"Dixie's Diverse Destiny"

(excerpt submitted by Lenora Elliott Cannon)

"Dixie's Diverse Destiny", by Margery Thompson Lockhart-----page 200

The story as told by Margery Thompson Lockhart of the tornado that hit Walker County in 1908.

In 1908, the year before I was born, a tornado (cyclone) struck Walker County, touching down first in Beat 10 near Powell Thompson's home and Cedar Creek Church house. The homes of the D. A. Morris, J. Sam Gant, Waid, and R. A. Gant families were blown away. It made a sweep about three quarters of a mile wide, carrying everything in its path -- nothing left standing -- and then struck High Hill community. There it blew away the Levin Busby, John Busby and William Richardson homes. William Chappell's house escaped, but it blew his barn away. Furniture and articles from those houses were found miles away. John and Levin Busby and were my husband Paul's uncles, and he said his Uncle Levin's family was in bed when the house was just lifted up and carried away, leaving them safe and sound. No one was hurt that far, but it touched down again near Dora and did even more damage, and I believe four people were killed. There were no telephones in those days, and my mother said that as soon as it was over, Uncle John Miller came to see about her and the family, and the rounds were made over the community to see about people. She said that there were house rebuildings among neighbors, with household goods, clothing, quilts, and everything donated to those people. The path of the destruction of timber was seen for many years. I remember it looking as if a big roller had flattened it all. The path of it paralleled the road for a good way between Cedar Creek Church and High Hill Church.
 

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