Peninsula
Genealogical Society - Door
Co. WI
Peninsula
Genealogical Society - Door
Co. WI
Town of GARDNER
* Tornado Cemetery *
INDEX
updated 17 Oct 2009
* YOU WILL FIND THE LOCATION OF TORNADO CEMETERY ON THE TOWN OF GARDNER MAPS PAGE! *
LOCATION: This cemetery is really the TORNADO MEMORIAL PARK located on old Highway 57, Town of Gardner, Section 35. West of Stevenson Pier Road and East of Tornado Road.
Established by Door County in November 1927. Through Trial and Tribulation, in poverty and loneliness, in cold and fire, the pioneers struggled that their children might gain a competence.
Here was the village of Williamsonville with a population of 77 persons. On October 8, 1871, this village was blotted out by a tornado of fire. 60 persons sought refuge in an open field surrounding this spot and were burned to death.
WELL SITE: During the fire of October 8, 1871, this well was used by 7 persons as a place of refuge. The last man to the well found the wood curb on fire. After tearing off the curb, he entered the well and pulled a wet blanket over the opening. Five of the seven survived.
No names of those that died were listed at the park, nor are there any grave markers. However, the following names were listed in the "History of Door County, Wis" by Hjalmar R. HOLAND, M. A.-Volume 1.
The names have been Indexed & Retyped by Sue HOHNEKE for the PGS Website from the 1970's Transcription. Dates have been changed/revised to read: dd-mmm-yyyy for uniformity on the PGS Website. All persons are listed as having died on October 8, 1871.
Please contact the Peninsula Genealogical Society if you have any additions/corrections at: [email protected].
WILLIAMSON'S SAWMILL & SURROUNDING AREA
ADAMS, Michael/D. 8 Oct 1871.
ADAMS, _?_/Wife of Michael ADAMS/D. 8 Oct 1871.
ADAMS, _?_/Child (#1) of Michael ADAMS/D. 8 Oct 1871.
ADAMS, _?_/Child (#2) of Michael ADAMS/D. 8 Oct 1871.
ADAMS, _?_/Child (#3) of Michael ADAMS/D. 8 Oct 1871.
AHEARN, John/D. 8 Oct 1871.
AHEARN, Patrick/D. 8 Oct 1871.
BORDWAY, Peter/D. 8 Oct 1871.
BORWAY, Frank/D. 8 Oct 1871.
BUCKLAND, _?_, Mrs./Died 8 Oct 1871.
BUCKLAND, _?_/Child (#1) of Mrs. BUCKLAND/Died 8 Oct 1871.
BUCKLAND, _?_/Child (#2) of Mrs. BUCKLAND/Died 8 Oct 1871.
CONLAN, John/D. 8 Oct 1871.
CRANE, Thomas/D. 8 Oct 1871.
DIMSOW, Nelson/D. 8 Oct 1871.
DIMSOW, _?_/Wife of Nelson DIMSOW/D. 8 Oct 1871.
DIMSOW, _?_/Child (#1) of Nelson DIMSOW/D. 8 Oct 1871.
DIMSOW, _?_/Child (#2) of Nelson DIMSOW/D. 8 Oct 1871.
DONLAN, Frank/D. 8 Oct 1871.
DONLAN, James/D. 8 Oct 1871.
DUNCAN, Chas./D. 8 Oct 1871.
HEANEY, Maggie/D. 8 Oct 1871.
JERVIS, Emery/D. 8 Oct 1871.
JERVIS, Henry/D. 8 Oct 1871.
LONGLEY, Louis/D. 8 Oct 1871.
MACCOIX, Joseph/D. 8 Oct 1871.
MACCOIX, _?_/Wife of Joseph/D. 8 Oct 1871.
MACCOIX, _?_/Child (#1) of Joseph MACCOIX/D. 8 Oct 1871.
MACCOIX, _?_/Child (#2) of Joseph MACCOIX/D. 8 OCt 1871.
MARRIED, Joseph/D. 8 Oct 1871.
MARRIED, _?_/Wife of Joseph MARRIED/D. 8 Oct 1871.
MARRIED, _?_/Child (#1) of Joseph MARRIED/D. 8 Oct 1871.
MARRIED, _?_/Child (#2) of Joseph MARRIED/D. 8 Oct 1871.
MARRIED, _?_/Child (#3) of Joseph MARRIED/D. 8 Oct 1871.
NICHOLSON, Dan/D. 8 Oct 1871.
O'CONNERS, John/D. 8 Oct 1871.
O'NEIL, Maggie/D. 8 Oct 1871.
ROGAN, Mike/D. 8 Oct 1871.
VERBONKER, Joseph/D. 8 Oct 1871.
WEINBECK, Charles/D. 8 Oct 1871.
WHELAN, James/D. 8 Oct 1871.
WHELAN, Thomas/D. 8 Oct 1871.
WILLIAMSON, James/D. 8 Oct 1871.
WILLIAMSON, _?_/Wife of James/D. 8 Oct 1871.
WILLIAMSON, John/D. 8 Oct 1871.
WILLIAMSON, _?_/Wife of John/D. 8 Oct 1871.
WILLIAMSON, _?_/Child of John/D. 8 Oct 1871.
WILLIAMSON, Freddy/D. 8 Oct 1871.
WILLIAMSON, J., Sr./D. 8 Oct 1871.
WILLIAMSON, Jason/D. 8 Oct 1871.
WILLIAMSON, Maggie/D. 8 Oct 1871.
UNKNOWNS
_?_, _?_/French woman and (2) children/D. 8 Oct 1871.
_?_, _?_/Child (#1) of French woman/D. 8 Oct 1871.
_?_, _?_/Child (#2) of French woman/D. 8 Oct 1871.
_?_, _?_/Unknown woman/D. 8 Oct 1871.
_?_, _?_/Unknown person/(#1) of (4) unknown bodies found in the woods/D. 8 Oct 1871.
_?_, _?_/Unknown person /(#2) of (4) unknown bodies found in the woods/D. 8 Oct 1871.
_?_, _?_/Unknown person /(#3) of (4) unknown bodies found in the woods/D. 8 Oct 1871.
_?_, _?_/Unknown person /(#4) of (4) unknown bodies found in the woods/D. 8 Oct 1871.
Indexed and typed by Sally TREICHEL in the 1970's
-Microfilmed in 35mm as part of the Door County Cemeteries/Tombstone Inscriptions in 1988 by Sue Hohneke for the Genealogical Society of Utah. FHL US/CAN Film #1421896 Item 10 -available to interloan at your nearest Family History Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or to view at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.
-Index as part of the Door County Cemeteries/Tombstone Inscriptions at the Laurie Room of the Door County Public Library in Sturgeon Bay, WI.
