Rochester Damage Photos

Tree destruction, shortly after cleanup began, looking west on Third street from Pontiac.

Auto overturned and smashed against a tree, north on U.S. 31.

West side of Riddle elementary school, which took the brunt of the storm.

Forest Farms Western Shop, Fulton avenue side.

Homes off West Sixth Street road, looking toward the fairgrounds.

Home near the bridge over Tippecanoe river at Talma.

Kenneth Hake home, corner of Pontiac and Third streets.

Tree on auto, North Jefferson street.

What the tornado left after slamming into the west side of the Dean Milk company plant north on U.S. 31.

House destruction along U.S. 31 north of city. (National Guard Photos.)

Destruction left as storm cut across West Sixth Street road and County Road 50 East. Once heavily wooded lot surrounding Parke Baxter home in center. (Photo by Tom Zoss, Culver).

The tornado’s wake: Smashed houses, overturned cars, debris everywhere. This scene on U.S. 31 north of city, Mrs. Gladys Gilliland home in foreground. (National Guard Photo).

East of U.S. 31 highway north of city, showing destruction to Public Auction Market (right center) Larger building at left was used only for storage. (National Guard Photo.)

Another aerial view of path of tornado north across U.S. 31, with Dean Milk plant in right foreground. (Photo by Tom Zoss, Culver).

Damage in town of Talma, school and gym in center.

Homes along West Sixth Street road and County Road 50 East, looking west.

Along North Fulton avenue and Monticello road; Rochester sale barn in left foreground.

Wreckage of Talma Fastner plant.

Overall view of wreckage left at Forest Farms Western Shop building on Fulton avenue. (National Guard Photo.)

Front entrance of schoolhouse in Talma.

The loss of many lovely trees in the 100F cemetery was almost total. Here a crane removes the stump and roots of one of the largest.

Wreckage of mobile homes along the Tippecanoe river near Talma.

Richard Markley stands beside the 1929 Model A Ford which he was restoring in the building housing his well-drilling business on West Sixth street. He rebuilt the building quickly, but has a lot of rework to do on the auto.

The Interstate Piping Inc. building on Lucas street, west of Sealed Power corporation plant.

Blackburn Tire Shop on Monticello road at north edge of city.

Another view of the Talma school, showing the gymnasium damage.

Home on U. S. 31 north of the city where Mrs. Bessle Zimmerman, 87, was killed. Semi-trailer in photo was blown across the highway into the house.

View of east side of U.S. 31 north of city. Overturned auto on right imprisoned Linda Klein of Granger after it was blown off the highway. She was freed by rescue workers who required 15 minutes to rip off the door of the squashed vehicle.

U.S. 31 devastation, looking toward the city from the west side of the highway.

Geiger Gilliland, stunned and bloodied after disaster, stands in front of his damaged home on east side of U.S. 31 north of city. His wife is at left, in center is Mrs. Gladys Gilliland, whose home directly north was destroyed.

Ghrist motel, north on U.S. 31, was destroyed by the tornado. These views show the motel from the south (above) and the north wing of rooms (below), where an unoccupied truck was blown into the wreckage.

All that was left of Murray Radiator and Garage building, also on the west side of U.S. 31.

Overturned trucks at the S & K Trucking company building, on the west side of U.S. 31 north.

Only a cement floor slab was left by the storm at this house on County Road 200 North, about two miles northeast of the city.

An unoccupied house at the corner of County Roads 100 South and 375 West, west of the city, was left in this condition.

Major casualties of the tornado were many of the stately trees on the west side of Rochester, their loss changing drastically the appearance of this residential district. Typical of the change wrought by the storm are Fifth and Fulton streets (above) and Third and Fulton streets (below). Trees surrounded both intersections before the storm.

The tornadic winds took down several towers carrying high power electrical lines across country, such as this one in Newcastle township. The lines had to be temporarily raised over the roads for traffic to pass, as shown at right .

Foundation of mobile home (above) of Mr and Mrs. Kenneth Stockberger west of city on Country Road 50 North. Both were killed in the tornado.

Removing trees on April 4th along North Jefferson street.

All that was left of a mobile home northeast of Talma.

Tornado victim near Talma begins sorting through belongings at her damaged home.

Debris cleanup begins at public fishing site along the Tippecanoe river near Talma.

Camp car of Erie Lackawanna railroad after the tornado overturned it and three rail cars. Two of seven persons inside the camp car were hurt.

How a house on County Road 200 North felt the tornado’s wrath.

Corn is removed from a destroyed crib.

Front entranceway to the Fulton County REMC building west of the city on Ind. 14, which sustained extensive damage.

All that was remaining of the office area of the REMC building.

Chain link fence posts without their fencing.

Extent of Riddle school roof damage from tornado. Renovation of building was to cost about $750,000. (National Guard Photo.)

The west wall of the REMC building with steel girders scattered.

A view of the REMC building from the northeast.

Friends help clean up debris at Joe Wegner farm, in the southeast part of the county at crossing of County Roads 400 South and 750 West.

All that was left of brick house occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Pfeiffer, on west side of U.S. 31 north of the city. They were in the home at the time but escaped injury.

House moved off its foundation, U.S. 31 north of city.

Farm damage northeast of the city along Ind. 25.

Home along U.S. 31, north of the city.

Volkswagen peeks out from under fallen tree, north on U.S. 31.

The Joe Gudas Sr. home, just across county line in Pulaski county, where the tornado entered Wayne township and Fulton county.