Tornado of April 1945

On Thursday, April 12, 1945, at 10:20pm just hours after residents learned of the death of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a tornado struck Quincy without warning. Nineteen people were reported injured but no one died.

The storm had touched down in Palmyra, Missouri, before striking Quincy. It then continued on to Mendon, Plymouth, and Industry, Illinois.

Mayor Edward Schneidman declared a state of emergency. Governor Dwight Green activated the state militia, and nearly 175 state police officers were sent to Quincy. On Friday, sightseers were so thick that the militia has to fix bayonets to clear people from the streets.

Losses from the tornado were estimated at about $1 million.

A second serious storm hit the city on July 2. This storm destroyed many of the trees in the city, damaged numerous buildings, and cut CIPS transmission lines that interrupted services to all Adams County.

These two photos of the Adams County Court House looking at the East Wing from Vermont Street (facing north), the photo at the top of this post is from the Broadway Street side. All photographs are donated by the Historical Society of Quincy & Adams County and Arlene Middendorf. (you can click each image for a large version)...

Alley between 5th & 6th, on Hampshire next to the Hotel Quincy

East side of 4th Street, between Jersey & York

Rear of St. Peter's Catholic Church, Meyer-Schutter Grocery at 120 South 8th Street

Jefferson-Johnson Motors, 323 Maine Street

7th & Hampshire, south side of street next to Musselman Building

Hampshire Street between 5th & 6th Streets

Belasco Theater, 6th & Hampshire

Richardson Lubricating Company, Front Street

Consolidated Oil Building, Front Street

Hampshire between 6th & 7th, taken from rear of building

St. Peter's Catholic Church, 8th & Maine

South side of Hampshire, between 5th & 6th

Hampshire Street, between 5th & 6th, looking west

Rescue of two residents, rear of Werneth's Market, between 6th & 7th on Hampshire

St. Peter's Catholic Church

Stern Building, northwest corner of 5th & Hampshire

Chatten Implement Company, 10th & Broadway

Rear of St. Peter's Catholic Church, 8th & Maine

Between 5th & 6th, looking east down Hampshire

Between 6th & 7th, looking west down Hampshire

Quincy Sesquicentennial Parade, 1958

Quincy Buds Defeat the Chicago Cubs

While on a barnstorming tour two weeks before the 1907 World Series, the Chicago Cubs made a stop in Quincy. The Buds were part of the I-I League (the "Illinois-Iowa" League), and were a .500 team. The Cubs were just coming off a 116-36 season in 1906, and a 107-45 season in 1907. The 116 wins in the 1906 season was only matched by the 2001 Seattle Mariners (116-46), and the '06 Cubs 116-36 record still stands as the all-time best. The 1907 Cubs were considered one of the greatest baseball clubs ever assembled, with the legendary Tinkers-to-Evers-to-Chance combo patrolling the infield, and the most dominating pitching staff in the league with multiple 20 game winners. They would go on to sweep the Detroit Tigers in the World Series two weeks after the game in Quincy. That same Cubs team would also repeat as World Champs in 1908. As for this game against the Buds, on that September day in Quincy, the mighty Chicago Cubs lost, 5-2. Had it not been for 2 costly Quincy errors, the Cubs could have been shut out.

Postcards from Maine