Vigo County Historical Society

Photos of 1913 Terre Haute Easter Sunday tornado on display

Fifty people were killed during a one-minute tornado about 10 p.m. Easter Sunday, March 23, 1913, as strong winds leveled more than 300 homes, burying hundreds of victims.

The Root Glass factory was demolished, while Gartland Foundry was seriously damaged, as was the Allen Chapel. Wires were torn down, leaving the devastated area in darkness while crossed wires and lightning started fires in several homes. Reports came in that the entire town of Prairieton had been wiped out.

Physicians were hampered by the fear of live wires as they tried to get to the injured. The dead and seriously injured were taken to the Third United Brethren Church at Third and Grant streets, on the edge of the tornado’s path. Greenwood School, with all the windows brown out, served as a shelter for more than 400 people.

Capt. B.E. Stahl of the Light House Mission was put in charge of relief work; he also arranged for 150 people to be helped at the Mission.

D.B. Arnold, who operated a machine shop on South First Street searched for any trace of his shop, which had been blown away. The Johnson Brothers Motor Works at 16th and Hulman streets was demolished. The roof was torn off and the brick side walls had caved

in, damaging the machinery.

Streetcars ran only as far as Hulman and Seventh streets because of the blockade of household goods taken from wrecked homes.

Many people were crushed as their homes collapsed into the basements. Joseph and Grace Houts, who lived at 10 1/2 and Lockport streets were rushing their children to the basement when they were caught by falling debris; the 38-year-old father and his 5-year-old son Bryan were killed instantly. Roy, a 4-year-old with a severely injured head, did survive, as did his mother.

The tornado knew no age barrier as babies, adults and the elderly all fell prey during the one-minute swath of the tornado of 1913.

Pictures of some of the different disasters of Vigo County during the past 100 years may be viewed at the Vigo County Historical Museum during the "Celebrate the Century" exhibit. The picture accompanying this article came from a booklet titled "Terre Haute Tornado and Flood Disaster," issued by Terre Haute Publishing Co. and printed by The Viquesney Co.