Greenleaf Musings: Thomas Hervery Hart, Family Lost in Zephyr Cyclone

Written by Freda Day – Thomas Hart was born in Parker County October 16, 1871. Shortly after Daniel Baker College (which was in the area where the Academy of Freedom is now) was opened in 1889 by the Presbyterian Church, Hart became a student. He was one of the first graduates of the new school.

He married Artie Vienna Hart, and they had two sons. In May of 1909, his wife and sons went to visit friends in Zephyr while Dr. Hart stayed in Brownwood. At this time, Hart was the principal of Brownwood High School.

At about midnight the night of their visit, a cyclone hit the heart of Zephyr, killing thirty-four people and injuring more than fifty. Thirty-seven homes and a dozen businesses were totally destroyed; about that many more were severely damaged. Two churches and a rock school building were damaged. The cyclone turned walls and boards to splinters and stripped limbs and bark from trees. It cut a path 70′ to 150′ wide through the center of town. After the storm, dead farm animals littered the rubble. Circling overhead were seagulls brought in by the wind.

In the midst of the storm, lightning struck the business district, causing fires that destroyed a livery stable, two blacksmith shops, a general store, a newspaper printing plant, and a lumber yard.

Oddly, Brownwood heard about the disaster that happened not even twenty miles away two hours later from a reporter at a Fort Worth newspaper. Communication had been completely wiped out between Brownwood and Zephyr.

At about 4:00 in the morning, a special train arrived in Zephyr from Brownwood, with Santa Fe crewmen, rescue workers, seven doctors, and all available medical supplies. Dr. Hart came on this train to find his wife and children. Unfortunately, his wife and five-year-old son Robert were both dead.

Artie and Robert have a beautiful double head stone, topped with the statement, “We shall meet again.” On the stone are engraved two clasped hands, one female and one male, which signifies a good marriage, and the welcoming gates of heaven thrown wide open to welcome them.

Dr. Hart served many years as a Justice of the Peace. In an ad for re-election in 1958, he listed his accomplishments: former superintendent of Brownwood Public Schools, former teacher of government at Daniel Baker College, former Dean and President at Daniel Baker College, and former member of the Brownwood City Council.

About Greenleaf Cemetery:

The Greenleaf Cemetery was established in 1868.  Greenleaf Fisk gave five acres to the town for a burial place, and two and one half acres each the Pecan Valley IOOF Lodge No. 236, October 26, 1883, and to the Brownwood Masonic Lodge No. 141 AF and AM, December 3, 1883, making a total of ten acres for burial purposes.  There has been four additions to the cemetery since then and now has over 18,000 burials.  A section was set aside in 1958 for members of the Catholic denomination.  The cemetery was named Round Mountain and later renamed Greenleaf.  The Brownwood Garden Club built the present entrance.  During 1918 they averaged about four burials a day due to the flu epidemic.  At this time they had four crews digging day and night.

The Greenleaf Cemetery Association was incorporated April 10, 1923  The Greenleaf Cemetery is a non-profit perpetual care cemetery.  Its governing body consists of five board members, elected by members of the Greenleaf Cemetery Association.  The cemetery is located off Highway 377 South (Brady Highway) across the railroad tracks within the city limits of Brownwood.

Source: http://browncountyhistory.org/greenleafC.html