Sunday Favorites: The Aftermath

There is nothing like a hurricane to remind us of the power of nature. As we’ve seen over the last few days, the strong winds, storm surges, heavy rainfall, inland flooding, tornadoes, and dangerous rip currents create extreme conditions that often have devastating calamitous consequences. As our community continues to struggle to rescue those in need and rebuild our lives after the devastating loss many have experienced, I wanted to explore the very first hurricane that was ever recorded in the area and how it affected the pioneer families.

At that time, there were no emergency services, no storm names, no hurricane categorization scale, or even a way to detect a hurricane was on its way. Many times, the birds’ unusual behavior was the only warning. The hurricane of 1846 was thought to be a Cat five and direct hit. Here is the account of the storm which was documented in the book The Lures of Manatee, by Lillie Brown Mcduffie.

Josiah and Mary Gates were the very first settlers in Manatee County. Their land on the south side of the river would soon become the Village of Manatee. On October 4, 1846, they suffered their first pang of grief when their two-year-old daughter, Ella, died after a brief illness. The child had an elfin-like look with coal-black hair and piercing grey eyes. She was cherished among the settlers for her enchanting appearance and precocious personality. Many took her death as a bad omen.

Her mother became mad with grief and suffered a nervous breakdown. Following the wave of sadness that swept over the settlement a new threat forewarned from above. Great dark clouds began to formulate over the Manatee River. At first, it seemed like a thunderstorm was approaching but the masses contained great numbers of migrant birds that seemed to be flying in mixed confusion. Seabirds began congregating near shore, seeking shelter on surrounding island cays. The symbols were not supernatural, but telltale signs of a serious storm approaching.

The Gates hastily bolted and nailed shut their French doors that faced the river, but the substantially secured access was no match for the terrific force of hurricane winds. They were blown open twice during the night.

A quarter mile east of the Gates home lived Pinkey Craig and his family. Craig was a large sugar producer whose mill was just west of the Gamble Plantation. All that remains of the prosperous business is the large stone chimney on 301. They were not equipped for the blow of the hurricane that lasted a day and a night. No amount of preparation could have stopped the Craig home from being blown down. The family escaped death by taking refuge under a mahogany table that protected them from the falling timbers.

Many homes in Manatee were completely destroyed by the 1846 hurricane.Hector Braden, an attorney and partial owner of Braden Castle, was returning from Tallahassee by horseback when the storm hit just as he reached the Little Manatee River. In a desperate attempt to find shelter, he plunged into the river trying to reach cover on the other side. The horse couldn’t swim against the strong current and was swept into quicksand. Braden’s body was found a few days later sitting upright on the dead horse. When he was discovered, his eyes portrayed terror – they were wide open while his hands were clenched tightly to the bridle reins and riding whip.

Across the bay, at Terra Ceia Island winds raged outside the home of Julia ”Madam Joe“ Atzeroth and her family. They were spared by hiding in the hen house, which was the only surviving structure on their 160-acre farm. Everything was destroyed including all their furniture some of which was brought all the way from Germany. The family was forced to remain in the hen house until a new home could be constructed.

During the eye of the storm, residents peeked out from their asylum to experience the eerie calm that preceded the second half. They witnessed a very strange sight. According to local folklore and written reports, the suction of the cyclone had completely emptied the Manatee River, leaving nothing but shallow holes and basins here and there. Several setters claim to have witnessed a deer enter the river from the wood and wade across without having to swim.

After the storm was over, settlers had no choice but to rebuild their lives to survive the approaching months. The Ware family was deterred from staying and left behind only a memory perpetuated in the creek that eventually took their name and the significance of their child, born amidst the storm, that will always remain a milestone in the development of Manatee.