THE 1914 HURRICANE

On June 23, 1914, a tornado hit St. Louis Park so powerfully that those who lived through it swore it was a hurricane. Pictures show tremendous damage to buildings in the Park, but only one person was killed: 17-year old Esther Munson, who lived at 5816 Oak Street [now 5812 Cambridge]. Esther’s father, Muns Munson, had come to the U.S. in 1880 and the family came to St. Louis Park in 1910. Proceeds of the Village’s 1914 Fourth of July celebration would go to Esther’s father, who built a new house in 1918.

The following is a newspaper account of that terrible day:

Minneapolis Morning Tribune
Thursday, June 25, 1914

St. Louis Park Girl Is
Killed By Falling House

Esther Munson Is Crushed To
Death Under Falling Timbers

Father and Brother on Front
Porch Escape Without Injury

Esther Munson, 17 years old, was instantly killed when the wind blew down the residence in St. Louis Park, she was in the dining room. Her father, M.C. Munson and her brother, Harold, were on the front porch and escaped uninjured. Mrs. Munson was visiting in another town. The house collapsed as though made of toy bricks. With a roar it crumpled up. Father and son had just time to jump from the porch. The daughter was crushed to death. Mrs. Roy W. Sherman, wife of the camp foreman on the Dan Patch construction work in St. Louis Park, was unconscious for several hours as a result of injuries. She was sleeping in a tent when the storm struck. The ridge pole fell and struck her on the head. She recovered by morning and is not expected to suffer permanent injury. The tent city suffered much damage. L.M. Thompson's residence was partly destroyed. The wind blew one comer off the house and the rain poured in. Mr. Thompson suffered a crushed hand when a window fell on it. Others of the family were unhurt and all escaped. The damage placed at $1,000. E.M. Trenkley's general store was damaged to the extent of about $500. Damage to the Munson house was complete. The house was valued at $2,500. William Triden lived near the Munson home. His barn was picked up and moved 40 feet. No damage was done the house. A greenhouse owned by Thomas Johnson was ruined. Truck gardeners suffered heavy losses. Vegetables were torn up by the roots. The ball park fence was blown down. Other damage in the neighborhood. It was estimated by residents and property owners in St. Louis Park that the damage would reach into the thousands. The storm approached a tornado at St. Louis Park. Old residents said it was the most violent storm in the history of the village.

The Minneapolis Journal of June 24, 1914 reported it thusly:

Esther Munson of St. Louis Park

Caught in Story Wreckage

Saving Children

Esther Munson, 18 years old, was killed in the storm at St. Louis Park by the collapse of her home, a frame home, after she and her father, Carl Munson, had succeeded in dragging younger children from the house. A heavy timber fell on her, crushing out her life and other debris was piled upon her. Her father was literally blown clear of the wreckage and escaped injury.

… The roof was blown off of the Monitor Drill Company’s warehouse, an automatic alarm summoning the fire department, which made a run through the rain and wind, but discovered no fire.

…All the Tri State telephones in St. Louis Park were put out of commission and a line of poles three quarters of a mile long from Goodrich to Excelsior Avenues carrying trunk lines leading into southern Minnesota was snapped into a string of shattered lumber and tangled wires.

…L.M. Thompson [Deacon of the Union Congregational Church], living next door to the family, suffered severe bruises on the hand and arm by a door slamming upon him as he was taking members of the Munson family into his own home.

Many thanks to Mr. Al Pooler, a Munson descendant, for his research and transcriptions of these hard-to-read newspapers.

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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.