This story is out of Florida but it's about a Gainesville tragedy, the Cooper Pants Factory file of 1936. A huge tornado struck the Gainesville area in the early morning hours of September 9th, 1936. The tornado struck the Cooper Pants Factory, causing a collapse that set off the fire there. The fire trapped many of the workers inside, killing from 40 to 125 mostly young women, The Times of Gainesville reported.
Many say there's a mass grave at the site. To be fair, it was September. Much of the town was destroyed. The remaining resources were used to help the living. So maybe a bull dozier did shove the dead women into a stairwell covering them with rumble. There are only rumors and verbal family histories. Maybe the dead women just weren't important.
Gainesville's current City Council has been working to place a historical market at the site. With the passage of time, no one knows the exact location of the old building. Only the general area where it stood. It's currently a vacant lot.
Some day, it will be developed. Let's hope it is done with some care. Until then, ....
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