Fosterburg Tornado (March 19, 1948)
Fosterburg History Fosterburg News Articles
TORNADO DESTROYS FOSTERBURG AND BUNKER HILL
On March 19, 1948, shortly after 6 a.m., a tornado raged through
Madison and Macoupin Counties on a southwest to northeast course,
leaving death and destruction in its path. The storm originated near
Alton, and damaged a number of homes on Belle and Alby Streets. Many
witnesses in Alton reported they did not see a typical twister, but
a low black cloud that seemed to roll along horizontally. Soon a
tornado touched down in North Alton, then hit Fosterburg, and
continued on through Bunker Hill and Gillespie. The village of
Fosterburg was 80% destroyed – including homes, two general stores,
the school, and churches (Baptist and Presbyterian). Bunker Hill was
the hardest hit, with 19 killed and 8 out of 10 buildings destroyed.
The injured were taken to area hospitals for treatment, and when the hospitals were filled, the less seriously injured were taken to Alton's churches for treatment. The Red Cross set up large tents to give aid to those in need. The village of Fosterburg was cordoned off by the National Guard and passes were needed to enter until March 23. The order went out to shoot looters.
The following Fosterburg residents lost their lives in the disaster: Ethel Keene, Theodore Elberg, Harry Thompson, Erma Scroggins, Laura Bassett, Bertha Hunt, Lydia Bruggemann, and Sadie Titchenal. In both counties, there was a total of 35 killed by the tornado.
Over 200 farmers gathered from throughout the county to begin the
clean-up operations in Fosterburg. With the help of countless
volunteers, the community was rebuilt. Fosterburg students were
bused into Alton to finish the school year, and a Quonset hut was
set up for a temporary schoolhouse for the Fall term.
About one year later, on May 21, 1949, a tornado touched down in
Wood River, causing severe damage and killing five people.
YouTube video of recollections of the 1948 Fosterburg/Bunker Hill tornado.