Waseca County, Minnesota Storm
July
7, 1871
DESTRUCTIVE STORMS.
The Waseca News of July contained the
following:
“The pleasures and festivities of the Fourth
of July were not ended when, over a large
portion of southwestern Minnesota, the Storm God
wheeled his chariots into line and devastated a
large extent of country along the rich valley of
the Minnesota river. The storm swept across a
large region of country between Madelia and New
Ulm, crossing into Nicollet county, sweeping in
great fury down the Minnesota valley, and thence
through Mankato, Le Ray and Jamestown.
“Last Friday afternoon, July 7, 1871, while
the people were talking and lamenting over the
news of the destructive storm of July 4th, in
adjoining counties, dark cloud’s appeared in the
southwest and the northwest and apparently
joined in battle array some miles west of here.
The storm came on rapidly, the wind blew a gale,
some hail fell, but no serious damage resulted
in this village. North and west of this place,
however, in the towns of Janesville, Iosco, and
Blooming Grove, the destruction of crops was
total over a large extent of country.
Mr. McDermott,
of Blooming Grove, informs us that the crops in
his neighborhood are almost totally
destroyed—that the trees, even, are stripped of
their foliage. From Mr.
J. E. Jones, of Iosco, we learn that
the crops are wholly destroyed for several miles
north of his place, his own with the rest. The
house of Mr. Larsen,
in the Riley neighborhood, was blown
down, and the fences generally were
prostrated’.”
Thousands of acres in this county were laid
waste, and the people were left in very
distressing circumstances. The course of the
storm was from west to east and laid waste a
strip of country from two to four miles wide
across the northern tier of townships. Many of
the hailstones were as large as hen’s eggs, and,
in many places, the ground was covered with
them. The destruction to crops in the state,
that year, by wind and hail, was so
far-reaching, that the legislature, at its next
session, made provision to furnish a loan of
seed grain to the suffering farmers the next
spring. Some of our farmers of the stricken
townships were aided in that way.
At Janesville, on the 7th, lightning struck the
barn of Darling Welsh,
setting it on fire and killing one of his
horses.
RELIEF FOR THE STORM STRICKEN.
Hon. Warren Smith
was appointed by Gov.
Austin as state commissioner to
ascertain and report in regard to damages by
storm or prairie fire to settlers of this county
during the season, and about Dec. 20th, he
received $425.00 from the state to be
distributed equally among seventeen of the most
destitute families. In addition to this amount,
the citizens of Waseca had contributed $100, and
the county commissioners had received $200 in
state funds, making in all $725.00, besides some
clothing, which was distributed among the needy.
Child's history of Waseca County,
Minnesota : from its first settlement in 1854 to
the close of the year 1904 ; a record of fifty
years : the story of the pioneers, pages 242-243
 Child's history of Waseca County, Minnesota : from its first settlement in 1854
to the close of the year 1904 Read it online at ancestry.com.
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