The Great Sherman Storm of 1896
Sherman, Grayson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In the late afternoon of Friday, May 15, 1896, a disastrous tornado swept Sherman, killing about 66 persons, injuring many others, and causing severe property damage. The twister touched down near here, then cut a 2-mile-long path through the city. The same funnel and several smaller ones struck at other locations in the area. Most of the storm's victims were buried in this cemetery. After the tragedy, citizens of Sherman and neighboring towns helped with the rebuilding, and relief contributions were sent from many distant places.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
On the afternoon of May 15, 1896, a devastating tornado touched down near here and tore a two-mile path through Sherman, killing about 66 people and causing severe damage. Most of the victims were buried in this cemetery, and after the tragedy neighboring towns and distant communities sent aid to help the city rebuild.
Why it matters
The disaster and the wide response to it reflect how American communities have long rallied to aid one another after catastrophe.
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Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Thomas Jefferson Shannon
Sherman, TX
Thomas Jefferson Shannon arrived in Texas in 1839, when it was still an independent republic, and settled in the area that became Grayson County in 1845. As the county's first state legislator he pushed to move the county seat to present-day Sherman and donated the land for the townsite, earning the nickname "Father of Sherman." A pioneering cattleman, he even imported Durham cattle said to be a gift from Queen Victoria in 1848, while his daughter Julia named the town's first streets.
Olive Ann Oatman Fairchild
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In 1851, thirteen-year-old Olive Ann Oatman was captured in Arizona after six of her family were killed, then sold to the Mojave, who treated her kindly but marked her chin with the blue cactus-needle tattoo she carried for life. Ransomed by the army at Fort Yuma in 1856, she lived in California and New York, married J. B. Fairchild in 1865, and about 1872 moved to Sherman, where he founded a city bank. She lived there until her death in 1903.
Aaron S. Mangum
Sherman, TX
Aaron Mangum came to Texas from South Carolina with a Georgia battalion in 1835 and served under Colonel James Fannin at Goliad during the Texas Revolution. Falling ill on an expeditionary mission, he was away from the garrison and so survived the massacre of Fannin's men in 1836. He later married Leonora Snively and settled in Grayson County; the town of Mangum, Oklahoma, carries his name.
Jesse P. Loving
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Jesse "Jess" P. Loving came to Texas from Missouri in 1847 and settled in Sherman by 1852. A Confederate veteran, he became a leading citizen, serving multiple terms as county treasurer and in the state legislature. In 1879 he drove the founding of the Old Settlers Association of Grayson County, helping the pioneer generation preserve its own story.