Historic Hallowell

Any cyclone is scary, especially if it happens in your hometown. Strong, forceful winds can tear down the firmest structures. Many Lives can be lost. The people who experienced this cyclone however, were very lucky. There was still lot’s of destruction but they had something in them that not many people have; the ability to cope with their situation in the best ways.

A strong roaring cyclone hit Hallowell around 8 a.m., Tuesday, December 31, 1895. The area around the Hallowell Cotton Mill received heavy damage. There were telephone poles down and electric wires protruding sparks from the ripped off ends. The roof of Grover's grocery store was demolished and the roof of the Lowell, Simmons and Stearn's stable was crushed in. A horse was trapped in the stable but later rescued.

Half of the Cotton Mill roof was torn off and thrown into the street below. The wind propelled 8 inch square cotton mill roof timbers into nearby buildings. The other half happily awaited the end of this horrible storm. Mr. Perkins was awakened by the noise of the cracking timbers. At the end of it all Mr. B.F. Choate, of the quarry road said that he saw a mysterious dark cloud but failed to report anything about it.

A young boy named Virgil White was caught in the cyclone and badly injured. Both of his legs were broken as well as his right ankle and collar bone. He was carried to the Clearwater Pharmacy and treated by Drs. Hamlet and Brooking. Plaster casts were applied to his broken limbs and he survived the ordeal.

With so much destruction, many people would have given up right then and there, but the people of Hallowell decided to make do with what they had. They used pieces of wood for firewood and other spare pieces for rebuilding some of what had been demolished. The people of Hallowell made do with what they had left and soon recovered.