Not long ago, we mentioned that the mayor of Lawrenceburg won re-election in 1913 by only 4 votes. It was the closest election in the city’s history. But we didn’t mention that that election continued as scheduled despite the touchdown of what was then described as “the most severe [tornado] ever experienced” in Lawrence County up to that time.

On March 13, 1913, as the polls remained open in Lawrenceburg, a damaging tornado cut a swath from one end of Lawrence County to the other between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. The Lawrence ‘Democrat’ describes its path as entering the county west of Iron City, then passing east of Loretto, striking Springer Station, and doing “a great deal of damage” around Leoma, before moving to within a mile and a half east of Lawrenceburg. I have traced the estimated path of the storm on this 1913 map of Lawrence County.

Miraculously, no one was injured or killed in the storm, although several people experienced close calls when the storm came roaring through. Mike Niedergeses got caught on the road when the storm occurred. His buggy was overturned and he was “blown into the woods where he held to a bush while trees fell all around him.”

East of Lawrenceburg, the home and barn of Eugene Deladtz were completely destroyed, as was a saw mill belonging to Rippy Chambers and a barn belonging to A. Zozle. M.J. Sims lost around $200 worth of timber when the twister roared through his woods. John Barline and a man listed only as ‘Niedergeses’ lost barns to the storm, and the home of J.W. Napier was torn completely from its foundation before catching fire.

Immediately following the tornado, the county experienced one of the “heaviest rains that ever fell in this county,” during which lightning struck the home of Rev. Elliot, and knocked a hole in his roof.

Undaunted, the people of Lawrenceburg continued to vote that day, handing the incumbent mayor, J.W. Garrett, a razor-thin victory over his opponent. Garrett was the owner and builder of the Garrett House, which still stands south of the Public Square.