| Thurman, Colorado | |
| Settlement Type: | Unincorporated community |
| Pushpin Map: | Colorado |
| Pushpin Label Position: | left |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within the state of Colorado |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Washington County[1] |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Established Date: | About 1902 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Timezone: | MST |
| Utc Offset: | -7 |
| Timezone Dst: | MDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -6 |
| Coordinates: | 39.7414°N -103.2178°W |
| Elevation Ft: | 4876 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP Code |
| Postal Code: | 80801[2] |
| Blank Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank Info: | 0195021 |
Thurman is an unincorporated rural hamlet in Washington County, Colorado, United States. It was originally a Mennonite settlement. There are no businesses or services now located in Thurman, and only a couple of farm homes.
Thurman was established about 1902. The Thurman Post Office opened in July 1904, but closed on August 10, 1924: the US Post Office at Anton (ZIP 80801) now serves Thurman.[2] [3] The town once boasted a population of over 150 people, but declined after a 1924 tornado killed ten people meeting at a home.[4] By the 1970s, the Mennonite population had relocated, along with their church building, to Joes, Colorado.
Thurman is located at (39.590648,-103.210749). Thurman is located at the intersection along unpaved county roads County Roads 3 and CC, 9 miles south of Anton in southern Washington County, about 6 miles north of the Lincoln county line.[5]
On Sunday, August 10, 1924, storm clouds were forming after an unusually hot day with temperatures reaching 96F. Afternoon rains began and stopped at about 12:30 pm. Suddenly things became quiet, but the clouds turned a dark black color; at about 1:00 pm, two local farmers spotted a large wide tornado about to the west. The tornado, which traveled in a north-easterly direction, struck Thurman with winds exceeding and demolished almost every building. The tornado, which was thought to be an F4 to low end F5, killed 10 people, making it the deadliest tornado in Colorado history. After the tornado, the population declined and many who survived moved to nearby towns and the post office closed. The cemetery is all that remains today.[4] [6] [7] [8]