Tracy in Lyon County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Tracy Tornado Memorial
June 13, 1968
October 28, 2023
1. Tracy Tornado Memorial, Side One
Photo by Eric Lantz
On June 13, 1968, the city of Tracy stood poised on the brink of oblivion.
On that hot and humid Thursday evening, an F5 tornado plowed a path of utter destruction thru the heart of Tracy. Forming near Lake Sarah southwest of Tracy, the tornado leveled three farmsteads before entering city limits at 7:03 p.m. In all, the tornado stayed on the ground for 13.5 miles and 25 minutes before dissipating several miles northeast of town.
In the aftermath, nine people were killed and 150 others were injured. There were 111 homes completely destroyed and an additional 76 homes had major damage. Five of the town's businesses were completely destroyed and 15 others suffered some type of damage. A three-story elementary school, built in 1895, was gutted in a matter of seconds. So powerful were the tornadic winds that a 25-ton boxcar was hurled several blocks in the air before being dropped in a residential street intersection.
This monument is intended to serve not only as a lasting memorial to those who died in the tornado. It is also a tribute to the relentless spirit of the citizens of Tracy following the disaster and a reminder of the awesome power of nature.
In Remembrance
Nancy Vlahos 2
Fred Pilatus 71
Otelia Werner 75
Walter
this page online
Mildred Harnden 75
Ella Haney 84
Ellen Morgan 75
Paul Swanson 60
Barbara Holbrook 50
Erected 2013.
Topics. This historical marker and memorial is listed in this topic list: Disasters. A significant historical date for this entry is June 13, 1968.
Location. 44° 14.323′ N, 95° 37.151′ W. Marker is in Tracy, Minnesota, in Lyon County. It is at the intersection of Craig Avenue (U.S. 14) and 5th Street, on the right when traveling east on Craig Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Tracy MN 56175, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker and memorial is in Southwest Minnesota. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, and on the Great Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land and also the territory of the Mississippian Culture.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 11 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Tracy Tornado Tree / Tracy Tornado Clock (here, next to this marker); Tracy Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.8 miles away); "On the Banks of Plum Creek" (approx. 7.3 miles away); Walnut Grove Veterans Memorial (approx. 7.4 miles away); Site of the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church (approx. 7½ miles away); Laura's Dugout Home on the Banks of Plum Creek (approx. 7.7 miles away); Shetek Monument (approx. 10.3 miles away); Tragedy Surrounds Smith Lake on August 20, 1862 (approx. 10½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tracy.
Also see . . .
1. Fifty-year-old memories haunt Tracy tornado survivors | MPR News. (Submitted on November 2, 2023.)
2. WCCO-TV "Thursday in Tracy" Tracy Tornado Special, June 17, 1968 - TC Media Now
October 28, 2023
2. Tracy Tornado Memorial, Side Two
October 28, 2023
3. Tracy Tornado Memorial, from the west
October 28, 2023
4. Tracy Tornado Memorial, from the east
Credits. This page was last revised on February 18, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 2, 2023. This page has been viewed 833 times since then and 100 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 2, 2023.
