The Legend of Burnett's Mound
A myth that the tornado debunked was that a local landmark named Burnett's Mound would protect the city from tornadoes. According to a local Native American legend, if a tornado tracked approached Topeka, the 250-foot hill (named after Potawatomi Indian chief Abram Burnett, and also believed to be an ancient Native American burial ground) would cause them to disintegrate.
A few years earlier, a water tower was built directly on the mound, which sparked controversy by many Topeka residents as they felt it would negatively affect the mound's ability to keep the city safe from tornadoes.
However, ten other tornadoes had struck the city since Kansas state tornado records were first kept in 1887. This tornado was significantly stronger than the other ten tornadoes that struck Topeka prior to June 8.
Read more about this topic: 1966 Topeka Tornado
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