s/o Spencer DeKalb Bevers and Sybil Henrietta Bowen Grogan

killed in Hemming Cyclone

The above picture appeared in "The Weekly News of Cooke County" dated June 23,
2005, along with an article written by Shana Powell, then Curator of the Morton
Museum. The day seemed like a typical spring day in Cooke County. Flowers were
in bloom, children dreamed of summer vacation and farmers hoped for rain, just
not too much. In Hemming, located 16 miles from Gainesville in the southeastern
part of the county, Gardner Boydston was operating the grist mill (grinding
grain) while a farmer guided his wagon and team toward one of the stores to do
some trading. As the day ended, students practiced a program they would probably
perform as part of year-end school activities. An anticipated picnic after
school also was planned. An ordinary day - or so Hemming residents though. By
the end of April 27, 1907, nothing ever would be the same in Hemming again. What
was it like in Hemming before April 1907? In thee 1880s people began immigrating
into that area and in time, enough people resided there that they decided to
start a school. C.C. Hemming, president of the Gainesville National Bank,
donated four acres that he owned in the vicinity for the prospective school and
as a result, in 1889 both the school and the town were named for him. In 1894,
J.P. Knudsen built a store and a cotton gin. The gin was sold to a company from
Pilot Point and then in 1905 was bought by Emberson and Alexander, who also
established a large mercantile store. At one time, Hemming "was the cotton
center for that section of Cooke County, the gin turning out 1,000 to 1,500
bales annually. With a strong cotton market, the seed sold higher than at
Sanger, Valley View, and Gainesville." At its largest, Hemming had a population
of around 125, consisted of two stores, a gin, a school building and three
churches. Then suddenly on April 27, 1907, life in Hemming changed forever - a
tornado hit the small town. At the grist mill, Boydston saw the storm coming and
took cover in the only place available - wedged between two post oak trees.
During the storm, the "post oak trees were snapped off about ten feet above
ground and at least twenty tons of timber and debris piled over him. He escaped
unhurt." The farmer heading for the store tied his team of mules in front of the
building and ran for shelter. When the storm was over, he returned to find that,
"one mule was still hitched to the decapitated tree. But the other mule with the
wagon had disappeared and was never found." The storm devastated the community,
destroying every house except for the home of John Alexander, Sr., located on a
hill about 500 yards south of the store. The Alexander house was used as a
hospital for the many injured. The tornado killed Hemming's physician, Dr. John
Riley; William R. Alexander, 16-years-old; Grover Bevers, 14; Leona Nell Wells,
10; Pettis and Painter Wilkins, 8 and 4; and Oma Boydstun, 6. The community
carried on after the tornado, but ultimately April 27, 1907 marked the decline
of Hemming. End of story. Hemming School District consolidated with Union Grove
in 1929 and Union Grove later consolidated with the Valley View School District.