Welcome to the Iron County Historical Society
Since 1974, the Iron County Historical Society has been dedicated to preserving, protecting and sharing the rich history of Iron County, Missouri and its people. Through our museum, publications, programs and outreach, we can help you discover this rich history and help you with researching your own family's history. If you are already a member of the society, you can log-on by clicking on the
Members Only link. If you are not already a member, we would encourage you to
join us and help us to share our rich heritage with future generations. Check out our
Coming Events page to keep up with the latest on upcoming historical society events and use our
Blog page to get the very latest on historical society news, the latest information on changes to the website and information to assist you in researching your Iron County and other ancestors. Our museum is located inside the Arcadia Valley Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center (and AMTRAK Station) on Missouri State Highway 21 in Aradia, Missouri. We are currently open on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays.
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Miners in Front of Pilot Knob Iron Mine, 1919
October 2024 Quarterly Meeting
The Tri-State Tornado
March 18, 2025, will mark the 100th anniversary of one of the most tragic days in the history of the Midwest. It was on this date in 1925 that the Tri-State Tornado struck without warning and devasted communities from southeast Missouri to southwest Indiana. One of those communities, as shown in the photograph on the left was Annapolis, in southern Iron County.
Even though this event occurred nearly 100 years ago, this tornado still holds several records. The tornado claimed 695 lives making it the single deadliest tornado in U.S. history. It also holds the records for the longest duration and distance, lasting some 3 ½ hours and carving a path of destruction 219 miles in length. It was also the fastest moving tornado ever recorded with an average forward speed of 62mph and 73 mph at its fastest along its path between the Illinois towns of Gorham and Murphysboro. Finally, it was the most destructive, destroying 15,000 homes. Whole towns were virtually wiped from the map. Countless businesses and livelihoods were destroyed and the lives of the survivors of this terrible storm were affected, in some cases, forever.
John’s program will tell the story of this deadly storm, but beyond that story, it will also put the storm within its historical context. Weather forecasting and even the knowledge of weather itself was much different in 1925 than it is today. He will examine that history and explain why there was little to no warning about this tragic storm. His program will look at the storm itself and explain the circumstances that came together in deadly unison to make it a perfect storm of destruction. Beyond the science, facts and figures, John’s program will also put a personal perspective on the tornado’s impact by sharing some of the stories of those that were there. Finally, his program will also look at the aftermath of the storm, the multiple relief efforts that began almost immediately and the resilience of many of the communities impacted by the storm.
