If you think the sculpture at 5th Street and Highway 14 in Tracy looks like scrap metal that’s been twisted by a tornado, you’ve got the right idea. But there’s more to it than that.
On June 13, 1968, an F5 tornado ground its way through Tracy, killing nine people, injuring 150 more, and destroying over 100 homes while damaging a couple hundred others. Following the disaster, crews cut down all of the damaged trees.
They spared only the twisted, splintered trunk of an elm tree that stood at the corner of 5th and Rowland streets, site of the demolished elementary school. This striking ragged remnant became a memorial to the nine people who had died. The tree trunk was later cut off and positioned at 5th Street and Highway 14 with a marker that named the nine victims.
Following the 20th anniversary observance of the tornado in 1988, the idea to replace the rotting tree trunk with a permanent monument was endorsed by the Tracy Chamber of Commerce. With funds from donations, the Chamber and a grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts and Humanities Council, a committee of folks who had experienced the tornado chose the design proposal of Steven Jaenisch of Fergus Falls.
Jaenisch, a metal worker and artist, built a 16-foot-high steel replica of the twisted tree trunk. At 7 p.m. on June 13, 1990, 22 years from the time the tornado struck, the Tornado Tree Monument was dedicated by the community of Tracy.
Driving through town on Highway 14, you’ll see the sculpture on the corner with a “Welcome to Tracy” sign. It is an arresting reminder of how a town can heal and move on following a disaster, yet never forget those who were lost. Just off the highway on 5th Street is a parking space next to the monument so one can stop and take a closer look.
Thanks to Seth Schmidt, editor of the Tracy Headlight-Herald, for providing information for this story.
