On the evening of June 17, 1882, two tornadoes joined together (near 8th Ave and Broad St.) to form one devastating “cyclone” that destroyed many buildings on campus and in town, killing nearly 40 people (2 of whom were students at the college). This local tragedy received national attention, as various newspapers and magazines reported on the devastation.

Images of the aftermath were highly sought after, and some companies began to create stereoscopic cards, known as “stereoviews” that allowed for a kind of immersive, 3-D, experience of the scene. Pictured above is one of the popular Holmes stereoscopes, along with a set of stereoviews showing the destruction wrought by the cyclone in Grinnell.