The Blizzard of 1881

**The Blizzard of 1881**, also known as the "**Big Snow of '81**" was a large snowstorm that swept across Wisconsin in March 1881, often regarded as the worst blizzard to hit Wisconsin in recorded history. Two Blizzards hit the state in a single week, leading to drifts 40 ft deep. All railroad and road traffic was shut down in most regions, and some people ended up trapped in their homes, having to dig tunnels to get out. Photographs showing the snow-drifts were taken at many locations throughout Wisconsin, including Columbus, which was also affected by the event.

## Columbus Democrat Accounts

Accounts from the Columbus Democrat, February 19th 1881. Written by a Mr. Schlosser.

"Wind and Snow, Railroads and Highways Blockaded and Pedestrians Snow-Bound":

"The snow storm which set in late Friday afternoon, the 12th proved to be one of the most severe snow storms ever known in this section (except that of Jan. 1st, 1864). At the time when the snow first began falling, the wind was in the east, but long before the dawn of morning it had shifted around to the west and was howling at a terrific rate, blowing the light snow in every direction, and piling it up in many instances higher than the fences, completely filling nearly all of the railroad cuts between Watertown and Portage, and cutting off all connection with the people living outside the city of Columbus, either by rail or road. The passenger train bound west, and due here at 2:30 a.m., did not arrive until Saturday evening at 10 o'clock. On board the train there were some seventy-five passengers who were without food during this time, except that furnished by farmers living in the vicinity of the snow bound train. In addition to the passengers were the train men and the hands of two extra engines and one snow plow, besides shovelers, which aggregated the number to 150. The train was first stopped in a cut near Hartley's about six miles east of the city, and when assistance came, managed by hard labor to reach Elba in the evening. There the train was switched to a side track and awaited the arrival of a snow plows which was working from this end of the route, and which had reached this city from Portage about 3 p.m. With an extra engine attached, the snow plow succeeded in releasing the passengers, and the hungry crowd was brought to this city for refreshments. Mine host Fox, of the Fox House, having previously been notified of their wants, was fully prepared, and dished out victuals to about 75 individuals at his dining rooms, and an equal number were as well served by him in the waiting rooms of the depot. In all, during the 24 hours in which travel was impeded, Mr. Fox furnished over 200 meals. A freight train going east was delayed here about 30 hours. On Sunday, (the 14th) the track was again opened through, and trains have been running both ways with usual regularity. Other roads seem to have been bothered in a like way, and the storm was quite general throughout the state and the entire northwest. Many of the country roads leading to the city were not opened until the middle of the week".

"People Snow Bound":

"Dr. Earll went out into the town of Hampden on Friday, leaving the city about half past four o'clock in the afternoon, and was not seen or heard of until Monday night about 5 p.m. when he again made his appearance in the city, having been out on his trip a little over three days, or about 73 hours. Some eight couples of the young people of Fall River came down to witness the play of "David Copperfield" on Friday evening, and although but three miles away from home, were obliged to put up at the Fox House until some time the following Sunday. They seemed all to enjoy the time spent while thus snowed in, and hardly wished for the time to come when they would have to give up their comfortable quarters here".

"A Sleighing Party":

"Perhaps out of all those blockaded and snow-bound, none experienced a worse time than the sleighing party composed of Messrs. A. Proudfit, S. Proudfit, A.E. McCurdy, and Miss Keyes of Madison and the Misses Hattie Earll and Mary Cook of this city, who started out from Madison, to reach Columbus in time for the entertainment (David Copperfield) that evening. The distance between Madison and Columbus is 28 miles. They succeeded in reaching Sun Prairie at about 5 o'clock and after supper at the hotel, pushed on regardless of the warnings of the villagers, until they got as far as Daniel Peck's in the town of York, where they became hopelessly involved in the toils of the drifts, and were obliged to seek shelter for the night. Unable to provide beds or bedding for them, Mr. Peck directed them to return a short distance, which they did, and were taken in by a German farmer, John Batz, where they remained until the storm subsided. Reaching Columbus on Monday afternoon with great difficulty, they immediately telegraphed their families and friends in Madison, who had been up to that time perfectly organized at the long suspension of communication. Sun Prairie had telegraphed, Saturday, that they had left that village Friday evening while Columbus telegraphed they had not arrived here. When the bitterness of the storm was taken into consideration, it was naturally feared that they might have perished in the blizzard. The telegrams of Monday afternoon therefore, were indeed tidings of great joy to several sorrowing households. The young people returned to Madison on Tuesday, leaving here at 11 a.m. and reached home safely".

March 5th 1881 Edition Accounts:

"The springlike appearance and refreshing rain of last Saturday (Feb. 26th) carried the thought to many that the time was almost here when we should celebrate the advent of spring time. But alas, our thoughts are blasted. The Polar regions close down about us, and Sunday finds us wrapped once more in the pure white mantle of the beautiful. The winds blowing fierce and the air filled with snow, kept our people closely housed during the day. Before night enough snow had fallen and drifted so that trains were suspended and business at a stand still in this city. No trains or mail arrived here from Sunday (the 27th, Feb.) morning until Wednesday, and there has been none since. The bulk of the storm which seemed to delay navigation on the rails was between Portage and Watertown, about where the difficulty was during the first great storm (Feb. 12th). As people had just dug themselves out, business opening and people were again entering upon the discharge of their duty on Wednesday, there came a rebuke, and snow again commerced falling and the wind blowing, until it was impossible for people to stir about outside. It kept up this continuous howling, blowing, snowing and drifting until Saturday, when it quieted down and work of again opening up the streets, sidewalks and railroad was in order, and it will be several dreary and lonesome days before this arduous labor will be completed, and business resumed. No trains are looked for, and it will be from four to six days, and possibly longer than that before farmers can get to town, for all roads and streets leading in and through the city are utterly impassible. The beautiful, and indeed it is beautiful to be hold its massive heaps as they peer high above our heads on either side of the principle thoroughfares of this city. On the level, the snow is at least 30 inches deep and it will average three feet through any of our streets. Upon either side of our streets, near the walks and on the corners, the snow lays in piles varying in depth from 5 to 20 feet. Some of the stores and places of business are closed to the public, and the most of our good people rest peacefully at home. Fortunately the most of our inhabitants are well supplied with fuel and eatables, and there will be no suffering in this respect before we will again be able to move about. This fall of snow is by far the heaviest and most severe ever before experienced by the "oldest inhabitants" of our city, and we are informed that it is quite general about the state".

March 12th 1881 Edition Accounts:

"The great Burlesque Co., Nickolson and Martini, Managers and Proprietors, supposed by a cast of commercial traveling men, appeared before a crowded house in this city last Saturday evening, (the 5th). Although the announcement was short, it was enough for our people to know that the snowbound "drummers" had concluded to go in on their "check", and give them a "humbug" equal to any professional troupe. That they did so to the fullest expectations of those present was plainly visible on the faces of all who attended, the following day when the question "Did you go?" was asked. The boys got things together in a hurry on that day and forgot to rehearse, so of course were excusable for any slight defects that occurred on the stage. However each part was carried out to perfection, for in one sense it was simply acting out a natural existence on the road. "Prof." R.H. Nickel, who was billed as the "Great Wizard of the North" brought down the house every time he made his appearance on the stage, and well he might. The name was well applied. "Hon. T. Jacobi Martini", Ex-member of the Italian Senate, did remarkably well in his several parts, as did also "Deacon, B.R. Rodney, who was put down as Master of Ceremonies. There was a score of other names, all possessing famous titles, and carrying out their respective parts with credit. The gymnastic performances by Mr. Walter McCafferty of this city, were a valuable addition to the evening's entertainment. The traveling men who were snowed in here have certainly all made themselves more popular with our people, and have left pleasant memories which will not soon be forgotten. Come again gentlemen, we will try and use you well no matter whether you come to sell us goods or for "show". The names above, with one exception, are fictitious".

Short Accounts from the March 5th 1881 Edition:

* Ten or twelve traveling men are detained in the city on account of the blockaded condition of the roads.
* On last Tuesday, March 1st during the day and evening the Fox House fed about 200 people at the Hotel and the depot, mostly shovelers and train men.
* It is hard luck when a man is obliged to climb his sign to greet his neighbors across the street, as was the case at Breunings yesterday morning (Friday).
* One of the most novel features of the great storm on our streets, was a tunnel from in front of E.S. Griswold's store to the Fox House, called "the ladies entrance".
* How does your coal hold out? Have you any wood in stock? Are your sidewalks cleaned? etc. etc. are about the drift of questions propounded by the average pedestrian now-a-days.
* This snow will cause an extra expense of about $8,000 to the C.M. & St. Paul Railway, for shovelers, for every day they are unable to run and this is but a cipher to their other expenses.
* Street Commissioner Allen did good work in clearing the streets and making the roads passable that leads to the city on the days following storm No. 1, Feb. 12th, but it was all for nothing is it will now have to be gone over again.
* W.K. Hoskens \_ always up to the times in his art, was out with his apparatus on Tuesday, taking steroscope views of portions of James and Ludington streets. Parties who may wish to add this kind of selections to their views, and we should think they would be very appropriate, will now no doubt have an opportunity.
* The awning (wooden porch roof) in front of Capt. Dering's building on James St. occupied by Mrs. Dering as a millinery store, became overloaded with snow on Thursday morning and the weight brought it down. Others cracked under the weight of "the beautiful", but were cleared and yet stand as a protection to the beating sure which we are now so anxiously looking for.

Short Accounts from the March 12th 1881 Edition:

* Ex-Sheriff Conklin was on the train which passed through this city west, on Tuesday, the 8th; He was returning from an eastern trip, and had been snow bound at Watertown since a week ago Wednesday.
* Columbus was six days, lacking a few hours without a mail. It was from Wednesday afternoon, March 2nd, to Tuesday noon, March 8th. The longest time the city has been without outside communication since the construction of the railroad (1857).
* It is quite remarkable to know that not a single accident happened along the line to shovelers and train men engaged in opening up the road this week, while we read of them all over the country, on other lines.
* Considerable of a scare occurred at the high school building last Wednesday noon by the caving in, at the top, of one of the chimneys. E.S. Griswold (president of school board) was at once on hand and immediately engaged masons to reconstruct the tumbled down structure.
* E.H. Harris desires us to state that his hearse is now on runners, and that he can drive it wherever an ordinary sleigh can run.
* Several couples and a band from Beaver Dam started out for this city on last Monday evening to attend the masquerade, but when a mile out they were obliged to abandon their journey and return home. The snow was too much for them.
* We have just learned that the trip Dr. Earll made into the snow bound country as mentioned in last weeks installment, was the occasion of the birth of Charlie Smith, son of T. Jefferson Smith, and father of Don and Jeff Smith and their sister.
* O.E. Cornwell (the Railway Agent) has paid out to the shovelers who helped raise the snow blockade in this vicinity recently, $865.99. This was divided between 240 persons. The Hotel bills aside from this, were about $600, thus leaving in our city, $1465.99 because of the storm.

## Accounts from "The Journal"

Short Accounts from The Journal newspaper - March 1881 Edition.

* On board the west bound train last Tuesday was the celebrated Thos. W. Keen's Theatrical Troupe composed of twenty-six actors. They were billed for St. Paul on Monday night, but could not get there because the road was blocked.
* Among the passengers arriving at this city on the first train that came through after the blockade, were a number of emigrants, and among them was a niece of Mr. Franz Vogl of this city, She left Germany on Feb. 16th, via Baltimore, and has been snow bound in Chicago since Thursday last.
* The farmers living out from the city have done their work well towards opening up the roads. Teams from every direction have been coming into town daily and on Wednesday our dealers had a lively grocery trade. The storm let up just in time for it seems as though every one was "just out" of provisions.
* Snow-balling was freely indulged in at the depot between passengers and citizens while they were awaiting the arrival of snowplows and trains from the west on Tuesday. No damage was to life or property, with the exception of smashing of two windows, one in the ladies waiting room and one in a passenger coach.
* Chris Moll had a good day last Tuesday, while the trains were side tracked here, he sold two barrels of apples and three dozen oranges to the passengers, clearing for his trouble the nice little sum of $8.05. The next day he was lame, but he says he can stand all such rackets when the dust shows up like that.
* The views taken by our artist, Mr. W.K. Hoskens, are fine in every respect. We have seen them, there are ten different pictures in all, and every one of them worthy a place among the finest stereoscopic views of this state. The huge drifts of snow almost lost the business buildings in a shadow. If you want any it will be necessary to send in your order at once, as they are going rapidly. We bespeak for him a liberal trade in this line, for if you once see them you will want them all and buy the whole collection.
* Considerable dissatisfaction has arose among many coming into the city on account of not finding the roads open within the city limits. True, it was a shame that they could not have been opened at once, but what could you do, and who is to blame?
* The railroad paid shovelers $2,00 per day, while the street commissioner was only authorized to pay $1.00. The difference was too great and the street commissioner went begging for help while every available man took to the railroad.
* A great deal of credit is due Mr. Cornwell, agent at this city, for the prompt action taken to engage men, and his efforts used in opening the road after the storm. Not an idle moment was wasted during the prevalence of the storm, but everything so effectually work that when the wind and snow had ceased, a hundred men and upwards were out en-mass, plowing their way through the mighty deep-snow which we have been told in many cuts by actual measurement were from eighteen to twenty feet deep.
* The bright sun was a very severe strain on the eyes of all who handled snow shovels during the first of the weekend many there were who were obliged to leave their work on this account, and there are a great many now who are suffering with sore eyes. Street Commissioner Allen was almost blinded.
* We do not believe in placing our own family or relatives conspicuously before the public just because we are one of a party engineering a newspaper, but when a brother of ours, only sixteen years old, finds himself snowbound in Portage City, and becomes anxious to reach his destination, starts out and walks to this city, a distance of 30 miles, and does it all in twelve and a half hours on such a day as last Saturday, when the snow is from five to twenty feet deep, we believe it ought to be placed on record. He came by the way of the C.M. & St. P. railroad tracks, and says that he fell through all the culverts and cattle guards, and nearly every bridge between here and there, and found himself several times stuck in cuts along the road. If anyone will give us the particulars of a worse experience than this, when the snow lays as deep as it did that time, we will take a back seat willingly.
* Three passenger trains bound west arrived in the city Tuesday noon (the 8th). One train was hauled by two engines and was composed of three mail, two baggage, and six passenger cars. The passengers on board two trains extra posed of emigrants. The other two trains extra 1 and 2, were each heavily loaded with passengers and emigrants, and one contained two companies of soldiers - one company being colored. Before these trains pulled out they were obliged to await the arrival of trains from the west, these latter being delayed by a cut west of Fall River that had not yet been cleared. About 4 o'clock p.m. however, three trains from the west arrived, two of which were drawn by two engines apiece, and all well loaded with passengers. The regular 4:07 passenger train soon arrived, making seven passenger trains in all, then awaiting orders at this station. Counting the engines attached to these trains and those used for opening the road, now side tracked here, we find that we had seventeen, and estimating the people awaiting the arrival and departure of these trains, the passengers onboard, train men and shovelers, there must have been upwards of 2000 people, men, women and children in the vicinity of the depot in this city.

## Other Accounts from Columbus

* On one particular instance in early 1881, a large breakup of Ice occurred on the Crawfish River, which many of the citizens came out to witness. The piers meant to hold up the gate at the Dam stood strong for a day, until it finally gave way as the ice-flow gained momentum. The pier posts and part of the gate flowed downstream, until the water was nearly level with the floor of Buel's Barn (Documented in the Republican Journal).
* John Brokopp's (1883-1961) mother often recounted the snowstorm to him, describing how difficult it was to dig graves at the cemetery. On one particular occasion, the grave digger had to dig through snow that was up to their armpits just to get to the cemetery, and the casket was carried up along the railroad tracks on the shoulders of men. This account was recollected in Fred Stare's "Story of Columbus".
* One recollection of the 1881 storm was documented by Columbus resident Frank Bell in the 1950's, who relayed it to Fred A. Stare as part of his research for his extensive "The Story of Columbus" writings. After the storms had finally ended, they left strange looking masses of snow drifts across the entire countryside, completely destroying highways, fences, stumps, small buildings and other things. A neighbor of the Bells, who lived a few miles out from what is today Highway 60, walked by wearing a pair of snow-shoes, carrying a stout-stick 5 or 6 feet long and perhaps as big as a pitchfork handle. He explained that he had run out of "the necessities of life" and was headed to Columbus to replenish such supplies. The next day he returned on his trip home, with a pound of coffee in his pocket and a jug of alcohol strapped to his staff. These were the items that he had deemed "the necessities of life".
* Reese Roberts, also recounting for "The Story of Columbus" in the 1950's, explained how his father, blacksmith Griff Roberts had once told him that for two-three weeks during the 1881 storm, about all he did was make snow shovels. They were made of wood fitted with an iron edge at the point of contact. The local railwaymen used Scoop Shovels, which were the same used for grain and coal.

## Sources

* The Story of Columbus by Fred A. Stare pp. 305-311