April 2,1957. I was six and a half months old that day living in Fort Worth doing whatever six and month old kids do. A mere 32 miles away, Mothers all over Dallas were seeking shelter and safety for their own children as an
F3 tornado bore down on the Big D. Soon ten people would be dead, 200 others injured and $4 million (1957 dollars) property damage was done. In the photo above, if you look at the top right-hand corner, you can see the Pegasus, which means to me that you are looking west as the twister approaches downtown Dallas. As a little boy I remember my parents and other grown ups talking about this event. Texas is certainly no stranger to tornadoes, but they normally strike in the
far reaches of the state, not
Dallas or, as in 2003 in downtown Fort Worth. However, as is often the case in tragic stories like this, something good comes the despair. My friend and fellow Class of '75, Nimitz High graduate, Kim Skeene Henning was born the day the tornado hit Dallas. Kim writes this interesting observation : "I always think of Mark Twain being born w/ Haley's comet and then dying when he saw it again... not saying I want to die in a tornado, but being born in such a great natural event makes me think of that." Nicely said, Kim. Nicely said.
Thanks Toby - great blog... you are doing good job w/ keeping it interesting. Kim
ReplyDeleteI forgot to tell you, my dad wanted to name me Windy or Gail because I was born during the tornado -- but my mom thought differently. :) Kim
ReplyDeleteKim...thanks for taking time to comment. LMAO @ Windy and Gail. And thanks for the kind words. :)
ReplyDeleteLiving in Dallas now for the past nineteen years, I can assure you, that skyline has absolutely no resemblance to the current one.
ReplyDeleten2l
n2l...the photo above is very similar to the way I remember Dallas as a young boy growing up in the Metroplex. Last time I was in Big D several years ago, it looked like a different city to me.
ReplyDelete