Storm in 1884 The following appeared in the Rock County Weekly on July 25, 1884:(Continued from last week)The Havoc in LuverneTHE DAMAGE ITEMIZEDThe appearance of the streets when at last people were able to get out was disheartening, but there was, nevertheless, general rejoicing over the fact that no one in the village was seriously injured. The damage done in the village may be roughly estimated at from $10,000 to $15,000, but the figures even approximately can not be given. Aside from the minor mishaps, such as chimneys blown over on nearly every house, lightning rods twisted out of shape, trees broken, fences blown down, etc., the PRINCIPLE INSTANCES of damage done in the village are, so far as we can learn, in substance as follows:A.A. Noble’s new residence totally destroyed.J.B. Shawer’s barn moved from its foundation and badly racked. Ezra Rice’s new residence, in course of erection, moved from its foundation and badly damaged.C.O. Hawes’ new barn twisted out of plumb and considerably damaged. L.H. Way’s barn completely demolished.J.O. Helgeson’s barn overturned and wholly destroyed.F.A. Hyke’s warehouse, near the depot, partially blown over and practically ruined. It contained over 4,000 bushels of grain, including 350 bushels of flax, much of which was scattered over the ground and will prove a total loss. His scales were also ruined and his coal houses partially demolished. Loss $1,500.Herren & Wadleigh’s new lumber building, 24x60 feet in dimensions completely demolished. Loss $1,000.The roof was torn from Bean’s photograph gallery and the contents of the building more or less injured.The main part of the Luverne house barn was totally wrecked, but the horses, thirty-five in number, were all rescued without injury. Small portions of the roof of the hotel were blown off, the chimneys blown down etc., but the damage to the building was slight.Frank Smith’s residence partially completed, badly twisted out of shape. De. Kilgore’s new house, nearly completed, was considerably racked, but the injury is probably not serious.Thomas Barck’s new house was moved from its foundation and somewhat damaged. Frank Peteler’s buggy shed was blown over and his barn inclined to an angle of 45 degrees. Edwin Gillham’s barn was demolished and his buggy badly broken.The spire of the Baptist church was blown down and piled up in front of the church, a mass of broken timbers.Barns belonging to James Woodruff, A.C. Croft and John Cameron were blown down, and like structures owned by Dr. Spaulding, J.A. Harroun, and cow sheds belonging to Robert Herren were more or less damaged. The granary north of Dr. Beaubien’s residence moved from its foundation. The Freeman Avenue hotel barn blown flat and totally wrecked. There were nine horses and a number of hogs in the barn at the time, but fortunately all were rescued without material injury.Geo. B. Huntington’s buggy shed entirely demolished and one of the buggies carried several rods by the wind. The skating rink suffered serious injury, the entire upper part, particularly the west end, being "chucked" over about four feet. All the railroad camp buildings and tents were blown over and their contents scattered about promiscuously. Mike Mead’s new slaughter house was blown to pieces.Goethel & Stephens’ smoke house was demolished and Schuyler’s barn blown from its foundation.Mrs. Richardson’s house which she built recently with the hard earnings of her own labor, was raised about three feet from its foundation and dashed to pieces. The furniture was scattered by the wind and much of it completely ruined. The family escaped from the house just as it went over and very fortunately sustained little injury. L.E. Mittlestadt sustained a loss of about $800 by reason of injury to his lumber. Rev. S. Cates’ barn was among the number destroyed.Barns belonging to Mrs. Brazzll, W.H. Stort, Rev. H. Wang, John I. Fassett, James Larkin, in the northeast part of town, were either blown down or moved from their foundations.(To be continued next week).Donations to the Rock County Historical Endowment Fund can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, P.O. Box 741, Luverne, MN 56156.Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw.net.
