Commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1974 Xenia Tornado with catalog collections and programs.
Xenia Lives
Join us Wednesday, April 3 at 5:30pm at the Xenia Adult Recreation & Services Center (338 S Progress Dr, Xenia, OH – next to the YMCA) for an evening of light appetizers, guest speakers, and historic displays from the Greene County Historical Society, Greene County Public Library, Greene County Archives and the National Weather Service.
We hope to see you there! Registration is required for this event.
Additionally, in the afternoon before this event, the City of Xenia will hold a special outdoor remembrance ceremony on East Main Street to mark 50 years since the tornado. East Main Street between Detroit and Whiteman Streets will be shut down in the morning and the ceremony will begin at 4 p.m. The Air Force Band of Flight from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base will provide special music for the event, which will be free and open to anyone in the public who wishes to attend.
If you are unable to attend the memorial event on April 3, the City will be hosting a gallery of memorabilia inside the City Administration Building (107 E. Main Street) in the second floor lobby during the month of April. Visitors are welcome to view the gallery during business hours.
From Your Archive
Your Greene County Room archivists put together a curated collection, some of which will be on display at the Xenia Lives Commemoration, that’s comprised of about 370 photos and 64 written personal stories from the day of the tornado. This library collection, plus those of the other Greene County organizations, will paint a powerful picture for event attendees showing how different Xenia would be from that day on.
Other historic displays like photo galleries and written histories from the Greene County Historical Society, Greene County Archives and the National Weather Service will also be available for attendees to view.
See below for a preview of some of the historic photos comprised by our archivists. Browse the full collection here.
Simon Kenton School1087 W. Second St. – Simon Kenton Elementary School was an elementary school. Armic Adams served as principal in 1974. The tornado severely damaged the building’s interior and destroyed its roof.
Market St.Two buildings on W. Market St. from corner of Market and King Streets
Church St.Looking west on Church St., two homes on the north side of the street
Nebraska Dr.1945 Nebraska Dr. — Built 1971 in Arrowhead subdivision.
Rt. 722805 U.S. Route 72N (Cedarville, Ohio)
Allison Ave.31 N. Allison Ave. — Mr. Donut Shop was a doughnut shop and bakery.
Main St.431 W. Main St. — Kroger Company was a supermarket chain.
“We’re coming back!”“We’re coming back!” This tree in an unknown location was typical of many of the the signs found throughout Xenia in the days after the tornado.
Arrowhead sub.Aerial image of Arrowhead subdivision, Xenia OH 1974
West sideAerial view of west side of Xenia, looking east, Xenia OH 1974
Happening at Your Library
Photo Whisperers: Identifying Photographs from the 1974 Xenia & Wilberforce Tornado
Learn about the methods, challenges, and lessons of identifying tornado photos 50 years on. Registration required.
Saturday, Mar 16 • 10:30 a.m. - Noon at Fairborn | Monday, Apr 1 • 6 - 7:30 p.m. at Xenia @ REACH | Saturday, Apr 13 • 10:30 a.m. - Noon at Cedarville
Voices of Greene County
Listen to oral history recordings from Greene County residents about their lives and experiences, both in and outside the county. Any entries with “April 3, 1974 Xenia Tornado” in the title are stories from Greene County citizens about their firsthand accounts from April 3, 1974 and how the aftermath impacted them and their families.
Listen to the Voices of Greene County at greenecountyroom.info/digital/collection/VoicesGC
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