Richland Co., Ohio

 
 

Misc. Info.

 
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Reminiscences of the Great Wind Storm - Feb., 28, 1850

Source:  Mansfield Evening News:  15 January 1890, Vol. 5, No. 267

 
 

Ontario.  The wind storm on last Sunday induced an old settler to give some reminiscences of the great wind storm on the last night in February, 1850.  Its track, less than a half mile in width can be traced yet.  The course of the storm was a little north of east.  A cabin on the farm now owned by Robert Stewart was swept to the ground.  It was occupied by a Mrs. Jane Baker and her two children.  Mrs. Baker had an arm broken but non of the children were seriously hurt.  The cabin on the farm now owned by Allen Davis shared the same fate.  The next cabins in its wake were on the farm now owned by W.B. Millikin.  The one was occupied by Robert Mitchell and the other by his brother, Adam.  Both cabins, the stable and all the outhouses were mixed up promiscuously with brush and hay from a stack near by.  The furniture was badly broken.  A number of the knives and forks were found sticking in the logs where they had lodged.  The bedding and clothing went sailing over the country and much of it never was found.  A table-cloth belonging to Mrs. Mitchell was found in the woods on the Roasberry farm where Carson Craig now lives about five miles off.  The inmates of the two cabins were badly shaken up;  one or two were quite seriously hurt  none were killed.  The woman was killed by a tree falling on her as she was going through the woods on the farm now owned by S.A. Walker, and it happened some time before.


The Mansfield Evening News of 06 February 1890 (vol. 5, no. 287) contained further information regarding this story ...

In our item of the big storm two weeks ago we stated that a woman was killed some time before.  The statement was news to most people here.  It has created a desire to know the particulars of the accident.  We have interviewed one of the oldest settlers on the subject who gives a vivid account of the accident which occurred in October, 1830.  She was a Mrs. Reaves, and lived where Philip Corman now lives.  She had done her washing in the forenoon.  As it was a windy day she went to the woods after dinner to hunt chestnuts.  As she did not return at the proper time her family supposed she had become lost.  The neighborhood was aroused and a search was instituted and continued all night.  The unfortunate woman was not found until noon the next day.  Death was supposed to have been instantaneous.  A medium sized tree was lying across her waist.  As before stated, it happened on the Walker farm on the north edge of the orchard, and one-fourth mile from her home.



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