June 12, 1899, 117 killed
This tornado began as a waterspout on Lake St. Croix and ended horribly in the town of New Richmond, Wis. The tornado hit land east of Hudson and passed through New Richmond, where at least 1,000 extra residents had gathered for a circus. The tornado struck the center of town, using a deadly combination of poor timing and a tough-luck location to inflict tragedy. In positive news, high visibility of the funnel may have prevented even more deaths.