Monadnock Moment No. 104

Era 4: Expansion and Reform - 1800 to 1860

The Hurricane of 1854

Before the famous hurricane of 1938, the worst wind storm on record for Keene was what local residents called the "Hurricane of 1854."

The storm occurred late in the season, on December 3rd, and was combined with a fierce snow storm. The wind began at four o'clock on a Sunday afternoon with the snow starting to fall at the same time. The wind increased constantly and blew violently until after midnight.

According to local newspaper accounts, more than a dozen Keene barns were destroyed or lost their roofs. Several homes and bridges were severely damaged and fifty chimneys were blown over in the town. Thousands of trees were laid flat by the wind. One of the timber lots which was most severely damaged was the Dinsmoor Woods along the Five Mile Drive, now Maple Avenue. Dinsmoor Woods were destined to be destroyed again more than 80 years later by the hurricane of 1938.

These winds, which reached hurricane proportions in some areas, were a damaging blow to our ancestors. Along with the gale, however, 12 to 18 inches of snow fell in Keene, leaving roads and railways impassable for two days and making repairs very difficult. This storm was remembered and discussed by generations of Keene residents until the devastating hurricane of 1938 overshadowed the hurricane of 1854.