Dick Henry Myers

Dick Henry Myers homestead

Located on McEwen Road, just outside of Sligo. Built in 1844.

Only two families have ever owned the homestead, the William L. & Elizabeth C. McEwen family, and later by the Henry Harvey and Dick Henry Myers family.

Devastated by tornado damage in 1986 (article follows).

Photo donated to www.rootsweb.com/~pacpiney, courtesy of Kristina Shimmons

TORNADO DEVASTATES MYERS FARM PROPERTY

By BARBARA BARTLEY, L-V County Editor

THE LEADER VINDICATOR, Wednesday, October 8, 1986

New Bethlehem, Rimersburg, Sligo, PA

SLIGO - The most destructive of all atmospheric phenomena which struck without warning near here on Friday night ruined a Clarion County historical landmark and leveled a barn and garage owned by Dick Myers in Piney Township.

A tour of Piney Township and adjoining Licking Township, following the tornado, confirmed the devastation on the Myers property was the most severely encountered.

Property damage also could be seen at the Piney Township residence of Sandy and Dennis Pollock, a couple of miles from the Myers property; and in Licking Township on both sides of Route 68, near the intersection of LR 16019 (Callensburg/Cherry Run Road) just west of Callensburg.

Myers, the lone occupant in his house when the tornado struck escaped the horrifying ordeal unhurt.

"It started to rain and the wind picked up. I went over to close the front door...I didn't get it closed," Myers recounted, adding he braced himself against a center chimney as the violent winds tossed the furniture around inside his home.

"It (wind) picked up chairs and tossed them through the windows. I've never seen anything like that in my life," the 63-year old Piney Township resident noted.

The roof and third floor of the house, built in 1844, were completely torn off and the house has been termed by insurance agent H. Eugene Burns as "totaled." Burns also said the nearby Myers barn and garage, as well as the contents of the structures are totaled.

The farm equipment within the barn, which was leveled, was scattered throughout the area. The three-stall garage was flattened and a car, pickup truck, school bus and a motor-cycle reportedly sustained heavy damage as well. Myers, a long-time school bus contractor/driver with the Union School District, says "only two families have owned the house, the Billy McEwen family" and the Myers family.

When asked about the extensive remodeling he has undertaken throughout the years to preserve the historic landmark and living quarters, Myers noted, "I put more into remodeling this house than if I'd have built two new homes...It has 14 rooms. Two big living rooms, a big dining room, and I was scraping the outside of the house to have it painted."

As relatives, friends and neighbors gathered Saturday morning at the Myers property, which is located on the west side of Route 854 behind the former Clarion County Home, a 100-by-100 feet tarp donated by C & K Coal Co. was placed over the structure.

Throughout the night security at the Myers home was provided by fire police, according to Sligo Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Tom Johnston Jr. About two dozen volunteer firemen from the Sligo station answered a call to the tornado site shortly before 11 p.m. Friday and they provided emergency lighting and aided in covering furniture inside the house with plastic.

Meanwhile, on Saturday morning, friends, neighbors and relatives also gathered at the Dennis and Sandy Pollock residence, located on the east side of Route 854, a couple of miles from the Myers home, where trees and electrical lines were downed and roof damage was visible. A door to the barn on the Pollock property, "was blown off."

The tops of trees were down and huge trees in the back of the Pollock property were uprooted during Friday night's tornado. Mrs. Pollock and her children reportedly "huddled inside the house" until her husband got home from work because "live electric lines were down in front of the house."

Located between the Dick Myers and Dennis Pollock properties are the adjacent homes of Joseph and Marilyn Bartley and their daughter, Jolene and Wally and Norma Myers, which were unscathed but where debris, including parts of the roof from the Dick Myers house, was visible.

Mrs. Bartley, who said there "was one big whooshing sound in our pines (pine trees a few feet from the house)," noted the large picture window on the east side of her home "had ice formations and what looked like snow on it," shortly thereafter.

About five miles away James Ketner, a Monroe Township supervisor, said he found a canceled check belonging to Dick Myers in his yard along Route 68 near Monroe Chapel. Monroe Township, according to Ketner, was spared from Friday night's tornado.

In Licking Township, a barn on the Sam Heeter property, the scene of uprooted trees and downed electric lines, sustained damage. The barn, used for hay storage by the Wilmer and Forest Jordan families, also housed some machinery from the Jordan farms.

At the intersection of route 58 and LR 16019, west of Callensburg, trees and electric lines were downed and trees toppled over onto nearby properties, including the home of Becky Heeter. Throughout Saturday, chain saws were buzzing in that area to clear the debris.

While National Weather Service officials based in Pittsburgh confirmed they "had a concern Friday night with flood/flood watch out for streams and creeks" in the Clarion County area, "We weren't really looking for severe thunderstorms or a tornado."

Chuck Heckler, meteorologist in charge of the Pittsburgh office, said "apparently we got word here a long time after it happened. We did have a special weather statement issued at 8:20 p.m. that evening indicating moderate to heavy thunderstorms for Jefferson County, across Clarion, Armstrong, Butler, Mercer, and Lawrence counties. We were concerned at that time with heavy downpours, flooding. And also mentioned was the possibility of hail and damaging winds. That's the extent of it."

Confirming "a tornado in Mercer County" on Friday night, Heckler said Clarion County apparently experienced "a funnel cloud...suspect it was a tornado, from the way it's been described."

SLIGO - Dick Henry Myers, 63, of Sligo RD2 - a veteran school bus driver for the Union School District whose home, a county historical landmark, was ruined by a tornado in early October - died at 11:30 a.m. Monday, December 15, 1986, in the Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. Mr. Myers suffered a stroke on Tuesday, November 18, 1986, and was Life-flighted from the Clarion Osteopathic Community Hospital to the Pittsburgh hospital. His three-story 14-room house, built in 1844, and its contents, along with his barn and three-stall garage, were totally destroyed by a tornado that hit Piney Township on Friday night, Oct. 3. Born August 15, 1923 in Monroe Township, he was a son of Henry and Edith Summerville Myers. He was married to the former Wanda Jean Deitz, who preceded him in death. Mr. Myers was a farmer in Piney Township for many years. He was a bus driver/contractor for the Union School District for the past 20 years. He was a member of the United Presbyterian Church in Rimersburg. Mr. Myers was a member of the Clarion F & AM Lodge, Coudersport Consistory, Zem Zem Shrine Temple of Erie and a past president of the Clarion County Shrine Club. He also was a member of the Tall Cedars, Camel Herders, Clarion County Tyres. Mr. Myers, a volunteer ambulance driver with the Southern Clarion County Volunteer Ambulance Service was a past president of the Sligo Lions Club. Surviving include a son, H. Michael Myers of Ashville; two daughters, Mrs. Ronald (Edie) Fox of Clarion RD2 and Mrs. Gary (Connie) Schill of Lucinda RD2; two sisters, Mrs. Henry (Mary Alice) Burns of New Bethlehem RD 2 and Mrs. Phyllis Corbin of Kittanning; and three grandchildren, Brock Myers and Kristina and Brian Fox. The family will receive friends from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. today (Wednesday) in the Hawk Funeral Home, Sligo. Services will be held in the funeral home at 2 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday) with the Rev. Randy Spencer, pastor of the Zion Baptist Church Reidsburg, officiating. Interment will be at the Churchville Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the Shrine Hospital for Crippled Children in Erie.