EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, APPOINTED TO DISTRIBUTE FUNDS FOR RELIEF OF SUFFERERS BY THE CYCLONE IN MINNESOTA, APRIL 14TH 1886:

On the afternoon of April 14, 1886, a cyclone swept through Stearns, Benton, and parts of Morrison County, Minnesota. More than 70 people were killed and scores injured. Many homes and businesses were completely destroyed, leaving hundreds of people destitute and homeless. Hardest hit were the communities of St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids, and Rice's Station. Local relief committees were quickly formed and provided immediate aid. These committees soon needed help in coordinating the offers of aid and distributing money that poured in from throughout the state. A five-man executive committee was formed for this purpose and to insure that aid reached only the needy sufferers.

The governor and the mayors of St. Paul, Minneapolis, St. Cloud, and Sauk Rapids appointed one member each to this executive committee. Al Barto of Sauk Center, Channing Seabury of St. Paul, O. C. Merriman of Minneapolis, John Cooper of St. Cloud, and Clarence B. Buckman of Sauk Rapids were the men chosen. In their first meeting, Barto was elected chairman, Merriman elected treasurer, and Seabury elected secretary.

The cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis pledged $20,000 and $10,000, respectively, for the relief effort. Numerous other communities sent Governor Lucius F. Hubbard amounts between $50.00 and $5,000. In all, more than $90,000 (round figures are used from here on) was raised: $48,000 pledged by city councils and the rest by individuals and organizations.

The executive committee quickly agreed that this money should be spent only to help needy sufferers from the tornado, and not those who had suffered a loss but had other means of support. Thus the primary concern of the relief effort was to provide shelter for destitute families who could not afford to rebuild on their own. Local building committees directed the construction of 66 new homes at a cost of $26,076 ($395 apiece). In addition, 33 damaged homes were repaired at a cost of $3,825, and material or labor or both totaling $10,641 was supplied to 35 other families. Also, 67 individuals received cash, totaling $11,962.

After its establishment, the executive committee funneled money raised by the governor and other sources to the local relief and building committees. While it preferred that local committees handle direct appeals for aid, the executive committee acted as an appeals board and settled numerous claims and disputes. It heard 59 appeals in person and received 18 written applications. In addition to money spent on rebuilding and repairing homes, the executive committee disbursed to the local relief committees $3,000 to use at their discretion to furnish the homes, and another $2,500 to paint and further winterize the homes. They also donated $1,000 to the Sauk Rapids School District to furnish a rebuilt school house and reimbursed St. Benedict's Hospital $5.00 per patient per day (approximately $1,085). However, a bill for reimbursement submitted by a local doctor for medical expenses was refused, on the grounds that he was not a needy sufferer. After inspecting the homes and interviewing the owners, the committee decided to return to the donors (both communities and individuals), on a pro rata basis, unspent funds totaling almost $19,000.

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Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Minnesota. Executive Committee, Appointed to Distribute Funds for Relief of Sufferers by the Cyclone in Minnesota, April 14th 1886. St. Cloud Cyclone Relief Minute Book and Account Book. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 2794 (mss.)

Processing Information:

Catalog ID number: 001732444

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This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:

Disaster relief -- Minnesota.

Tornadoes -- Minnesota -- Benton County.

Tornadoes -- Minnesota -- Stearns County.

Persons:

Barto, Alphonso, 1834-1899.

Buckman, Clarence B. (Clarence Bennett), 1851-1917.

Cooper, John, 1836-1907.

Merriman, O. C. (Orlando Crosby), 1827-1906.

Seabury, Channing, 1842-1910.

Places:

Saint Cloud (Minn.) -- Tornado, 1886.

Sauk Rapids (Minn.) -- Tornado, 1886.

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