Tornado

An EF-2 tornado rolled through the Fox Cities south of Green Bay on Monday July 27, 2026 midday.

  

source: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2026/07/27/menasha-appleton-grand-chute-see-significant-damage-after-tornado-storm--live/91069036007/

Northeast Wisconsin has seen it's share of tornadoes over the years.  I posted previously about the Tom Mix Circus performance in 1938 which was cut short by a bad storm (bottom of the page):

https://wb9kzy.blogspot.com/2023/08/vital-secret-order-decoded.html

The Neenah historical Society has an interesting post here about the incident:

https://www.facebook.com/neenahhistory/posts/10158291911653225/

before the storm in Neenah

The Tom Mix Circus used trucks instead of a train

The Olsons lived in nearby Appleton then, Dad would have been almost 8 years old on July 10, 1938.  He and my Grampa attended the Tom Mix circus that night - possibly it was a birthday present ?  Wet canvas doesn't like high wind !

Anyway Dad and Grampa were unhurt but apparently is is REALLY scary to suddenly be in the dark trapped under wet canvas.

Here is a book referenced on Face which mentions the tent collapse in chapter 10 - the storm may have driven a stake through the heart of the Tom Mix Circus:

https://archive.org/details/fabuloustommix00oliv/page/164/mode/2up

I think the only circus I ever attended was at the Auditorium in Milwaukee so no worries about wind or rain, the only thing I remember about the circus was some guy being shot from a cannon :)

Best Regards,
Chuck, WB9KZY
http://wb9kzy.com/ham.htm