THE TORNADO ON THE SQUARE: MARCH 21, 1913

Facades abound around the world, but none are as steadfast, substantial, or stately as our Rutherford County Courthouse. Against a soft blue sky these spring days, our majestic Courthouse is backlit by the brilliance of sunlight streaming through trees tinged with cheerful shades of green. Communicating with the surreal, this almost unnatural scene is the best antidote to the furry of 21 st century life. The passing of time is wonderfully crafted in the architecture of our historic Downtown Square. Even as Murfreesboro sprawls into Rutherford County, one can only imagine—dream of another time in our town of hand-hewn log structures and houses of block and fired brick. As one experiences our distinctive Downtown Square, the centerpiece of our cultural heritage emerges where more than a century ago it was filled with the rumbling sounds of loaded spring wagons and bustling buggies. While conveyances paraded around the Square, the labored chuffing of mule teams blended with the sounds of neighborly conversation mostly farmers, businessmen, and field hands. Such springtime beauty in a relaxed atmosphere of small-town Murfreesboro was indeed the spectacle. On the sidewalk nearby, a few ladies may have gathered to greet each other with smiles and hugs as they entered stores. This was the scene on the Square in the early twentieth century. In the spring, Middle Tennessee is known for its violent, unpredictable weather. Within moments irrevocable damage is done and lives are changed forever. Several years ago in 2001, I had the opportunity to interview people who at the time had recollections of the “Tornado of 1913”.

In 2001, in an interview with ninety-seven-year-old Bessie Moore of Smyrna, she recollected her husband’s account of the event. “He drove a surrey from seven miles out on the Franklin Road to the Square that morning to see what happened. Merchandise was strewn all around the Square. It was a terrible sight to see and many of those businesses never were able to reopen.” The devastation caused by the tornado of 1913 was felt by more than the businesses of the Central Business District. The First Presbyterian Church suffered irreparable damage. It was documented that the sound of the church bell crashing through the ceiling to the floor left those within hearing distance with the most melancholic feeling. In 1867, the bell had been rescued when the Union troops had torched the church. In 1914 one year after the tornado, the church was rebuilt and the bell was reinstalled on the roof of the new sanctuary. It still rings every Sunday between Sunday school and the worship services. After the tornado whirled through town lifting the roof of the Presbyterian Church, it proceeded to damage the house behind it. Mrs. Alice Ray, the present owner of the house, says that the previous owner ‘s young daughter was sleeping upstairs. Somehow, she slept through the tornado but was awakened when droplets of rain began spattering on her face. The ravages of this storm, which lasted only a few minutes left portions of the roof in Wilson County. Pieces of the roof were found in Lebanon a few days later. In those days, there wasn’t insurance or any other resources available to assist in recovery of those affected by natural disasters. Mr. C. B. Leatherman, owner of the Leatherman Department Store, demonstrated an act of kindness. Prior to the storm, he had ordered some roofing material that was to be used to repair his roof on his downtown store. Building materials were in short supply after the storm, so he agreed to allow the owners of the house to use his new shingles to repair the roof of the house. Here are some of the photographs restored from glass plates in the historic photographic collection at Shacklett’s Photography. The photographs demonstrate the devastating storm that old-timers referred to as the “Big Cyclone of 1913”.