On March 4, 1935, a tornado blew through the center of town, destroying homes and businesses, and killing two children. It was this tornado that caused the damage to our 2nd building at 202 S. Bois d’Arc changing the facade as well as the length of the building. Although the building was remodeled nicely after the tornado damage, we decided to bring the building back to the original facade and size with the inset, center doors and the storage room in the back.
The following is a collection of articles about the tornado.
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Tornado Hits Forney, Killing Two Children
Property Loss in Excess of $100,000 Is Caused in Kaufman County as Twister Levels Homes
Two Women Hurt
Cyclone Also Devastates Louisiana Town, Taking Top Off City Hall
Dallas Morning News
Tuesday, 5 March 1935, Page I-1
FORNEY, Kaufman Co., Texas, March 4 (AP) – A destructive tornado killed two children and wrecked scores of buildings early Monday, causing property damage in excess of $100,000.
The twister struck Forney from the south and roared away into Northeast Texas, causing less serious damage at Celina, Rockwall, Campbell and other rural communities before losing its force.
The two children, Negroes, died in the tangled ruins of their flimsy home on the outskirts of Forney. Many other Negro homes were smashed into debris or blown away.
Ed Mack, 42, of Forney, was treated at the Dallas Emergency Hospital for an injured wrist.
Storm in Louisiana
Mrs. B. G. Edwards was injured here and Mrs. Frank Howard was hurt at Campbell.
Mrs. I. G. Davis, hotel proprietor, was slightly injured at Winnfield, La., when a twister struck there in the early afternoon. The Winnfield storm tore off the top story of the city hall and demolished the Davis Hotel. The woman was hurt by falling debris. A number of homes were blown off their foundations and several of the flimsier structures were demolished. Other occupants of the hotel escaped before the storm struck.
The Texas storm struck also in Delta County, damaging a number of farmhouses and outbuildings in the Price community and tearing a path about six miles long through the Clark and Amy communities. No injuries were reported from that section.
Lasts Only Two Minutes
Few of Forney’s 1,000 inhabitants were awake when the violent winds lashed furiously at the town before dawn.
“It didn’t last two minutes; just hit and was gone,” explained B. B. Hulsey, who weathered the storm.
Daylight revealed two huge cotton warehouses torn to pieces, the East Texas Cotton Oil Company’s mill damaged to the extent of about $10,000, the Texas & Pacific depot unroofed and more than 100 homes in various states of damage.
The back end of the Knights of Pythias Hall was caved in by the fury of the tornado and, downstairs in the same building, the Anderson-Clayton undertaking establishment was in disarray. Telephone lines were out of service, with wires ripped loose from poles. It was hours before service was restored.
Rain Adds to Trouble
All of Northeast Texas experienced strong winds during the early morning hours and, in the path of the tornado, countless barns and outhouses were blown down or unroofed. Rain added to the loss of stored oats exposed by the damage to buildings.
The tornado caused considerable property damage in and around Celina, Collin County town. Cottage Hill and Rhea Mills communities also were affected.
At Celina the tornado ripped a path fifty feet wide, tearing through the little town from the southwest. It passed through only part of the town. A two-story brick school building was damaged, along with several homes.
Rhea Mills had a barn and several homes wrecked. Homes were damaged at Cottage Hill.
About noon a storm struck the small town of Melrose, ten miles east of Nacogdoches, damaging a gin, uprooting a large amount of timber, unroofing several dwellings and stores, and breaking plate glass windows. No injuries were reported.
A short distance from Melrose the twister lifted and next hit the Fowler farm several miles from town, where considerable amount of timber was knocked down.
Red Cross officials Monday began their survey of the stricken area with two national staff members being assigned to aid the Kaufman County officials, local representatives said.
Miss Katherine Munro, who has been stationed at Groveton, and H.F. Keisker, stationed at Fort Worth, were sent to the area and inaugurated preliminary relief plans pending a more general survey. J.C. Wells of Terrell, Kaufman County, chairman, is in charge of the work.
Miss Ada Miller, secretary of the Dallas County organization, and other county officials visited the district early Monday morning. Few of the storm victims were in actual want, and all means were being taken to care for them through the night, they reported.
Tornado Rakes Texas; 1 Dead, Damage Heavy
Seattle Daily Times
Monday, 4 March 1935, Page 5
Dallas, Tex., Monday, March 4 – (UP) – One person was killed and damage amounting to thousands of dollars resulted from the sudden blows of a tornado last night in two small north Texas communities.
Approaching from the southwest, the storm struck first at Forney, Kaufman County, killing a Negro baby and injuring several persons.
In the Campbell community, nine miles east of Greenville and sixty miles northeast of Forney, the storm demolished several houses, disrupted communication lines and injured several persons.
The fatality at Forney was the child of John Henry Florence, Negro tenant farmer.
Mrs. F.E. Hudson, 30 years old, suffered severe back injuries when the storm wrecked a filling station in the Campbell community where she had taken refuge.
Numerous houses were demolished, barns and garages wrecked, and utility lines flattened at Campbell. Many Negro farmers were left homeless.
Today’s Pictures Today
Oregonian (Portland, Oregon)
Wednesday, 6 March 1935, Page 10
IN WAKE OF TORNADO. Business building which was destroyed in Forney, Texas, when a freak tornado hit the town. Several other business houses were damaged, two negro children were killed and several injured. (Oregonian-AP Wirephoto.)
2 Children Killed as Tornado Wrecks Texas Town
Winds Level Homes in Forney
Heavy Damage reported in Kaufman County; Roads Blocked.
San Antonio Light
Monday, 4 March 1935, Page 1
FORNEY, Texas, March 4, (AP) Two children were killed and property damage in excess of $100,00 was caused by a tornado that struck Forney just before dawn today.
Practically every building in town was damaged , some of them being demolished.
Filmsy houses in the negro section were blown away. It was there that two negro children lost their lives.
A white woman, Mrs. B. G. Edwards, was the only other casualty found after the disturbance subsided. She was injured, but not severely.
Tears Over County
The tornado tore into Forney, a Kaufman county farming town of about 1000 population, from the south and raced on northward enticing some damage at Rockwall, 30 miles away. Two Rockwall drug stores were partially wrecked.
The path of the tornado was marked by the debris of barns and outhouses, twisted trees, leveled crops and torn communication lines.
In Forney, two huge cotton warehouses were demolished, the East Texas Cotton Oil company’s mill was damaged to the extent of about $10,000 , the Texas and Pacific depot was unroofed and otherwise damaged badly, the rear of the Knights of Pythias hall was blown in and downstairs in the same building, the Anderson-Clayton undertaking establishment was wrecked.
ROADS BLOCKED
There unconfirmed reports that rural residents in the path of the tornado had been injured, but roads were impassable and communication lines went down, making it impossible to verify whether there were casualties outside of Forney.
“It didn’t last two minutes – just hit and it was gone,” was the way B. B. Hulsey, manager of the East Texas Cotton Oil company, described the tornado, which hit town about 5 a. m.
He estimated that at least 100 homes were damaged.
Tornado
St. Cloud Times (Saint Cloud, Minnesota)
Tuesday, 5 March 1935, Page 9
Forney, Tex., – A tornado ripped through this farming community just before dawn and roared away to the north, leaving one reported death, several injured and property damage mounting into hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Two Killed in Tornado
Jefferson City Post-Tribune (Jefferson City, Missouri)
Monday, 4 March 1935, Page 1
Forney, Tex, March 4 – (AP) Two negro children were killed and property damage in excess of $100,000 was caused by a tornado which swept through Forney just before dawn today.
2 Dead, Loss Heavy In Texas Tornado
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, New York)
Monday, 4 March 1935, Page 3
Forney, Texas, March 4 (AP) – A tornado ripped through this farming community just before dawn today and roared away to the north, leaving two Negro children dead, several injured and property damage of $100,000.
Communication lines were disrupted in the section through which the storm lashed its way.
Several large buildings were wrecked in Forney and about 100 homes were damaged. Two large cotton warehouses, containing 1,000 bales of cotton, were ripped to pieces. The depot was unroofed.
Two Are Killed, Big Damage Done By Texas Storm
Loss Caused By Tornado At Forney Is Estimated At $100,000
White Woman Hurt – Blow Tears Through Farming Community And Heads North
Monroe News-Star (Monroe, Louisiana)
Monday, 4 March 1935, Page 1
FORNEY, Tex., March 4 – Two children were killed and property damage in excess of $100,000 was caused by a tornado which swept through Forney just before dawn today.
Practically every building in town was damaged to some extent, some of them being demolished.
Flimsy houses in the negro section were blown away. It was there that two negro children lost their lives in the ruins of their home.
A white woman, Mrs. B.G. Edwards, was the only other casualty. She was injured but not seriously.
The tornado tore into Forney, a Kaufman county farming town of about 1,000 population, from the south and raced on northward, inflicting some damage at Rockwall, 30 miles away. Two Rockwall drug stores were partially wrecked.
The path of the tornado was marked by the debris of barns and outhouses, twisted trees, leveled crops and torn communication lines.
In Forney, two huge cotton warehouses were demolished, the East Texas Cotton Oil company’s mill was damaged to the extent of about $10,000, the Texas and Pacific depot was unroofed and otherwise damaged badly, the back end of the Knights of Pythias hall was blown in and downstairs the Anderson-Clayton Undertaking establishment was wrecked.
There were unconfirmed reports that rural residents in the path of the tornado had been injured, but roads were impassable and communication lines were down, making it impossible to verify whether there were casualties outside of Forney.
“It didn’t last two minutes – just hit and was gone,” was the way B.B. Hulsey, manager of the East Texas Oil company, described the tornado, which hit town about 5 a.m.
He estimated that at least 100 homes were damaged, many of the weakly constructed ones being town down and blown away.
Tornado Rips Through Forney; Two Fatally Hurt
$100,000 Damage Done by Twister Monday Morning
Big Spring Daily Herald (Big Spring, Texas)
Monday, 4 March 1935, Page 1
Forney, Texas (AP) – A tornado ripped through this farming community early Monday. A negro farmer was reported killed and several persons injured.
Estimated damage at Forney alone, was upwards of $100,000. Communications lines were disrupted. Seven large buildings in Forney were wrecked and about 100 homes were damaged, some completely demolished.
Two warehouses containing 1000 bales of cotton were ripped to pieces.
The T&P depot was unroofed and a store building badly knocked about. Numerous hay barns were blown down.
Northward, at Rockwall, the storm damaged two drug stores and unroofed numerous barns and outhouses, in the farming section.
Nobody was hurt.
A later check showed two negro children were killed, Mrs. B.G. Edwards, injured was the only other casualty.
Forney Rebuilds In Tornado Wake
Corpus Christi Times
Friday, 8 March 1935, Page 6
FORNEY, Tex., March 8- (AP)- Repair of the damage caused by the disastrous tornado the struck this city last week is being rushed and hammers, saws and paint brushes are restoring the wrecked business buildings and homes that represented losses estimated at approximately $150,000.
Those rendered homeless have been provided with shelter and food and the injured are recovering rapidly. The Kaufman county Red Cross has been active.
A mass meeting was held Monday in which four committees were appointed by Mayor A. A. Hinton to make a survey, on the damage and the number of people needing help. This work was completed Tuesday and the report given to the city commission and the Red Cross. These bodies announced that little outside assistance would be necessary.
All contractors, carpenters, electricians, plumbers and paperhangers in the city have been given work on new buildings and repairs to partly destroyed structures.
Of the sixty business houses of the city more than forty were damaged. Some will require new roofs, plate glass windows replaced and the crushed walls of other rebuilt.
