Thurman, Colorado

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Thurman, Colorado
Unincorporated community
Thurman, Colorado is located in Colorado
Thurman, Colorado
Thurman, Colorado
Location within the state of Colorado
Coordinates: 39°44′29″N 103°13′04″W / 39.74139°N 103.21778°W / 39.74139; -103.21778Coordinates: 39°44′29″N 103°13′04″W / 39.74139°N 103.21778°W / 39.74139; -103.21778
Country United States
State State of Colorado
CountyWashington County[1]
EstablishedAbout 1902
Elevation
[1]
4,876 ft (1,486 m)
Time zoneUTC-7 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP Code
80801[2]
GNIS feature ID0195021

Thurman is an unincorporated community in Washington County, Colorado, United States. It was originally a Mennonite settlement. There are no businesses or services now located in Thurman, and only a couple of farm homes.

History[]

Thurman was established about 1902. The Thurman Post Office opened in July 1904, but closed on August 10, 1924: the US Post Office at Anton (ZIP 80801) now serves Thurman.[2] [3] The town once boasted a population of over 150 people, but declined after a 1924 tornado killed ten people meeting at a home.[4] By the 1970s, the Mennonite population had relocated, along with their church building, to Joes, Colorado.

Geography[]

Thurman is located at

 WikiMiniAtlas
39°59′06″N 103°21′07″W / 39.98500°N 103.35194°W / 39.98500; -103.35194 (39.590648,-103.210749). Thurman is located at the intersection along unpaved county roads County Roads 3 and CC, 9 miles south of Anton in southern Washington County, about 6 miles north of the Lincoln county line.[5]

1924 Tornado[]

On Sunday August 10, 1924, storm clouds were building after an unusually hot day when the mercury reached 96 degrees. Afternoon rains began and stopped at about 12:30. Suddenly things became quiet, but clouds turned a dark black color; at about 1:00 pm, two farmers in the town spotted a large 1/2 mile wide tornado about 3 miles west of there. The tornado traveled in a north-easterly direction. The tornado struck the town with full force and demolished almost every building in the small community. The tornado was thought to be an F4 to low end F5, with winds exceeding 210 mph, which killed 10 people. Making this the strongest and deadliest tornado in Colorado history. After the tornado, the population declined and many who survived moved to nearby towns and the post office closed. The cemetery is all that remains today.[6]

See also[]

  • List of cities and towns in Colorado

References[]

  1. ^ a b "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ a b "ZIP Code Lookup" (JavaScript/HTML). United States Postal Service. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
  3. ^ Bauer, William H.; James L. Ozment; John H. Willard (1990). Colorado Post Offices 1859-1989. 90-34759: The Colorado Railroad Museum. ISBN 0-918654-42-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  4. ^ [1]
  5. ^ http://colorado.hometownlocator.com/co/washington/thurman.cfm
  6. ^ http://www.tornadoproject.com/stories/stories.htm | Thurman, CO 1924 tornado
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