Chasing the Past

As a child, my Ma-Ma told me of a tornado coming through and either ripping a baby from the arms of it’s mother, or pulling both mother and baby off their front porch. I wish I remembered more of the story, especially since I made her tell me a few times. I thought it was one of her Harris aunts.

Last fall, a painter friend was working in my classroom and we started talking about Northern Montgomery County. He told me of a friend he had who’s great grandparents were killed in a tornado. He showed me pictures of their tombstones and said I should get in contact with their grandson. While I haven’t been able to do that yet, it did spark some interest in researching this tornado.

He said that James and Caroline Byrd both lost their lives that day. Their son, about five years old, was missing for a while, later being found safe. While I haven’t found any news reports which document that, I found many more that told a tale of tragedy.

It was February of 1884. Between the 19th and 20th, this storm spawned at least 50 tornados. It is known as the Enigma tornado outbreak¹. The most deadly, with over 20 deaths, which passed through the Rockingham area was an estimated F4.

About the same time, a cousin posted this article² about George W. Morris to our local genealogy facebook group. We started reading all of the news articles we could find. We wanted to to identify all those who had been wounded, killed, or lost their homes. She wrote a lovely blog post about George W. Morris, Jr, her 1C3R and my 1C4R and more about the Morrises of Montgomery County, NC.

Many of the areas affected by this enigma outbreak are better documented today than the area affected for which I have the most interest. Looking back at old newspapers helped me understand the devastation to this area. According to the February 29 edition of the Charlotte Democrat³,

The most fearful and destructive hurricane ever known in this section swept across the Pee Dee river from Stanly county, at the mouth of the Uwharrie river, and taking up the course of the Uwharrie about five miles.

Specific mention of Mr. and Mrs. James Bird (spelled Boyd) and Mrs. Polly Cranford (spelled Crawford) comes in a March 14 article in the Statesville Record and Landmark.⁴

Another article says the storm extended as far as Uwharrie post office, near Saunders’ Ford, five miles or more.⁵ By scouring news articles, I feel like we have a pretty good list.⁶⁷⁸

Dead and Wounded

• Lafayette Allen
• Joe Allred and wife
• Robert Ballard
• Hansel Beaman and three children (wounded)
• James Byrd and wife (dead)
• Mrs. A Richard Dennis and child (dead)
• Daughter of RC Hall (dead) Angeline Bethania Hall (1866-1884)
• child of Wiley Harris (dead) This is perhaps Flora (1882-1884)
• WS Ingram (dead)
• Cora London
• William Morris
• Clarence Staten

Houses destroyed:

• Hansel Beaman
• James Byrd
• Aunt Polly Cranford
• Wilson Davis
• Willis Dennis
• A Richard Dennis
• Littleton Dennis
• Pad Dennis
• RC Hall
• JP Harper
• Wiley Harris
• Mark Harvel Jr
• Mary Hurley
• Adeline Hurley
• Silas Kearns
• Kirk
• John Morris
• Sampson Morris
• Ed Mullinix
• Elzevan Sanders
• JE Sanders Store, dwelling, and gin house

One of Hansel Beaman’s children died February 23, according to the NC Cemetery Survey.⁹ I believe this could be one of his children who was wounded.

Many of these folks are related to me. Those in bold that lost their houses are direct ancestors of mine. There may be others that I have not verified yet.

The storm-sufferers in the Uwharrie section of Montgomery County met at the Uwharrie Post Office on 3 May, 2884. The following preamble and resolutions were unanimously adopted:¹⁰

WHEREAS, On the 19th day of Feb. A.D., 1884, our section was visited by the most devastating and destructive cyclone ever known in the history of our county or country, destroying property of all kinds in the broad sweep of one mile across the county, leaving a great number houseless and almost without a single vestige, and many households are in mourning for missing members, hurried from time without a moment’s; therefore, be it

Resolved, 1st. That every survivor should recognize with thankful heart in prayer and praise the hand of Providence that they are allowed to escape so fierce a storm and are yet alive.

2d. That they will ever keep in memory the especial acts of kindness of neighbors along the outlines of the track of the storm, who so readily and speedily came ere the storm had passed to the relief of the distressed, wounded and dying.

3d. That to the several relief committees of our county and others, through whom we have been furnished money, provisions and clothing, we do most sincerely tender our most grateful thanks.

4th. That the several relief committees are entitled to the warmest gratitude of our hearts for their earnest and persistent efforts for our relief, and especially those whose thoughtful suggestions brought into action a system of relief at whose discrimination none should complain.

5th. That our thanks are hereby directly tendered to the sympathizing fellow-citizens of Raleigh, Wilmington, Charlotte, Greensboro, High Point, Lexington, Salisbury, Leaksville, Thomasville and Philadelphia, Pa., and to others who have contributed in any way to our relief.

6th. That a copy of these resolutions be furnished one of our State papers for publication, and that all other State papers be requested to publish.

W. H. HARRIS, Ch’m.
JAS. G. COTTON, Secretary.

From this resolution, it is obvious that the community and surrounding areas came together to support and contribute to the relief of the citizens of Uwharrie. The actions of others touched the people of Montgomery County so much that they wanted everyone to know.

This post is a part of Amy Johnson Crow’s 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge.

1. Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enigma_tornado_outbreak : access 16 March 2025), “Enigma Tornado Outbreak,” revised 17:27, 22 January 2025. ↩︎
2. “Blown up in Air for Half a Mile,” The News and Observer, Monday, November 23, 1825, page 10, https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-and-observer-george-w-morris/168126250/ ↩︎
3. Further Particulars About the Great Storm, The Charlotte Democrat, Friday, February 29, 1884, page 2 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-democrat-cyclone-of-1884-m/153207943/ ↩︎
4. Statesville Record and Landmark, Friday, March 15, 1884, Page 1, https://www.newspapers.com/article/statesville-record-and-landmark-cyclone/152881156/. ↩︎
5. “A Terrible Cyclone, Its Devastation in our State”. The Biblical Recorder, Wednesday, February 27, 1884, page 3, https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-biblical-recorder-cyclone-of-1884-mo/153094111/. ↩︎
6. “Swelling the Death Roll, Frightful Havoc in Montgomery County—Desolution Along the Uwharrie—List of the Killed”, The Charlotte Observer, Saturday, February 23, 1884, page 3, https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-observer-cyclone-of-1884/153094231/ ↩︎
7. “Death Rides the Storm and Riots in the Air,” The Farmer and Mechanic, Wednesday, February 27, 1884, page 2 (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-farmer-and-mechanic-cyclone-of-1884/152881469/) ↩︎
8. “Horrible Cyclone,” Carolina Watchman, Thursday, February 28, 1884, page 1, (https://www.newspapers.com/article/carolina-watchman-cyclone-of-1884/152880551/). ↩︎
9. Cemetery Survey. “North Carolina, United States records,” images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CST7-MSB1-R?view=explore : Mar 16, 2025), image 3859 of 6390; Baxter Beamon. ↩︎
10. “Resolution of Thanks”, The Daily Journal, Saturday, May 17, 1884, page 1, (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-journal-cyclone-of-1884-resolu/153093869/). ↩︎