J.P. was excited to go on his first journey this semester. Sara and J.P. left Wham and traveled north on 51 to De Soto, IL (approximately 7 miles). We arrived at the De Soto Village Hall where the monument is located. J.P. was excited to learn that such a destructive tornado traveled through this area, and that my great-grandparents were survivors of the tornado. The Great Tri-State tornado occurred on March 18, 1925. It traveled 219 miles through three states: Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. The tornado killed 695 people, injured approximately 2,000 people, and destroyed 15,000 homes. The tornado traveled directly through this area. Some of the towns hit in this area include: Gorham, Murphysboro, De Soto, and West Frankfort. The monument is dedicated to those who lost their lives in the tornado, and the survivors whom refused to give up on the small village of De Soto. The monument has bricks engraved with survivors names, as well as names of those who died.
Miles Traveled (to and from): 16.08 miles
Total Miles Traveled: 16.08 miles
Latitude and Longitude Coordinates: 37.817531, -89.230679
