Cyclone from a previous century

By Joan Janzen

Cathy Bayda and her husband reside on a farm eight miles north of Eston, where a cyclone touched down exactly 100 years ago on May 26, 1923, at 4:00 p.m. The farm was originally homesteaded by her uncle, Jim Cook, in 1906, who later sold it to Cathy’s dad. “When my dad passed away, my husband and I came back to the farm,” she reported.

Thanks to the foresight of Cathy’s relatives, the event was captured on photographic film. Those photos are now in her possession after her cousin thoughtfully gave them to her before her passing.

This is a photo of the original 30x50 foot hip roofed barn before the cyclone, and a photo of its destruction after the cyclone in 1923.

The event was recorded in the May 31, 1923, edition of The Eston Press. The report stated, “The wind storms of the week did considerable damage in this district. Cook brothers suffered the most as their big barn, also the house, was completely blown down.”

Years later, Cathy’s Uncle Jim Cook wrote about the storm in the book entitled, “A Wheatland Heritage”. According to Jim, a 30x50 foot hip-roofed barn, two 24x16 foot houses, a bunk car, a cook car, a 36x60 foot implement shed, five 12x15 granaries, a lot of machinery, several horses and chickens were all destroyed.

He also reported five men in the barn were unharmed, except for one man who sustained a broken leg. That man was also Cathy’s uncle. Jim’s report said, “The housekeeper was carried forty rods in the cook car and was in bad shape. She recovered after a long siege in the hospital.”

When Cathy moved on to the farm, only one original shed remained, which they took down. “The farm doesn’t look anything like it did back then,” she said, noting many trees have been planted throughout the years.

“I’m outside every day and am always looking at the sky,” she said. Every year Cathy looks at the sky on May 26 and remembers the cyclone, but it was especially poignant this year after 100 years have passed.