March 4, 1961

“Cecil Hudson, near Myra Station, is one of the many area residents whose farms and homes were damaged by storms last weekend.” Courier, March 6, 1961.

Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Hudson got to add another tornado to their list on Saturday, March 4, when a small tornado dropped out of the sky at Myra Station. In their 43 years of farming near Myra Station, the Hudsons have been through three tornados. This tornado was on the ground for five miles. It damaged three farms but left the inhabitants unharmed. Meanwhile, another tornado cleared a 30-mile path from Gibson City to Cissna Park, forcing 7-year-old Art Knapp to shelter under a milk cooler and blowing Ralph Newman off his tractor. The damage to the area farms was expected to run into the thousands.

“Heavy damage occurred on the Ralph Newman farm, two miles south of Cissna Park, in the tornado Saturday afternoon. Shown are the remains of the garage, which was flattened, and the windmill which fell across it. The roof of the barn in the background was blown off.” Photograph by Bob Gold. Courier, March 6, 1961.