Sixth Oak Lawn Tornado Image Discovered

Historic photo found in library archives 46 years years after the infamous Oak Lawn Tornado.

The media footprint of the infamous Oak Lawn Tornado that tore through Oak Lawn and clipped Hometown, Evergreen Park and Beverly in 1967 expanded with the discovery of a sixth image in the archives of Oak Lawn Public Library. Unlike today, when ordinary citizens can record and photograph breaking news with a smartphone, and stormchasers, images of the 1967 tornado are extremely rare. The only EF4 tornado known to hit the Chicago region, five images of the Oak Lawn Tornado are known to exist, along with a five-minute audio recording of the actual storm blowing over Oak Lawn. Connect to Patch: Oak Lawn / Evergreen Park / Beverly-Mt. Greenwood The photograph shot by Peter B. Crombie was published in the Suburban Economist on April 30, 1967, …

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Library Needs Help Collecting Images for Oak Lawn Tornado History Book

Sunday marks the 46th anniversary of the 1967 Oak Lawn Tornado. Oak Lawn Library exhibits and historic archive will be open throughout the weekend.

It was the definitive moment in Oak Lawn’s history, and now Oak Lawn Library historian Kevin Korst is collecting those moments in a new local history book due out in 2014. Korst has been working on the book about the 1967 Oak Lawn Tornado, whose 46th anniversary falls on Sunday, for the past several months. The local history book is a follow up to another from Arcadia Publishing’s Images in America series, tracing Oak Lawn’s history from sleepy prairie town to a bustling, post-World War II suburb through historic documents and photos. “After we finished the Oak Lawn history book it was on our radar to do another one,” Korst said. “The topic that immediately came to mind was the 1967 tornado. People have an emotional tie to it.” Read Patch'…

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Oak Lawn Library's Historic Artifacts Tell Chilling Tale of 1967 Tornado

Saturday, April 21, marks the 45th anniversary of the 1967 Oak Lawn Tornado.

Whether the dead of January or near the anniversary, not a day goes by when someone doesn’t stop by the Oak Lawn Public Library’s Local History Room to inquire about the Oak Lawn Tornado of 1967. Like O-L Patch on Facebook. This Saturday, April 21, marks the 45th anniversary of the worst tornado ever to hit the immediate Chicago region in history. “I’ve been here four years and every day someone stops in or calls to ask about the tornado,” local history coordinator Kevin Korst said. “It changed the course of Oak Lawn and its future development.” Watch resident Andy Koszyk's home movie of the day after the tornado struck. At approximately 5:30 p.m. on a humid Friday afternoon, and EF-4 tornado—as wide as a city block with estimated winds of…

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Lost Oak Lawn

A Little Piece of Hollywood in Oak Lawn

Lost Oak Lawn recalls the Coral Theatre.

From Rhett Butler’s sharp-witted response to Scarlett O’Hara’s plea, to Steve McQueen’s motorcycle leaping over Nazi soldiers, the Golden Age of Hollywood produced some of the most iconic images captured on film.  It was a time when Marilyn Monroe and Katherine Hepburn’s names covered marquees across the country.  And in a popular theater along 95th Street, residents of Southland came to see their favorites on the big screen. Built in 1942 as one of several cinemas owned by the Lucas Theater Corporation, the Coral Theatre quickly became one of Oak Lawn’s most popular weekend destinations. Prior to Coral’s construction, the nearest venue was in distant Beverly, making a trip to see the latest flick impractical for those without a car.  With…

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Lorraine Swanson

1:10 pm on Wednesday, June 29, 2011

It's sad seeing these old movie theaters go. When I was a kid, I practically lived at the Des Plaines Theater. The place would be packed at night with families going to the show, something you don't see very often. It was a big deal when prices were raised from 50-cents to 90-cents. I think I saw every film that came out in the 1960s and 1970s, but because tickets were so cheap, the DP Show …   more ›

ENCORE: 'Voice of a Tornado'

Oak Lawn Patch reprises its story of a little known recording of the actual 1967 Oak Lawn Tornado.

Sunday marks the 46th anniversary of the 1967 Oak Lawn Tornado. Patch reprises one of its most popular stories 'Voice of a Tornado.' Readers' comments, many recounting their own experiences of survival and loss, are left intact as additional documentation of a day that will live in infamy in Oak Lawn's history. Please add your own memories and thoughts. On April 21, 1967, Robert Kehe, manager of the Coral Theater in Oak Lawn and the father of six children, stepped outside onto 95th Street and Cicero Avenue to record the start of a thunderstorm on his reel-to-reel tape recorder. Read more 1967 tornado stories on Oak Lawn Patch. Instead he captured the sound of the worst tornado ever to hit the immediate Chicago area, which many believed …

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Ron Stufflebeam

4:43 pm on Saturday, April 27, 2013

Yep, thanks Tom! Hey Jean, let Fred know that Terry & Gary Burks live in Phoenix when he gets ready to retire which must be coming soon. I retired last Aug & am enjoying it. Terry has lived there for 20 years or so & loves it, he is in the banking business & living in the Scottsdale area. Should you or Fred talk to Jim, Rich or Manny tell them hello & good luck on your move out west.   more ›

5:26 p.m., April 21, 1967

Oak Lawn remembers 37 of it's own, 45 years ago today.

Among the Oak Lawn Tornado victims, 18 were killed in the one-square-block area of 95th Street and Southwest Highway, including three at the Fairway Super Mart, one at the Sherwood Restaurant, three at Shoot's Lynwood Tavern, two at the Suburban Bus terminal garage; and nine in cars waiting at a red light at 95th Street and Southwest Highway. Elsewhere in Oak Lawn, two were killed at the Airway Trailer Park, four at the Oak Lawn Roller Rink; and 12 more occupants of cars. As of Sunday April 23, 1967, three unidentified bodies remained at the temporary morgue at the Johnson-Phelps VFW Hall, still decorated with pink streamers from a dance that was to have occured the evening before: two women and one man. Robert Kehe, manager of the Coral …

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Meggan O'Brien Pope

11:21 pm on Saturday, May 11, 2013

That is rather funny! I wonder how you ended up on the list of the deceased? Glad to hear you are alive and well though :-)   more ›

PatchCast: A Daily Video Report

Daily PatchCast: Oak Lawn Tornado, Creamery Confusion and Glory Days 'Paus'

A daily video recap of the top stories in the Southland.

Could Creamery Owner's Son Buy the Chain? Not If One Bank Has a Say 'Voice of a Tornado' L-Way Quarterbacks Take Time to 'Paus' and Reflect on Careers Outlet Mall Development Clears First Hurdle Patch Readers Want to Know: Why So Slow on Central Avenue?

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Lost Oak Lawn

The Storm of the Century

Oak Lawn Patch recounts the destructive effects of the infamous 1967 tornado.

Gripping the brim of his well-worn Chicago Cubs cap, a middle-aged man feebly tried to shield himself against the torrential downpour that had soaked him to the bone. Seeking momentary shelter under a park district pavilion near 95th Street and La Grange Road, he gazed up in horror to see the distinctive shape of a funnel cloud emerge. Speaking with reporters, hours after the cataclysmic storm, he recounted how “his ears popped, buildings shook, and cars in the nearby parking lot lifted off the ground”. Although those fateful 16 minutes were a hectic blur for many Oak Lawn residents, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, located in Washington D.C., published a formative weather report, detailing the exact path of the cyclone…

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Mary Ann

8:12 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013

I had grown up in OL and my aunt lived by the Starlight Dr In / Nashville Str. Was your sister Joan Casey?   more ›