A history of Mount Carmel,
since 1815
Postcards, papers and photographs of Mount Carmel from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗On June 4, 1877, a tornado of F4 intensity touched down just west of Mount Carmel and moved east-northeast, devastating the town. The storm's line of destruction wreaked havoc on a large part of the territory between Third and Fifth streets. As described in a local newspaper at the time:"During its prevalence the air was filled with flying roofs, windows, doors, lumber, rails, clothing, etc. Much of the debris was carried more than a mile away. Thirteen persons were killed outright, and many others will undoubtedly die of their injuries. There are also several others reported missing who are probably buried in the ruins. It being a rainy day, many farmers who could not work at home were in town. The county court was also in session, which caused many people to be in the city.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowFinish Mount Carmel’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
3 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewBig 4 shops and yards at Mt. Carm…, 1906: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Mount Carmel, decade by decade
LOCMrs. Marie McPherson, Chairman, Labor-Management Committee,…1941
LOCMrs. Marie McPherson, Chairman, Labor-Management Committee,…1941
LOCMrs. Marie McPherson, Chairman, Labor-Management Committee,…1941
LOCLeft to right: Michael W. Straus, Chief, War Production Dri…1941
LOCLeft to right: Michael W. Straus, Chief of War Production D…1941
LOCLeft to right: Michael W. Straus, Chief, War Production Dri…19411990s
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Big 4 shops and yards at Mt. Carmel Il (1906) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (3) and the Library of Congress (8). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.