The History of the 1925 Tri-State Tornado.

On March 18, 1925, a dark “smokey fog” touched down approximately three miles northwest of Ellington, Missouri, and it would become known as the Tri-State Tornado. By all accounts, the Tri-State Tornado was one for the record books.

The Tri-State Tornado is the U.S. record holder for the longest tornado track (219 miles), most deaths in a single tornado (695), and most injuries in a single tornado (2027). While it occurred before modern record keeping, it is considered by all accounts to be an F5/EF5 Tornado. It crossed the three states, thus its namesake “Tri-State,” tearing through thirteen counties of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. It crossed over and destroyed or significantly damaged nine towns and numerous smaller villages.

The resulting map perhaps shows why this tornado was so deadly. First off was the speed of the tornado. The average speed across its life span was an astonishing 62 miles per hour, with forward speeds, at times, reaching 73 mph. Also worth noting is that the tornado followed a slight topographical ridge with a series of mining towns perfectly aligned on the path.

Crossing the Mississippi river, the tornado struck the town of Gorham, Il. Gorham was a town of about 500 people; of those 500, 37 were killed and 250 injured. One notable effect in Gorham was the grass being torn from the ground in a gully on the east of town. The next town was Murphysboro. Eugene Porter reported the tornado to be “about a mile wide.” The town of Murphysboro suffered heavy losses, with 234 casualties reported along with 623 injuries. About 100 square blocks of the town were destroyed along, with another 70 by a fire after the tornado.

Perhaps the most spectacular show of power came from the next town in line, DeSoto, Il. Trees were snapped off at knee height, and stumps were ripped from the ground. No structure was left standing in the tornado’s path. Of the 69 people killed in DeSoto, 33 were killed in a school.

A child and puppy atop the wreckage of a home in Murphysboro, Ill., after the tri-state tornado ripped through town March 18, 1925.

Next up, West Frankfort was a mining town, and most men worked in the mines. The miners went to the surface to see the problem when the electricity went out. The miners came to the surface of a destroyed landscape. Most of the 148 deaths and 400 injuries in West Frankfort were women and children, given the men were in the mine.

A man in Parrish, Illinois, survived the tornado by clinging to a railroad track while the town was destroyed. 46 people died, and at least 100 were injured here. Between Gorham and Parrish, 541 lives were taken.

The tornado continued northeast, and most farms and an occasional schoolhouse or general store were destroyed over the next hour.

The total time on the ground of the Tri-State tornado was 3 hours and 30 minutes. During that time, it traveled 219 miles and killed 695 people, most of them in Illinois.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D

Hugh Brannum, Mr. Green Jeans on the Captain Kangaroo show.

Hugh Brannum (1910-1987) was an American vocalist, arranger, composer, and actor known for his role as Mr. Green Jeans on the children's television show Captain Kangaroo.

Brannum was born in Sandwich, Illinois, in 1910 to a Methodist minister. He attended Maine East High School in Park Ridge, Illinois, where he played sousaphone in the school's marching band, later learning the bass violin.

Robert James “Bob” Keeshan, Captain Kangaroo, had a recurring role as the Town Clown, a pantomime piece that took place in and around the exposed wagon home of a tramp-like circus clown.

Captain Kangaroo as the Town Clown.

The "Kangaroo" part of Keeshan's name came from the oversized pockets on the lower half of his bright red jacket.

Captain Kangaroo Worn Red Jacket. Movie/TV Memorabilia Costumes.

Hugh Brannum (Mr. Green Jeans) and Cosmo Allegretti (Mr. Moose). On the first show of every month, the Captain had a birthday cake for all of the children with birthdays that month. Brannum indicates that the show is celebrating its fifth year on the air. 1960

One of the show's long-running gags was the "Ping-Pong Ball Drop," instigated by the telling of a joke (usually a knock-knock joke) by Mr. Moose, in which the punchline included the words "ping-pong balls." At the mention of those three words, a shower of ping-pong balls was released from above on the Captain.

Especially in later seasons, the show also featured a running gag where on selected episodes, the Captain would try to perform a particular activity three or four times in the episode, only to fail differently on each attempt.

Captain Kangaroo promotional postcard. Shown from the left are Dancing Bear, Bunny Rabbit, Captain Kangaroo, Grandfather Clock, Mister Moose, and Mister Green Jeans (Hugh Brannum). 1961

At the end of each episode, the Captain always encouraged parents watching the show to spend quality time with their children daily, and he often demonstrated various creative ways to do so. In later seasons, that changed to him saying, "Well, what would you like to do today? You know it could be a good day for..." then a song would list many different activities while short film clips of each related activity are presented. The song ended with the singers saying, "There's so much to do. These things are just a few." Then it would cut back to the Captain, who would sign off with, "So whatever you do, have a great day!"

Captain Kangaroo and Dancing Bear. circa 1956

Captain Kangaroo and the Schwinn Bicycle Company

From the late 1950s, the Schwinn Bicycle Company used children's television programming to expand its child and youth bicycle market dominance. The company was an early sponsor (from 1958) of Captain Kangaroo. 

The Captain himself was enlisted to sell Schwinn-brand bicycles to the show's audience, typically six years old and under. At the end of each live Schwinn marketing promotion, Bob Keeshan would intone, "Schwinn bikes—the quality bikes—are best!" and "Prices slightly higher in the South and the West." Schwinn deemed the on-air marketing program successful, and the company increased its market share of child and youth bicycles throughout the 1960s. 

1968 Schwinn Pea Picker Krate in front of a Schwinn advertisement for showrooms. 

The marketing program continued through the 1971 season, when the Federal Trade Commission's Staff Report, Guidelines on Advertising to Children, recommended against Schwinn's on-air marketing practices using the show's host. In response, Schwinn and the show's writers altered the format in 1972. The Captain no longer insisted that his viewers purchase a Schwinn but instead made regular on-air consultations with the new Captain Kangaroo character, Mr. Schwinn Dealer. Brilliant. 

VIDEOS

Opening Theme for the Captain Kangaroo Show.

Captain Kangaroo Episode From 1956

Captain Kangaroo (Bob Keeshan) on 48 Hours (CBS) 1995

Opens with the Ping-Pong Ball Drop.

THE CAST

• Bob Keeshan as Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Pennywhistle, Mr. Doodle, Wally and the Town Clown.
• Hugh "Lumpy" Brannum as Mr. Green Jeans, the New Old Folk Singer, Percy, Uncle Backwards, Mr. McGregor, and Mr. Bainter the Painter.
• Cosmo Allegretti appeared as Mr. Bunny Rabbit and Mr. Moose (both of which he also created), Dennis the Apprentice, Willy, Miss Frog, Mr. Whispers, Dancing Bear, Grandfather Clock, and Uncle Ralph; he was the voice of Aniforms puppet TV Fred (a live-action on-screen puppet that appeared behind the blackboard in the Treasure House), and was the artist behind the Magic Drawing Board.
• Sam Levine as The Banana Man; the character was created by Adolph Proper.
• Bill Cosby as himself, the host of the Picture Pages segment (1980–1984).
• Debbie Weems appeared as Debbie (1973–1978), the voice for the puppet character Baby Duck.
• James Wall as Mr. Baxter (1968–1978) - was also the stage manager.
• Carolyn Mignini as Kathy and other female roles (1981–1983).
• Kevin Clash as the puppet character Artie (1980–1984) and as himself, acting in many of the sketches.
• John Burstein as Slim Goodbody (1978–1981).
• Bill McCutcheon as Mr. Homan (1965–1968).
• Jane Connell as Mrs. Homan (1965–1968).
• Dr. Joyce Brothers as herself for three seasons.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.