• Reimagining History Stories

    The Candle Factory

    The Reality: On the night of December 10, 2021, an EF 4 tornado tracked across multiple states hitting mostly rural communities. Most famously, the tornado hit the town of Mayfield, KY, destroying the historical district of downtown. “Over 3,778 residences, 183 commercial properties, and 103 other buildings” were damaged, including the county courthouse and police station. In total in Graves County, 24 people died with 200 reported injuries (NOAA’s National Weather Service). The tornado tore through Mayfield’s candle factory, killing 9 individuals, including Jill Moore who sought shelter in the restroom before the tornado hit. The employees were forced to work that night despite multiple warnings of extreme weather. The…