Stephen McCorkle Akins was born in Rock Hill, York Co., South Carolina, in 1794. He was named for his maternal grandfather, Stephen McCorkle. He served as a soldier in the War of 1812 and on March 18, 1824 he married Jane Y. Stewart in Morgan Co., Georgia.

On 19 February, 1884, during the Enigma Tornado Outbreak, part of a super cell storm that spawned more than 50 tornadoes within 48 hours, Stephen M. Akins, his wife, and several of their adult children were killed when their house was destroyed by a tornado that tore through Goshen Valley near Spring Garden in Cherokee Co., Alabama. A newspaper article from the Cross Plains Post, dated February 22, 1884, reads:

THE STORM FIEND!

A terrible cyclone sweeps with relentless fury across the garden spot of Alabama destroying everything in its path! Great destruction of life and property. Fifteen persons killed within ten miles of Cross Plains, and large number wounded – houses, barns, and fences utterly demolished.

About three and one-half miles north of Cross Plains lies a beautiful scope of country known as Goshen Valley; a rich, agricultural region, once inhabited by a thrifty, well-to-do people, honest, pious and hospitable. There, years ago the fathers builded their houses, set up their altars, erected their barns, cleared their lands, and in time reared their children, living the while in peace and harmony with each other, serving their God and loving their fellow men. Nowhere in all this land did the sun shine upon nor the soft breezes of heaven fan the brows of a more happy and contented people than those of Goshen Valley, until that dark day, Tuesday, February 19, 1884, dawned upon them, leaving at its close the pall of death and dire desolation. Where stood the comfortable homes of those good people, only the debris remains to mark the spot.

At about 2 o'clock on last Tuesday several of our citizens saw passing in a north-easterly direction, seemingly two or three miles away, a huge black column of clouds, and all agreed that it was a cyclone and more than one remarked, "We will hear from that cloud ere long!" Too terribly true! In about one hour several messengers came in with the shocking intelligence that a terrible storm had swept over Goshen Valley, dealing death and destruction all along its path. The local physicians were all summoned, and in a few moments a large party had started to the scene of the disaster.

The first evidence of the storm that met our vision was the residence of Mr. A.S. Johnson. Their roof was blown off, the veranda torn away, the chimneys demolished and the sash shattered in the windows. Across the road, west, only the floor was left to show where had stood the home of Mr. A.S. Johnson, Jr. Farther up the road, on the right was a portion of the school house, where Mr. A.S. Johnson, Jr., was teaching his school of about thirty pupils when the storm came.

Looking west, and across the road, we saw the summit of a hill, less than a quarter of a mile away, where we were told the large, substantial two-story dwelling of Mr. W.L. Johnson had been. It was utterly demolished. Upon the side of the hill, east of W.L. Johnson's, Mr. Sloan Johnson's house had been completely blown away. Going a hundred yards further up the road from the school house, we came to the spot from which the two-story house of Mrs. N.L. Jones had been completely demolished; even of the foundation, scarcely one stone was left upon another.

It would be difficult to find a piece of timber from that house and say what part of the building it formed. A few yards farther on, west of the road, was a part of the chimney and foundation of Mr. L.W. Parker's house. West of that, a short distance, had stood the residence of Mr. Ross Stewart – there was another total wreck.

As far as we could see in any direction, the earth was thickly covered with pieces of timber, fragments of furniture, bedding and clothing. All the outbuildings and fences were swept away. Besides the houses mentioned, those of John A. Poe, Jesse Evans, John Evans, Jesse Akins and Mrs. Oliver were totally destroyed. Mr. D.F. Aderholt's dwelling was practically torn away. Mr. John Stewart's house was practically unroofed, and many other dwellings were damaged.

Killed: W.L. Johnson, Mrs. N.L. Jones, two children of W.L. Parker, Stephen Akins and daughter, Zack Brown and son.

Wounded: Mrs. W.L. Johnson, A.S. Johnson, A.S. Johnson, Jr., one child of L.W. Parker, Mrs. Sloan Johnson, Amanda Allsup, Ida Prater, Jennie Ray, Mrs. J.W. Prater, Fannie Holcomb, Mattie Johnson, John Akins, , W.H. McLeain, Mrs. Akins (now dead), Lon Akins, Knox Prater, Jess Evans, and wife, Wm. Pruitt, Sallie Akins, a son of Arch Brown (now dead), Milton Akins, John Evans, Selina Akins, James Oliver, James Greer, T.M. Greer, Charles Pruitt, Stella Johnson. We have here the names of thirty wounded, all we have learned, but we are assured that at least fifty persons were injured.

Although we were on the ground soon after the storm, saw the dead and many of the wounded, walked over the wreck-strewn ground, and saw all there was to see, we do not assay to describe the scene as it was; that were a task too difficult for our feeble pen.

It cannot be described in such a manner to convey anything like a correct idea of the scene. We had read detailed accounts of the ravages of cyclones, but we had not the faintest conception of the reality. It beggars description. Many families are left homeless, and penniless, and it is hoped substantial aid will come in speedily.

Mr. Jesse Akins, wife and daughter, were buried at Carmel cemetery on last Wednesday, Mr. Jones and Mrs. Parker's children were interred at Goshen cemetery and Mr. W.L. Johnson at Cross Plains yesterday.

The damage to property in Goshen Valley will not fail to fall short of $60,000.

There are many incidents and details which we are obliged to leave over until next week.

Five persons were killed, we learn, at Rock Run, ten miles above Cross Plains, and five at Cave Springs, Ga.

In Jefferson county, eight persons were killed and a large number wounded.

The storm swept over several states, and did much damage."

The following week a supplementary article on the storm appeared in the Cross Plains Post on February 29, 1884, relating several interesting accounts that had not previously been published:

Mr. Lon Akins died on last Friday night, and James Oliver died on last Monday Night.

A large number of men have been at work in the Goshen neighborhood this week, building houses and repairing fences.

In addition to the list of wounded published last week, the following names have been handed us: J.C. Boles, Jr., B.F. Savage, Sr., Mrs. John Evans and two children, Misses Julia and Belle Stewart. There are probably others still whose names we have not obtained. At this writing Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Evans are in a critical condition and are expected to survive but a short time. Mr. and Mrs. A.S. Johnson, Sr., are at the residence of their son-in-law, Capt. J. N. Hood, in Cross Plains; Mrs. W.L. Johnson is also in Cross Plains. A.S. Johnson, Jr., and his wife are at the home of Mr. C.A. Sharp of Cross Plains.

Incidents:

Mrs. W.L. Johnson remembers being in the air and seeing her cookstove, safe and cooking utensils flying around her.

Mr. Sloan Johnson thought his babe dead, and laid the body carefully under some boards and took his wife to a place of safety. He then sent back for the babe and it was found alive, sitting up, apparently uninjured.

A bale of cotton belonging to Mrs. Jones was blown across an eighty acre field.

A ten-by-twelve sill, fifty feet long was blown from Frog Creek Church to Frog mountain, a distance of some three-fourths of a mile.

A barrel of syrup was blown from the house of Jesse Evans into a tree-top half a mile away.

Mr. Evans' wagon was blown a considerable distance, torn to pieces, the tires blown off the wheels and the spokes drawn out (not broken off).

Near Mrs. Jones' there is a buggy wheel under the roots of a tree, in such a position as to indicate that it was blown into the hole while the tree was in the air, the tree afterwards settling back on the wheel.

Mrs. Lillie Johnson, seeing an outhouse blown down, clasped her babe in her arms and stopped near a bed, and the house was literally lifted over her, injuring her but slightly. Her infant was not hurt. Mrs. Johnson went immediately to the schoolhouse and found her husband, with his scalp lying back on his neck, holding his hand over his eyes to keep the blood back whilst he endeavored to extricate a child from the wreck.

Several chickens with their feathers blown from their bodies have been seen about the wrecked houses.

Hundreds of incidents, sad and interesting have come to our knowledge, but we cannot enumerate them here.