on in the county.
But it seems that we wanted to get out the book, even as early as 4: 15 on
April 3. But the more we thought about it, the more insurmountable the task
seemed. For we wanted to compile a book about Brandenburg and what happened
to all of us shortly after 4 o’clock that muggy Wednesday afternoon. We
wanted to show what we were before the disaster, and how reacted when we
were faced with the awesome tasks imposed by the twister. We wanted to share
the character of our community, not just pictures of rubble.
So, for this reason, our book has been delayed. We have taken the time to
get stories from everyone who wanted to give us a story about the experience
of the tornado. We have sought out personal experiences of those who went
through the tornado, and from the relatives, found themselves, because of
distance, unable to help at a time when help was desperately needed. We have
asked, through the columns of The Messenger, for contributions to the book.
We know that there are some dramatic stories which are not in the book,
however; we have tried to get as many stories as possible. There are
personal reasons that many people do want to talk about their experiences,
and we have not pressed anyone to write for the book.
We do believe that this book will present an accurate picture of what
happened in Meade County and Brandenburg on the afternoon of April 3. This
is not an enjoyable book. We know that. The job of proofreading was made
extremely difficult because the stories kept bringing tears to the eyes, and
it’s hard to read while crying.
Brandenburg’s tornado was certainly not the first such disaster in the
world. Nor will the last. We hope that this book will help us all here to
deal with our feelings about the tornado and perhaps might be a help to our
friends elsewhere to understand the extreme emotions generated in the wake
of a disaster.
This book is dedicated to those who lost during the tornado-those who lost
property, who lost health, those who lost loved ones, and especially those
who lost their live.
Since April Third is published by The Meade County Messenger J. M. Willis,
Publisher
Mrs. J. M. Willis, Managing Editor fane Marlow Willis, Editor
Staff Members Shirley Clark, Tom Bridge, Beverly Allen, Sharon Carjack, Nina
Lee Li Henry Penn, Jean Hutchison.
Since the tornado, citizens of Brandenburg and
Meade County have all been told how well they took the devastation of the
tornado. The camera crew from CBS television news, including Ed Rabel,
correspondent, and Jim Houtrides, associate producer, have commented that
they were amazed to find, even during the first terrible days after the
disaster, that the citizens were cheerful in the face of adversity.
|
 Pusey
Place, the home of the Pusey family for one hundred and eleven years,
was built in 1843 by Gabe Board, grandfather of the late Howey Board.
The nails used in the house were square-headed spikes forged on the site
and the heavy timbers were hand-hewn from the big trees on the land. The
house and eleven acres were bought in 1863 by Dr. David C. Pusey who was
a doctor in Meade County for over 40 years. Following its purchase, the
house was occupied continuously by some member of the Pusey family
except for a period of three years from 1923-1926, after Mrs. Pusey’s
death, when it was rented to the Guy A. Hardin family. In 1926, Mr. and
Mrs. William McGehee (Maytiee Pusey) and their daughter returned to
Brandenburg to live because of Mr. McGehee’s retirement due to ill
health. Mr. McGehee died in 1933. In 1937, Judge and Mrs. W. E. Brown
rented half the house and the family lived there for a period of 32
years until Mrs. Brown’s death in 1969. Miss Mary David McGehee,
granddaughter of Dr. Pusey, was living alone in the house at the time of
the tornado when the house was completely destroyed. The eleven acres of
land have been purchased by the County for the relocation of the
courthouse |
Why did we act as we did? Why could most of us
see the funny things through the sadness? Why could most of us smile through
the tears? Why did even those who had suffered loss gather at the Masonic
Lodge to help others? Meade Countians are basically a conservative group of
people. They believe in helping their neighbors in a time of crisis. It was
not surprising to any Meade Countian that the Red Cross found the community
kitchen already set up when they got here. Most Meade Countians simply
expected that neighbors would help-because they knew they would help if it
had been another part of Meade County that had been hit.
Meade County has a heritage which helped its citizens through those first
few hard days after April 3.
Meade County, its people, have not been afraid
of hard work. The more well-to-do-ladies and gentlemen worked just as hard
as the less wealthy people. It was never considered’ ‘beneath” anyone to do
a hard day’s work. Meade County has a heritage of frugality. Conservative
views in money matters are generally prevalent in Meade County.
Meade County has a heritage of neighborliness.
One expects to help his neighbor in times of trouble. And generally, that
neighbor finds it harder to have to accept help than the helper does
helping. Most of us would rather be on the giving end than the receiving
end.
Meade County has a heritage of humor. There are dozens of stories about
people who did things differently than other people. And most of these
reflect a good-natured humor.
And Meade County has a heritage of tolerance.
If one neighbor does things differently than the rest of the neighborhood,
it may be laughed at, but rarely is the’ ‘different” one ostracized.
|
Ditto Home - The Home of John
Ditto is shown before the Tornado. |
All these things helped make the burden of a disaster easier to bear. They
eased the pains of many a weary Meade Countian as he viewed the rubble that
was once his home.
Most of all, Meade County has a heritage of
not giving up. Life goes on, and Meade Countians know that no matter how bad
things are today, they will get better.
The following pictures of Brandenburg and Meade County, were mostly taken
from the files of The Messenger. Those from other sources are so labeled.
Before April 1, Meade County and Brandenburg
were typical parts of rural America, with family roots all over the county.
Home, family, church and job were the most important things to most Meade
Countians, and it was a rare family who did not treasure some article handed
down from several generations.
On April 1, a small tornado twisted through
Meade County, touching down in the Midway community, and severely damaging
several homes. Perhaps that Monday evening twister was what saved many
people on April 3, for a lot of Meade Countians had taken time to think what
they would do if a tornado were to come through again.
Of course, the likelihood of another tornado
was remote. Everyone knew that. But on Wednesday, the clouds grew ominous,
and people remembered that Monday night had brought a tornado, and a lot of
people went to their basements-people who had never gone to their basements
in a storm before.
A few minutes after it entered Meade County, a
giant tornado swept across the Ohio River, leaving a large swath of Meade
County in shambles. More than half the houses in Brandenburg were heavily
damaged or destroyed. Only a fraction of the houses in the town escaped
damage.
|
At Golden Wedding Celebration - Mrs. Thad Wilson and the late Mr.
Wilson are pictured at their Golden Wedding Celebration. Mrs. Wilson's
house destroyed in the tornado. She is building a new house in the same
location. |
In 1937 an unprecedented flood of the Ohio
River devastated Brandenburg and Meade County, and 37 years later, in 1974,
people were still talking about the flood. But on April 3, a new menace
devastated Brandenburg and Meade County, and it is likely that even so years
from now, people will still talk about what they were doing at 4:00 clock on
Wednesday, April 3,1974.
Visitors to Brandenburg before April 3 would
not have been surprised to see Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer mosey up Main
Street from their day’s play on the river. The Delta Queen, the last
overnight steam paddlewheel boat on the river, seemed quite at home as it
passed the historic town of Brandenburg, and citizens of the town had a
pride in the heritage of the past.
The present was interwoven with the past,
especially in the downtown area of Brandenburg. Brandenburg was a mixture of
the past, the present and even a little of the future. Conservative old
buildings dotted the town, standing next to modern structures, and somehow
the mixture of the two seemed just right.
If the streets curved off at sometimes odd
angles, and the town’s business district was scattered, it didn’t seem to
bother the residents of Brandenburg as they lived their lives in relative
security.
|
Neff Home - Mrs. Ethel
Neff is pictured with her home in the background, as it appeared
before the tornado. The house was destroyed April 3. |
While the tornado which swept through
Brandenburg did not destroy the spirit of, the citizens, it completely
ruined the physical part of the town. Buildings which had stood for more
than a hundred years were swept away like so many tinker toys. Landmarks
were strewn across the town and into the river.
Before the tornado, Brandenburg was a unique town, and one which had the
love and the pride of its citizens. There was little snobbery in the area,
for one thing, due to the physical layout of the town. There was no ‘wrong
side of the tracks,’ and neither was there any area which had a monopoly on
the fine old homes.
Everybody lived everywhere. Most residents of Brandenburg felt that they
lived in the ‘best’ neighborhood. Large and small houses dotted the same
neighborhoods.
The river was one of the focal points of people’s lives. Few were the
Brandenburg citizens who didn’t drive down Main Street at least once a day,
just to see if the river was still there. The rise and fall of the level of
the river was a topic of discussion every Spring when the flood season came.
Even though few people in Brandenburg were directly involved when the river
flooded, everyone was interested.
The river was the original reason Brandenburg was founded; it remained a
part of the citizens’ lives.
Main Street, especially, seemed a throwback to
the 19th century, with its old buildings, most of which were built about the
turn of the century, many of them from concrete blocks made in downtown,
with sand from the river. Other buildings went back much further than that.
When Frank James and his band came through Brandenburg they stayed at Hotel
Meade, which still stands. The Main Street used by Gen. John Hunt Morgan was
only somewhat different from that used daily by Meade Countians until April
3.
There was a sense of permanence to
Brandenburg. Although changes were made, they seemed slight, especially to
the residents of the town. Former residents coming back after several years
often remarked that things looked about the same as they had before.
Although there was a permanence, there was
also a progressive movement in town. A sense of pride had been rekindled,
and buildings were being cleaned up all over town. The new mayor, Henry
Ross, had run on a platform of cleaning up the town, and after three months
in office had started some ambitious projects.
Downtown was especially clean-up minded. Hotel Meade was being refurbished,
and a new paint job on that building, on the old Bank building, on the Moose
Lodge and on The Messenger was making the downtown area come alive again.
New shops were coming into the area.
Things were looking up.
View of the Downtown and West Hill- This picture was taken from
the Meade County courthouse. |
Ross Home- The home of the Bobby Ross family is pictured before
the tornado. |
Aerial View- Brandenburg, as seen from the air, from near the
Matthew Welsh Bridge, Photo by Don Wimmer, The Hacock Clarion. |
Some Damage - The Home of Mr. and Mrs. James Taylor received more
damage than any other house in Southern Park. |
Baptist Church - Phillips Memorial Baptist church is pictured
before the tornado. |
On High Street - The home of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Neafus is pictured
after an ice storm. Mr. Neafus is pictured on the porch. The Neafus home
was seriously damaged in the tornado. |
Baptist Portage - The parsonage of Phillips Memorial Baptist
Church is pictured about the time of the open house celebrating the
building of the new home for the pastor and his family. The parsonage
was destroyed in the tornado, but luckily, Rev Marcum had left five
minutes earlier, to pick up his wife for work. The parsonage has been
rebuilt on the same plan and using the same foundation. |
Higbee Trailer- The mobile home of Mrs. Tella Highbee
before the tornado. |
West Home - The home of Mr. and Mrs. West is pictured before the
tornado. |
Downtown Brandenburg - As seen
from the parking lot at the river front.- photo by Dr. D. G. Tarrant |
Bolings Store - Is pictured
before the tornado. photo by Dr. D. G. Tarrant |
View of Green Street - One
of the hardest hit areas of Brandenburg was the block-long Green Street,
where eighteen residents died in the tornado |
Green Street - Pictured from the parking lot of Phillips Memorial
Baptist Church. |
Thompson Bottle Gas - The warehouse building of Allen
Thompson, Inc., on River Road is pictured before the tornado. |
Smith Auto Supply - Is pictured before the tornado. |
High Water - Pictured as the river overflowed its banks, were the
home of Ellis Blake, on the hill, and the warehouse of William Henry
Allen, at left. |
Central Elementary - Damaged, but not destroyed was Central
Elementary School. |
Wood Home - The home of the Wayne wood family is pictured before
the tornado. |
Hughes Home- The front of J.D. Hughes is shown in 1966 |
Lockard Home- Bud Morgan, son-in-law of Mr. and Mrs. Russell
Lockard, is pictured at the Lockard home before the tornado |
Hughes Home- The home of J.D. Hughes family is pictured before
the tornado. |
Old Baptist Parsonage - Formerly the parsonage for Phillips
Memorial Baptist Church, more recently, the house belonged to Mr. and
Mrs. Clarence Smith. It was demolished in the tornado. The picture was
taken after a Halloween prank on Rev. and Mrs. Marcum. |
Miller Home - The home of the James F. Miller family is pictured
before the tornado. |
Lusk Home - The Bobby Lusks' had recently bought the home
formerly owned by the Robert Goffs' who moved to Doe Valley several
months before the tornado. |
Lumber Co - Robert Goff is pictured if front of the Goff
Lumber Company. The business was sold the Jum Crigler before the
tornado. |
Fire Department - The fire ball for Brandenburg and Meade County
is shown in the background of the picture. The structure was destroyed
in the tornado. |
Fire Meeting - A meeting of the Volunteer fire department shows
Brandenburg City Hall was destroyed by the tornado. |
Martin Home - The home of the Robert Martin Family is pictured
before the tornado |
Lawson Home - The home of Melvin and Charlene Lawson is
pictured before the tornado. |
Law Offices - In the foreground the law office of Blake and
Smith, now the office of Louis Waller. In the background the law office
of County Attorney J.R. Watts. |
Aerial View- Shows Brandenburg before the Tornado with Eastwood
Hills in the foreground. |
Dugan Home - Mrs. Edith Dugan is pictured on the porch of her
spacious home at the intersection of Broadway and High Street. |
Christmas Scene - The home of Mr. and Mrs. Houston Woolfolk is
shown at Christmastime. The house was damaged in the tornado. |
Mule Power - Orville Singleton uses a mule to plow his garden.
The Singleton's house was destroyed in the tornado. |
Aerial View - A view of downtown and West Hill before the
tornado. Photo by Donn Wimmer, The Hancock Clarion. |
Downtown in the Flood - A picture taken in the 1937 flood
shows a scene of downtown Brandenburg. |
Aerial View - Brandenburg, with Meade County High School in the
foreground, taken before the tornado. Photo by Donn Wimmer, The Hancock
Clarion. |
The Old Buckner Home - Was one of the history laden houses in
Brandenburg. Here is appears a few months before the tornado. Mr. and
Mrs. Watts, bought the home, and lavished care on both the house and the
yard. Their lawn was always well kept with many beautiful plants and
trees. |
Both Mr. and Watt's and their daughters were known for their gracious
entertaining. Mrs. Watts is pictured with some guests at an open house. |
Library- above is the exterior of the Meade County Free Public
Library, which suffered damages in the tornado. To the right is a
picture of the interior. After the tornado, the damage was temporarily
repaired, and the county officials moved the courthouse to the library. |
|
Happier Times - The home of Mr. and Mrs. Glen Harrison is
pictured before the tornado |
Slight damage - was received at the home of Mrs. Lillian Lyon.
Mrs. Lyon slept through the tornado. |
Broadway and High Streets - the home of Mrs. Frances Jupin is
seen in the background of this picture. |
Hamilton Home - The residence of the late W. S. Hamilton is shown
in the background of this picture. A number of volunteers are cleaning
up the lawn. the Hamilton house was not especially damaged in the
tornado but was torn down due to its dilapidated condition. |
Town Hill - A view down the Brandenburg Town Hill shows the
Clinic. The picture was taken before 1966, as the ferry was still in
operation. |
On East Hill - The home of Miss Glovie Burh, right, was slightly
damaged in the tornado. Trees were her principal loss, and the house
itself suffered some damage. Also pictured are her mother, the late Mrs.
Ava Burch and Boy Scout Barry Donaldson. |
On High Street - A group of people on High Street are pictured
and in the background can be seen several houses that were destroyed in
the tornado, as well as the Pollock's Appliance Store, at the right. |
Historical Marker - At the dedication of the Old Buckner Home
historical marker, Mrs. Lottie Wilson, center, and the late Joe Creason,
were among those in attendance. |
Old Log Cabin - An old log cabin, which had been sided over, was
torn down for parking space for Phillips Memorial Baptist Church. The
logs were taken to the Otter Creek Park, where a museum log cabin has
been erected. |
Old Courthouse - The residence of Mrs. Jeanne Marcum was once the
Meade County Courthouse. the home was damaged in the tornado, but has
since been repaired. |
Marc School - The Jaycees helped build a fence for the Meade
Association for Retarded Children Center. the building is shown in the
background. |
County Officials - Inauguration day was a happy event in January,
1974. Newly elected and re-elected officials inaugurated in a public
ceremony in a newly decorated courtroom. The old, somber courtroom had
been repainted in pastel hues of greens and carpeting and acoustical
ceiling had been installed. The officials posed for the photographers at
the judges stand. The inauguration, as a public ceremony, was new to the
county. Previously, officials, had come to the courthouse individually
to be sworn in. and though the searing in ceremonies were not closed to
the public, neither were they a public event. |
Courthouse - The Meade County courthouse was one of the beautiful
sights in Mead County, especially in the springtime when the multiflora
roses graced the rock wall separating the parking lot from the
courthouse lawn. The courthouse was built originally in 1850's and an
addition to the building was needed in the 1950's. Several people were
in the courthouse when the tornado struck, and they took refuge in the
vault of the county clerk. the records were saved, as were those who
crowded in the heavily built vault. The courtyard was pleasant place,
with a large number of shade trees, and a view of the Ohio. The
courtroom was large, and had seen many historic events. |
Downtown - A view of Downtown Brandenburg in a snowfall. |
Powell Home and Apartment - The old Casperke building, more
recently the home of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Powell, and on April 3, the home
of their tenants, Mr. and Mrs. James Cain and family. |
Recovering - Keith Scott, the two year old son of Mrs. Suzanne
Scott is pictured with his grandfather, Gesta Edge, soon after he was
injured in the April 1, tornado. He spent 10 days in Breckinridge
Memorial Hospital, both in traction. Keith suffered a broken leg and
Suzanne suffered a fractured vertebrae in the neck and two broken
fingers. Both also had numerous cuts and bruises when their mobile home
near Midway Slaughter House was ripped apart in the Monday evening
tornado. Their trailer is pictured below and and far left.
|
 |
Once-lovely Home - All that remained of the once lovely home of
the George Edward Dowden Family was a shell. |
Wreckage - The houses near the Goff Lumber Company were damaged
and destroyed in the tornado. |
Lawson Home - The home of Melvin and Charlene Lawson was
destroyed in the tornado. |
Shambles - The buildings near the river, on the west side of Main
Street were completely demolished. |
Clean-up Progresses - Clean-up work involved picking up bricks,
rocks, and cars in the downtown area. |
Up She Comes - A giant towing machine used by the Army brings a
car out of the ditch where is was thrown in the tornado. |
Large Tree Blown Down - A large maple tree in front of the home
of Jane Marlow Willis was blown partially across Main Street. |
Car Wrecked - The tornado destroyed cars on the of Applegate &
English Ford. |
Along Greer Street - The houses on the north side of Greet Street
show damage. |
Along Greer Street - The
buildings on the south side of Greet Street show damage |
Improvised Stretcher - Four volunteers pause to make a tornado
victim comfortable as they carry the victim to the Clinic on an
improvised stretcher. |
Door as a stretcher - Arnold "Hutch" Huctherson is carried to the
Clinic on a door-the only available stretcher. He was injured when the
tornado struck his insurance agency in Downtown Brandenburg. |
Fire Hall - The Fire Hall was one of the casualties of the
tornado. |
Work begins - right after the tornado people started the
clean-up. Here High Street is already filled with workers. |
View of High Street - All the trees along High Street appear to
be blown down right after the tornado. |
West Side of Main Street - The tornado damaged a goodly amount of
the west side of Main Street. |
Cars Tossed Like Matchsticks - Cars and trucks were tossed all
around the Main Street area. |
Taking Care - Courthouse employees and others who were in the
Courthouse when the tornado struck took care as they walked through the
debris on Main Street
|
What's Left - Tony Brown surveys what was left on his wife's
store in Downtown Brandenburg. |
Cars in the Debris - Automobiles parked along main Street were
buried in the debris. |
| |
Looking at Brandenburg in 2003 |
|
|
