Tornado Hits Milton Junction and Surrounding Area

1931 TORNADO THAT HIT MILTON JUNCTION AND SURROUNDING AREA

On September 21, 1931, a tornado tore through central Rock County leaving a path of death and destruction. Below is the article that was printed in the Janesville Gazette a few days later. the original paper was pretty hard to read considering it's 75 years old and extremely yellow.

"Wind Reaches Hurricane Proportions in Roar Across Rural Districts; Roads Littered With Debris"

A wind storm of almost hurricane proportions swept through central Rock County Monday night, killing at least 1 person, injuring at least another 9 others, and causing an unestimated amount of property damage. The only death reported to Sheriff James S. Fessenden at Janesville today was that of Hugh Whitford, 50, a farmer living 2 miles north of Milton Junction. The sheriff said he was killed when his house collapsed during the terrible gale. His wife was injured but not seriously. A list of injured compiled today by Sheriff Fessenden showed that 8 Rock county residents besides Mrs. Whitford required medical attention. They included Mr. and Mrs. August schachtschneider, 4 miles north of Milton Junction; their 2 sons, August Jr. and Carl; Carl Szenden, Milton Junction; Mrs. Charles Heritage, Milton Junction and Mr. and Mrs. George Green, Milton Junction, all farmers. ALL BUILDINGS RUINED the building on the W. J. Patterson farm east of Otter Creek school on the Whitewater Rd were so damaged that they are moving to the Krause farm on the same road. At H. F. Rupnow's and Theo. Klug's very much damage was done. In this neighborhood some stock is said to have been so badly injured that it had to be shot. On the Will Paul farm southwest of Milton Junction, occupied by Mr. and Mrs. August Schachtschneider and sons Carl and William, the house, barn, tobacco shed, other small buildings and the windmill are beyond restoration. Doors from the barn were found on the W. B. Paul farm to the northeast. The 4 members of the Schachtschneider family were in the house when the tornado struck. Carl helped to resue his parents and brother from under the mass of ruins. Msr. Schachtschneider received a gash on her head. Carl was bruised on his face, hands and arms, and the ends of William's fingers were smashed in the door. Mr. Schachtschneider was shaken up but not injured. Buildings on the Charles Heritage farm nearby were destroyed with the exception of the house. The roof was torn from the latter and windows broken but the ground floor was intact although the household furnishings had been shuffled from their usual place. The well house and windmill beside the house were torn down. A bull and 5 calves supposed to have perished, reappeared by noon Tuesday. The top of the brick silo was torn off. About 5 bricks down from the top, the bricks were ripped off and strewn about the yard. Mrs. Heritage was the only member of the family harmed but her injuries were slight. Next in the path was the farm ------- by August Schachtschneider, his wife and 2 sons, all of whom were injured. Every building on the farm was swept away, the debris of the house landing partly in the woods across the road. Mr. Paul estimated the loss, including that of the large barn and a complete crop of tobacco, at $20,000. The Schachtschneider place presented one of the most woeful pictures of any in the storm area. Crowds thronged to the place, men were busy clearing away the broken trees that littered the road and as the Journal car arrived a group of women were busy picking the feathers from several dead chickens, preparatory to an impromptu meal. Mrs. Schachtschneider was in bed at a neighbor's house, with severe cuts about the head. The father, bruised and bearing numerous skin abrasions about the face and head, stood disconsolately amid the ruins of his home 50 feet or more from the foundation from which the debris had blown. His son Carl, 33, was similarly bruised and a younger son, William, lost part of a finger. "That none of the family was killed is a miracle." "I was in the kitchen when I felt plaster faling around me," said the father. "I felt things giving way and thought I was being dropped down into the cellar, but when I came to I was out here in the yard. I feel awful. I'm all bunged up." A half mile or so from the Schachtschneider place the road turns onto the so called Paul Rd, leading to Milton Junction and the storm crossed it in a swath about a quarter of a mile wide, wrecking the Will Agnew farm, occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Heritage, and a large newly built attractive home down the road, owned by George Rogers. the storm barely touched the western limits of Milton Junction, felling several large trees, but a little to the west, on County Trunk M, the George Green farm presented an appearance similar to the others in the path cut by the twister as it hurtled on toward Otter Creek, Whitewater and somewhere beyond.

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