Greenwood County History
- Fall River, Kansas 1917 (Part 1 of 2) - submitted by Mike Pitko The following articles appeared in the Fall River Star in the year 1917.
“The bond election for the purpose of voting bonds to build a High School building District No. 5, carried by a majority of 26. Voting day was a very raw and cold day, which probably kept many of the voters in town from voting, as a big majority of votes cast were from the district outside of the city district. Votes for- 153, vote against-127.
The High School board went to Climax to look over the Rural High School building there. It is with all probability that the new building will be erected on the vacant lots at the north end of Main Street on the east side of the street.
In June of 1917 what seemed a certain calamity and disaster for the inhabitants of Fall River was averted at a little past 5 o’clock, when a tornado coming from the southwest and traveling with a destructive rate of speed, hit the J.A. Moore home at the southwest edge of town, changing its course from there to the east and on to the Dudgeon Estate on the hill, just south of the city limits, and then passing on east and north.
The twister formed some where near Howard, and swept across country in a northeastern direction destroying farm houses, barns, crops and everything in its path.
When the storm was seen approaching in a direct line for Fall River, people all over town ran for caves and cellars, while many never knew and realized what the storm was until close to town, and, but for the change in its course, would have hit the town center, and left it in ruin and disaster. After the passing of the storm, a heavy rain and hail fell for a few minutes, and many reports of hail was found as large as a baseball. Following the storm, the sky, which being so heavy with clouds making it very dark, cleared up and the sun shone bright and warm.
The path of the twister from the southwest, as near as we could learn, losses to the southwest includes at least 16 barns and 5 houses. Several in the vicinity were injured, but not seriously, except Mrs. Mayne, an elderly lady, who was killed. Much of the damage was near Fiat( now a ghost town south of Severy).
Damage near Fall River included the Jim Woodall farm, his two barns, sheds and house were blown away and some stock injured. Very lucky for Jim, he had taken out insurance on his property the evening before the storm. At the Brodrick place, farmed by D.M. Staley and son, they lost their barn, some feed and part of his crops destroyed. At the John Thompson place, farmed by Fred Greenwood, the barn, outbuildings and house were swept clean, and some stock killed and injured. The big cement barn belonging to S.L. Huston was torn to pieces. Fred Salee lost his barn, outbuildings and his house damaged badly, being lifted and turned around off the foundation, unroofed and plaster torn off the walls of the rooms. (There were many more houses and barns destroyed that were not mentioned in the article) The Catholic church was blown down and scattered over the ground and several tomb stones dislocated. On the farm where Mr. Shinkle lives, near the Catholic church, the house and barn were swept away. From there the storm passed on northeast for a distance of many miles.
The storm was a quarter of a mile wide in many places and hung close to the ground, and with its awful suction tore up fences, uprooted trees, orchards and crops along its traveled route. Property and stock loss running into thousands of dollars. Many of the farms hit by the tornado were partially covered by insurance, but the renters in many cases are heavy losers. No one in the vicinity of Fall River was injured, but several narrow escapes were had. Nearly all the farmers along the route of the storm had caves or cellars and took refuge in them.
Harvey Bunyard, who was driving home from town, was caught in front of the approaching storm and raced his team to where Fred Greenwood lived, and ran to the cave just in time. His team and buggy were caught in the whirl of the storm, the horses being carried many feet and dropped uninjured, with exceptions of a few bruises. The buggy was torn to kindling wood.
T.S. Bewley and hired man, and Fern and Floyd Robinson, children of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Robinson, had a narrow escape, being caught in the direct path of the twister. The children were in the Simpson pasture, east of the Dudgeon Estate, looking for their cow, and on seeing the storm approaching, became frightened and started to run towards the Dudgeon house. At about the same time Mr. Bewley and helper were driving along the lane on their way home from town, as the storm was coming from behind. On hearing the cries of the children in the pasture close by, he ran and got them and put them in a cement culvert just a few seconds before the storm passed over them. It was a narrow escape, and but for Mr. Bewley’s presence of mind in noticing the culvert and taking advantage of it, averted what might have been serious injury or death to them. His team of mules were caught by the storm and carried for some distance and then dropped in the pasture nearby, receiving a few bruises. Telephone lines were all down and many people went to different places to view some of the wrecked homes. The tornado extended on north east as far as Chanute, still doing damage to property.
In July of 1917 an article from the Fredonia Herald appeared in the Fall River Star telling how ten large sacks filled with the cheering liquid of Missouri manufactures are now resting peacefully in the Wilson County stronghold after an exciting and adventurous journey from Joplin, as a result of quick action on the part of Sheriff Coats.
It is the custom of booze runners going through from Joplin to the oil fields near Wichita to carry on their illegitimate traffic by means of motor car. As the same car would soon be spotted it is the custom to relay the cargo thru, one car starting from Joplin, reaching a certain point and there depositing the fluid at a well-known spot. Another car approaches from a different direction, loads up and hauls it from fifty to seventy-five mile further, deposits it for the next car, and so forth.
This morning a farmer living near the Ozark Trail in the north-western part of the county(Wilson) phoned in for the sheriff who went to the spot immediately. There, lying just inside a hedge in the tall weeds, were ten sacks of booze, pints and quarts, so hidden as to be invisible from the road, but the farmer who was hoeing corn soon discovered them. Just as the sheriff was loading the cargo in his car to bring it to Fredonia a big motor car came down the lane but seeing the men around the spot hurriedly turned around and sped away.
As the sheriff was the only one armed in the party and as he was driving a Ford, he did not purse them but phoned out the alarm and the car was located near Altoona but going like the wind. Track of it was soon lost but the officers are aware of the identity of the owners and arrests will probably soon follow.
These cars are usually high-powered expensive fellows, sometimes flying small American flags and could easily be mistaken for local cars. Women and children sometimes accompany the driver and the car is often loaded down with tentage, trunks, etc., to simulate tourist. Others travel only at night and halt for the day in unfrequented spots. These are driven by two or more men heavily armed and ready to do anything to get their cargo through. Officers in southeastern Kansas are confident that they have the headquarters of the gang located and numerous arrests are expected to follow.
Auto thieves visited Fall River early Sunday morning and as a result. W.A. Nelson and Son, Real Estate dealers, are missing their Ford car, it being taken from West’s Garage. Entrance to the garage was made by prying off the lock.
At about three o’clock Sunday morning. C.E. Ater, who sleeps at their garage, was awakened by a Missouri car wanting some gasoline and oil, a Buick drove up in front of West’s Garage from the West Street and stopped and then drove up to Ater’s where the man driving inquired of the first car driver about the roads to Wichita and etc., and then got ten gallons of gasoline and some oil, while the Missouri car went north on the Ozark Trail. After getting what he wanted the driver of the Buick turned around and drove on back to the other garage and stopped again where Mr. Ater observed that two other men came out from the garage and got into the car. Not thinking anything strange about the matter, Mr. Ater went back in the garage and went to sleep.
It was discovered about six o’clock that morning that the Ford car was gone, and Mr. E.J. Nelson and Clyde West soon afterwards left in the latter’s Buick, on the trail towards Wichita. The two cars were traced by them as far as Leon, and there all traces were lost. Mr. Nelson had just filled the car the afternoon before with gas and oil ready for a drive the next morning. It was later learnt that the Buick the men had with them was one taken at Fredonia belonging to Mr. Frank Long, and was a “Big Six,” so the thieves made a double haul. As yet no trace of either of the cars has been found.”
