Children of the Storm: The True Story of the Pleasant Hill School Bus Tragedy
by Ariana Harner, Clark Secrest, Colorado Historical Society
Category: History

Imagine being one of twenty children, ages seven to fourteen, stranded in a makeshift school bus for thirty-three hours during the worst blizzard to hit Colorado in over fifty years. The gripping narrative of "Children of the Storm" leads you through this haunting experience. The morning of March 26, 1931 began with sixty-degree weather and students excitedly running to board Carl Miller's bus for their routine ride to Pleasant Hill School. By the time they arrived at the schoolhouses, it was dark, windy, and cold---obvious signs of a spring snowstorm. Soon after, following the teahers' orders to drive the children to a nearby home for safety, Miller lost his sense of direction in the ensuing whiteout and lodged the bus in a ditch. When rescuers found the survivors a day and a half later, the blizzard had taken its deadly toll. The media avidly pursued the story, and the children became national and international celebrities. Ariana Harner and Clarkk Secrest have written the first comprehensive account of the tragedy, culling details from interviews, newspaper clippings, and archival documents. This is a tale of media exploitation, false heroism, lifelong heartbreak, and hard-won survival.