On March 18, 1925, the Tri-State Tornado struck Jackson County, killing more than 300 and leaving thousands injured and homeless.  On the 100th Anniversary of this disaster, the Jackson County Historical Society is commemorating it through a variety of programs and events which will occur on March 13-18, 2025.  These programs will all be free to the public.  Reservations for some events are suggested but not required.  Please continue to check back to this page for any additional events that may be scheduled.

The Jackson County Historical Society will open its doors for the exhibition of photos and artifacts from the Tri-State Tornado.  Among the artifacts is a tree trunk with a 2x4 driven through it.  It was sent to Springfield shortly after the tornado.  This will be its first visit to Murphysboro in 100 years.  These artifacts and photos will be on display at the JCHS for the entire month of March.

The JCHS will host cemetery walks at two of the county cemeteries where most of the dead were buried following the 1925 Tornado.  The cemetery walk will feature stories about those who perished and those who survived along with stories about local events in the communities in the days immediately following the tornado.  Each cemetery will have walks starting at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. giving those interested the opportunity to attend both events.

The showing of two videos at the Liberty Theater.  Each viewing will feature two videos.  The first is a commercially produced endeavor by PBS and SIU and it will be followed by a video of photos in the JCHS collection with a voice over by a local citizen telling firsthand stories and newspaper reports on the event.

A public event remembering the 1925 Tornado.  Invited guests will be local public figures and community leaders.  During the event, a reading of the names of those who perished will be performed by local citizens.  A state historical marker commemorating the event will be presented to the City of Murphysboro.