1888 — Jan 12, Blizzard and extreme cold, esp. Dakota Territory, MN & NE –315-500

1888 — Jan 12, Blizzard and extreme cold, esp. Dakota Territory, MN & NE –316-500

–250-500 Ford. “125 years ago, deadly ‘Children’s Blizzard’…” Minnpost, 1-11-2013.
–250-500 Laskin, David. The Children’s Blizzard. 2004, 6.
–250-500 The Republican, Omaha, NE, 1-20-1888. (In Clement in O’Gara, p. 54.)
–316-482 Blanchard tally based upon State and Territory listings below.
–235-250 Forum News Service. “The legend of the Minnesota blizzard of 1888.” 12-15-2015.
— 237 Burt and Stroud. Extreme Weather: A Guide & Record Book. 2004, p. 94.
— 237 Evening Herald (Syracuse, NY). “Record of the Year,” 12-31-1888, 3.
— 235 History.com. This Day in History, Jan 12, 1888.
— 235 NOAA. The Worst Natural Disasters by Death Toll (webpage). 4-6-2008 update.
— 235 Sandler. Catastrophic Storms, 2005, p. 14.
— 235 Taylor, Dick. Pawnee County History (NE). “The Big Brash Blizzard of 1888.”
— ~230 Allsop, H. “Nemo: Top ten worst blizzards to hit the US.” Telegraph, UK, 2-8-2013.
— 227 Logansport Journal (IN). “Death By The Blizzard,” Jan 17, 1888, 4.
— 217 Daily Journal (Logansport, IN). “The Year’s Disasters,” Jan 2, 1889, p. 4.
— 213 Child deaths. Tanner. “213 schoolchildren perished…” Wichita Eagle, 12-31-2012.
— <200 Freeborn County Standard, Albert Lea, MN. “The Big Storm, 1-18-1888, p. 1. -- >200 Laskin, David. The Children’s Blizzard. 2004, p. 254. (At p. 2 writes “hundreds.”)
— 200 Simonds. The American Date Book. 1902, p. 92.
— 100 Greely A.W. (Chief Signal Officer, USA). American Weather. 1888, 224-225.

Summary of Fatalities by State

Iowa 10
Kansas 1
Michigan 1
Minnesota 70-200
Montana ~3
Nebraska 69-100
North Dakota >10
South Dakota 149-155
Texas 3

Breakout of Fatalities by State

Iowa ( 10)
— 10 State. Blanchard tally from locality breakouts below.
— 9 State. Logansport Journal, IN. “Death By The Blizzard,” 1-17-1888, 4.
— 9 State. Carroll Sentinel (IA). “Northwest Howler,” Jan 20 1888, p. 2.
Breakout of Iowa fatalities by locality where identified:
— 1 Harris, Osceola County. Young man froze.
— 4 Inwood. Two Fitzgerald children and 2 unidentified children.
— 2 Larchwood. Two boys. Logansport Journal, IN. “Death By The Blizzard,” 1-17-1888, 4.
— 1 Marathon vicinity. John Olney, 16, frozen; had left home on a horse before storm hit.
— 2 Primghar. Two men. Logansport Journal, IN. “Death By The Blizzard,” 1-17-1888, 4.

Kansas ( 1)
–1 Sherman Co. James Kennedy. New Era, Humeston, IA. “Scores Frozen to Death,” 1-18-1888, p. 2.

Michigan ( 1)
–1 Lenawee County, Adrian. John Baring. NYT. “Lives Lost In The Storm,” 1-15-1888, p. 1.

Minnesota (70-200)
— 200 MN Department Of Natural Resources. Famous Winter Storms (webpage). 2017.
— 200 MNweather. History of Mn Blizzards (webpage). “The Deathly Blizzard of 1888.”
–100-150 Pohlen. Oddball Minnesota: Guide to Some Really Strange Places. “MN Winters.”
— 109 Minnesota State Univ. EMuseum. “Minnesota History: A Chronology.”
— 70 Google.com. Schoolhouse Blizzard. “Blizzard Facts…After.” Accessed 7-5-2017.
— 24 Blanchard tally of fatalities by locality breakouts below.
— 18 Logansport Journal, IN. “Death By The Blizzard,” 1-17-1888, p. 4.
— 13 Waterloo Courier, IA. “The Great Blizzard!” Jan 18, 1888, p. 1.
— 12 New Era, Humeston, IA. “Scores Frozen to Death,” January 18, 1888, p. 2.
Breakout of Minnesota Blizzard Fatalities by Locality (where noted):
— 1 Douglas County, Alexandria. Mr. Hanay Countryman; found about 150 yards from home.
— 1 Freeborn County, Hartland. Ole A Egge.
— 0 Jackson County. Rose. An Illustrated History of Jackson County, Minnesota. 1910, p.167.
— 0 Lyon County. Rose. An Illustrated History of Lyon County, Minnesota. 1912, p. 102.
— 1 McLeod Co., Hutchinson. Wilhelmina Lupke; gangrenous infection; hands/feet frozen.
–~4 Murray County. Blanchard tally of locality breakouts below.
— 1 Avoca. Johnny Walsh, 10, froze trying to find his home after school.
–~3 Hadley vicinity. One of the fatalities was a Mr. Abrahamson.
— 3 Nobles County. Rose. An Illustrated History of Nobles County, Minnesota. 1908, p. 112.
–1 Bloom Township. Jacob DeVries; caught outside and froze.
–1 Rushmore vicinity. Seselia Knutson; apparently caught outside and froze.
–1 Summit Lake. Douwe Postman; caught outside and froze.
— 1 Renville County. Merman Brueske, German immigrant; frozen body found week later.
— 3 Rock County. Rose. Illustrated History of…Counties of Rock and Pipestone, MN, 109-10.
–1 Beaver Creek vicinity. Eric Olson, 60. Had gone for hay; caught in storm; froze.
–1 Magnolia Twnsp., A.M. Crosby ranch. John Loy, 60. Caught outside heading cattle.
–1 Rose Dell Twnsp. O.A. Hunt, elderly merchant caught outside, became lost, froze.
— 6 Wabasha Co. Chester. Six children of James Baker frozen on 13th returning from school.
— 1 Locality not noted. O. A. Hunt, transient peddler; body not found until snowmelt, April 1.
— 1 Locality not noted. Erik Olson, Swedish bachelor farmer; found 1½ mile from home.
— 2 Locality not noted. “…young Dutch couple…died kneeling side by side…hands held high…”

Montana ( ~5)
— 5 Blanchard tally of fatalities by locality noted below.
— ~3 Brainerd Dispatch, MN. “Record of Casualties.” 1-13-1888, p. 4.
Breakout of fatalities by locality, where noted.
— 1 Gallatin County, Belgrade. William Overman (or Overlan).
— 2 Gray Bluff area, Jan 10. Train engineer and firemen when train derailed by snowdrift.
— 1 Lewis and Clark Co., Marysville. Patrick Hanley. Logansport Journal, IN. 1-17-1888, 4.

Nebraska (69-100)
–40-100 State. Nebraska State Historical Society (NSHS). The Blizzard of 1888 (Web).
— ~100 “ Anderson. “The Schoolhouse Blizzard of 1888, 235 deaths.” 6-5-2017.
— ~100 “ Hickey, et al. “The Blizzard of ’88, Nebraska Moments. 2007, p. 132.
— 69 “ Blanchard tally of fatalities by locality noted below.
— <40 “ Clement in O’Gara, p. 58. Breakout of fatalities by locality where noted: -- 1 Buffalo County, Gibbon area? Four-year-old son of a Mr. Polka, caught outside by storm. -- 1 Burt County, Tekamah vicinity. Mr. Charley Gray, spent night lost outside, died on 17th. -- 1 Butler Co., Garrison, David City. George Denlinger, 10; froze before reaching home from sch. -- 1 Clay County, Sutton. Person named Matthews. -- 1 Colfax Co., Schuyler area. Mr. Hines, after walking back home from school for children. --15 Custer Co. Freeborn County Standard, MN. “Under Mantles of Snow” 1-25-1888, p. 3. -- 1 Dakota County, Sioux City. Unidentified man. NYT. “Lives Lost In The Storm,” 1-15-1888, p1. -- 1 Dixon County, Dixon vicinity (?). Settler by name of Hurfel, caught outdoors by storm. -- 2 Dodge County. Eda & Matilda Westphalen, 8 and 13, found frozen in open field. -- 3 Douglas County, Omaha. NYT. “Lives Lost In The Storm,” 1-15-1888, p. 1. --1 Wexwell (or Wixell) Beck, 8-years-old. --1 Fred (or Ferdinand) Eller, cigar maker. --1 Unidentified young woman. -- 1 Fillmore Co, Milligan. Mary Masek, after walking 2 miles to school looking for children. -- 1 Gage County, Beatrice. Man in Beatrice tried to make it home several miles west; froze. -- 1 Garfield County. John Coil; caught outside in storm, got turned wrong way; froze. -- 1 Garrison. Springfield Daily Republic (OH). “The Terrible Result,” Jan 16, 1888. --17 Holt County. Blanchard tally of locality breakouts below. --15 Holt Co., Chambers area, Hickey. “The Blizzard of ’88, Nebraska Moments. 2007, p 132. --1 Atkinson. Roman Hytrek, 10. On errand from home to uncle’s farm. --1 Cache Creek vicinity. Settler by name or Harkins went out for hay to bury; froze. --4 Chambers, 7 miles east of. “There were five men frozen to death near our home…” --1 Chambers, nine miles east of. Mrs. Calkins let house to look for husband; froze. --1 Emmet. Emma Shattuck. Teacher whose legs were amputated; died from injuries. --1 Ewing to Goose Lake (25 miles). Son of Mrs. Miller in sleigh, road between points. --1 Ewing vicinity?. Mrs. Stuart; froze outside looking for husband. --1 Norton school (2½ miles east of). Elderly man named Glaze, found frozen in yard. --5 Stuart. (Logansport Journal, IN. 1-17-1888, p. 4.) --1 Mrs. Chapman. --1 Grandchild of Mrs. Chapman, 5-years-old. --1 Grandchild of Mrs. Chapman, 11-months-old. --1 Mr. Mason. --1 Unidentified woman. --1 Locality not noted, Jan 13. Omer (or Omar) Gibson, 17; after living through night. -- 1 Jefferson Co., Powell area? Man “in our community was lost…not found until…April.” -- 1 Keya Paha County, ~five miles from Jewett Creek. Mrs. Chandler, while going home. -- 3 Knox County. Letter of Mrs. Leslie Case in O’Gara, p. 141. -- 1 Lancaster County, Lincoln. Mrs. P. Smith. (Logansport Journal, IN. 1-17-1888, 4.) -- 1 Madison County (?). Mr. Vech, a farmer, found Jan 13 mostly buried in a snowdrift. -- 1 Merrick County, Central City vicinity. Man froze to death in a haystack. -- 1 Nance County, Beaver Creek near Genoa. Omaha Native American Rough Clouds. -- 5 Pierce County. Blanchard tally of locality breakouts below. --2 Pierce vicinity. Mr. Keikhafer and his son froze while rounding up cows. --3 Plainview area. Two 9-year-old boys and one 6-year-old girl (Hattie Rosberg). -- 1 Polk County, Swedehome vicinity. A Mr. Hult. -- 1 Valley County, Mira Valley/Ord vicinity. Farmer trying to get to house from the barn. -- 1 Washington County, Blair vicinity (?). Man found nearly frozen between two horses. -- 1 Wheeler County. Young man (Lukins) left house for barn, found in Spring miles away. -- 2 York Co., Bradshaw area. Boy and girl froze on way home after school dismissal at 3:00. -- 1 Unidentified County, George W. Post. (NYT. “Lives Lost In The Storm,” 1-15-1888, p. 1.) North Dakota ( >10)
–112 Environmental Data Service. Storm Data, Vol. 8, No. 3, March 1966, p. 18.
–>10 State. Blanchard tally from locality breakouts below.
— 6 Statewide. Freeborn County Standard, Albert Lea, MN. “Dakota,” 1-15-1888, p. 3.
– -6 “ Logansport Journal, IN. “Death By The Blizzard,” 1-17-1888, p. 4.
Breakout of fatalities by locality where noted:
–2 Cass County, Pontiac Township. Mr. Mann and daughter, 10-years-old.
–1 Grand Forks Co., Bachelors Grove, B. S. Holland; had walked to Larimore for medicine, sick wife.
–1 Sargent County, Delamere, Jan 12. School teacher, Miss Cora Curtis; walking home.
–1 Stutsman County, Windsor. M. A. Ryan, a farmer. Logansport Journal, IN. 1-17-1888, p. 4.
–1 Trail County, Mayville. Judd Robinson; froze to death.
–3 Ward County. Minot. James Smith and two sons. Logansport Journal, IN. 1-17-1888, p. 4.

South Dakota (149-155)
–149-155 State. Blanchard tally from locality breakouts below.
— 140 State. Freeborn County Standard, MN. “Under Mantles of Snow” 1-25-1888.
— 112 State. Ellis, Captain C. H. History of Faulk County South Dakota. Chap. VII, p. 52.
— 109 Dakota Territory, 44 reporting counties.
Breakout of fatalities by county where noted:
— 3 Aurora County. Blanchard tally from reports below:
–1 White Lake area. Male. Logansport Journal, IN. 1-17-1888, p. 4.
–1 Mrs. Nickoline [John] Jensen. Died just outside her home.
–1 Alvida Jenson (daughter of John and Nickoline). Found dead inside home on floor.
— 15 Beadle County.
–1 Hitchcock. Emil Gilberts [Gilbertson, Gilman].
–2 Hitchcock vic. Lewis Merriman, 60 and son. Logansport Journal, IN. 1-17-1888, 4.
–9 Huron. Logansport Journal, IN. 1-17-1888, p. 4; NYT. “Lives Lost…” 1-15-1888, 1.
–Robert Chambers. Buried son in snow; was found about half mile from home.
–Katherine Druse, 45. Froze. NYT. “Lives Lost in the Storm.” 1-15-1888,, p. 1.
–Thomas Gilkinson
–Thomas Nelson (found frozen to death; lived 9 miles west of Huron).
–William Nelson (found frozen to death; lived 9 miles west of Huron).
–Burdett Scofield, 16. Froze.
–Joseph F. Wilson (same Huron neighborhood as the Nelsons; not found).
–Unknown male.
–Unknown male.
–3 Virgil. Frank and William Nirison, and Joe Wilson; became lost in blizzard.
— 19 Bon Homme County. (Logansport Journal, IN. 1-17-1888, p. 4.)
–2 Uncle of E. B. Lyon, and the uncle’s son.
–5 Children of Russian family; were let out of schoolhouse about ¼ mile from home.
— 1 Brookings County. Ole Tisland Sr. (Laskin. The Children’s Blizzard, p. 249.)
— 7 Brown County. Blanchard tally based on locality breakouts below.
— 2 Aberdeen. (New York Times. “Lives Lost In The Storm,” Jan 15, 1888, p. 1.)
–William Love
–Judson Westgate
— 5 Groton. Boys after being released from school into storm.
–Johann Albrect, 13
–Peter Graber, 16
–Elias Kaufmann
–Heinrich Kaufmann
–Johann Kaufmann, 16
— 4 Brown Co. Reports of four missing in the blizzard and one not expected to live.
— 5-6 Brule County, Chamberlain. (Logansport Journal, IN. 1-17-1888, p. 4.)
–1 Miss Brandy, school teacher, froze to death while trying to reach home.
–1 Unidentified 15-year old student of Miss. Brandy (they were found in road, frozen)
–1 Cleveland, B., son of
–1 Cleveland, B., son of
–1 Grandstrom, Israel. (Elderly farmer missing after trying to go five miles to his home.)
–1 Unknown man, whose body was found frozen in standing position in the snow.
— 3 Clark County, Raymond. William Driver’s two sons, and a Charles Heath.
–4-7 Codington County, Watertown. (Logansport Journal, IN. 1-17-1888, p. 4.)
— 1 Dakota County, Goodwin. Sarah Dola, a school teacher. Logansport Journal, IN. 1-17-1888, p.4.
— 2 Davison County, Mitchel. George Allen, Jr., and Joseph Anderson.
— 4 Deuel County, Gary. (Logansport Journal, IN. 1-17-1888, p. 4.)
–2 Two children of Joseph Hutchinson
–1 Father of Henry Staltzenberg (Caught in storm while going out for son’s coffin.)
–1 Hugo Scheff.
— 3 Douglas County. Spring; “…the bodies of several men and schoolchildren…” found.
— 2 Edmunds County. New York Times. “Lives Lost In The Storm,” Jan 15, 1888, p. 1.
–1 Bowdle. Mr. Paine.
–1 Roscoe. Peter Terhune.
— 4 Faulk County. Ellis, Cpt. C. H. History of Faulk County South Dakota. “Chap VII, p. 53.
–2 ~Auman school, 17M SW of Faulkton. Miss Ella Lamar, 29, Carrie Auman, 8.
–1 Near Onaka, Jan 12. Wilhelm Klemp, 25. Went outdoors to care for livestock.
–1 Mr. Joseph Metz; went out in story to look after his stock, became lost, froze.
— 6 Hand County. Blanchard tally of locality breakouts below.
–1 Miller Vicinity. A Mr. Thompson, trying to drive home from Miller.
–2 Polo vic. Teacher Miss Maggie Dunn and a young school girl caught in storm.
–1 St. Lawrence vicinity. A Mr. Gosley missed his way from barn to house.
–2 Northeast Hand County. Woman named Shoultz and boy named May found frozen.
— 1 Hutchinson Co., Parkston. Springfield Daily Republic, OH. “Terrible Result,” 1-16-1888.
— 2 Hyde County, Stephens Mission.
–1 Mrs. Anthony Haby (28 miles north of the mission)
–1 Her sister, Wilimena.
— 1 Jerauld County, Jan 13. Jesse Beadel, young boy, died after spending night outdoors.
— 3 Kingsbury County, Iroquois. Logansport Journal, IN. 1-17-1888, p. 4.
–1 J. W. Coslee (or Goslee)
–1 Mrs. Devine or Diveine.
–1 Adam Gerner.
–>30 Lake County. Logansport Journal, IN. 1-17-1888, p. 4.
— 7 Lincoln County. Logansport Journal, IN. 1-17-1888, p. 4.
–3 Lennox vicinity. Heines family children.
–1 Unidentified school child.
— 1 Minnehaha, Sioux Falls vicinity. Unidentified farmer.
— 1 Spink County, Northville. Male lost in blizzard. Logansport Journal, IN. 1-17-1888, p. 4.
— 9 Turner County. Blanchard tally of breakouts below.
–2 Between Marion Junction and Bridgewater. Unidentified men.
–4 So. of Sioux Falls, 4 Peter Wierenga children; became lost going home from school.
–3 Three sons of Peter Heins, who left school despite teacher’s protect, became lost.
— 12 Yankton County. Blanchard tally based on reports below:
–11 Yankton County. Logansport Journal, IN. 1-17-1888, p. 4.
–1 D. T. Barkston.
–1 Mr. Coleman.
–1 W. B. Headly.
–3 Joseph Kocher and two unidentified companions.
–1 Jacob Schort, a farmer.
–2 Annie Shufeldt and sister, 13 and 16 (lost going home from neighbor home)
–2 Wakonda area. Two unidentified men, whose frozen bodies were found.
— 1 Yankton area, Jan 13. Frederick Milbier, after surviving the night and a rescue.
— >7 Counties not noted.

Texas ( 3)
–1 Benham (Brenham?) Henry Williams, on way home.
–1 Cooke County, Gainesville. Tom Jackson, “frozen to death on the prairie.”
–1 Johnston County, Cleburne. Henry Corbin.

Narrative Information

Burt and Stroud: “No blizzard in American folklore rivals the fame of the Blizzard of `88…there were two great blizzards in 1888. The first occurred between January 12 and 14 and was a classic Great Plains howler. It affected the Middle West from Texas to the Dakotas and then roared east to Wisconsin. Some 237 people lost their lives, a very high number considering how sparsely populated the region was at that time. So much livestock was lost that many historians point to the blizzard as the seminal event in the downfall of the Plains free-range cattle industry.” (Burt and Stroud 2004, 94)

Dyke: “….The blizzard of January 1888 was notable not simply because of the low temperatures, for other cold waves have been colder. Neither was the snowfall remarkably heavy, nor the depth on the ground unusual as compared with many other occasions. It was the combination of the three factors, namely, the gale winds, the blinding snow, and the extremely rapid drop in temperature from winter comfort level to well below zero which together made the blizzard most dangerous.” (Ray A Dyke, Weather Bureau Office, Lincoln, NE. “Weather Conditions in Connection with the Blizzard of January, 1888, p. 26 in O’Gara.)

Greely: “The most disastrous blizzard ever know in Montana, Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas, and Texas, occurred on January 11th, 1888. The change in the direction of the wind and the fall in the temperature was more sud¬den than usual. Although the greatest violence of the storm was of short duration, yet it was most destructive in its effects in Middle and Southern Dakota, owing to the fact that the change in wind, weather, and temper¬ature came suddenly in the middle of a comparatively warm and pleasant day when many were away from shelter.

“The loss of life was probably nearly one hun¬dred persons, although the exact figures are not known. High winds ranging from thirty to fifty miles per hour occurred, with falling and drifting snow, which, in ad¬dition to the great loss of human life, caused the de¬struction of herds of cattle and an enormous amount of suffering to entire communities.

“At Helena, Mont., the temperature changed with unprecedented rapidity, falling fifty degrees in four and one half hours and sixty-four degrees in less than eighteen hours.

“Com¬munication by rail and otherwise was either seriously delayed or entirely suspended for several days in Northern Dakota and Minnesota. At Crete, Neb., the temperature fell eighteen degrees in three minutes, and snow drifted so violently as to render all travel dan¬gerous. At Galveston, on the 15th, the temperature was below the freezing point, while the air was filled with fine drifting snow or freezing mist, which, owing to the influence of a wind of forty miles per hour, cut like drifting sand and coated everything with ice. At Rio Grande City and Brownsville, Tex., the wind was violent and the temperature fell nearly forty degrees in eight hours. The cold rain changed to snow and sleet, covering everything with ice, and causing great suffering.

“A peculiar feature of this blizzard was its extension in the shape of a cold wave, without snow, however, into California. Slush ice was seen in the river at Sacramento for the first time since 1854, while ice formed in San Francisco to the thickness of half an inch. At and near Los Angeles ice and killing frost were general, and even at San Diego there was light frost and a thick film of ice in exposed places.” (Greely. USA. American Weather. 1888, 224-225.)

History.com: “On this day in 1888, the so-called “Schoolchildren’s Blizzard” kills 235 people, many of whom were children on their way home from school, across the Northwest Plains region of the United States. The storm came with no warning, and some accounts say that the temperature fell nearly 100 degrees in just 24 hours.

“It was a Thursday afternoon and there had been unseasonably warm weather the previous day from Montana east to the Dakotas and south to Texas. Suddenly, within a matter of hours, Arctic air from Canada rapidly pushed south. Temperatures plunged to 40 below zero in much of North Dakota. Along with the cool air, the storm brought high winds and heavy snows. The combination created blinding conditions.

“Most victims of the blizzard were children making their way home from school in rural areas and adults working on large farms. Both had difficulty reaching their destinations in the awful conditions…. The storm is still considered one of the worst blizzards in the history of the area.”
(History.com. This Day in History, Disaster, January 12, 1888.)

Laskin: “On January 12, 1888, a blizzard broke over the center of the North American continent. Out of nowhere, a soot gray cloud appeared over the northwest horizon. The air grew still for a long eerie measure, then the sky began to roar and a wall of ice dust blasted the prairie. Every crevice, every gap and orifice instantly filled with shattered crystals, blinding smothering, suffocating, burying anything exposed to the wind. The cold front raced down the undefended grasslands like a crack unstoppable army. Montana fell before dawn; North Dakota went while farmers were out doing their early morning shores; South Dakota, during morning recess; Nebraska as school clocks rounded toward dismissal. In three minutes the front subtracted 18 degrees from the air’s temperature. Then evening gathered in and temperatures kept dropping steadily, hour after hour, in the northwest gale. Before midnight, wind chills were down to 40 below zero. That’s when the killing happened. By morning on Friday the thirteenth, hundreds of people lay dead on the Dakota and Nebraska prairie, many of them children who had fled — or been dismissed from — county schools at the moment when the wind shifted and the sky exploded.” (Laskin. The Children’s Blizzard, 2004, pp. 1-2.)

Taylor: “In one (blizzard) which visited Dakota and the States of Montana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas and Texas in January, 1888, the mercury fell within twenty-four hours from 74o above zero to 28o below it in some places, and in Dakota went down to 40o below zero. In fine clear weather, with little or no warning, the sky darkened and the air was filled with snow, or ice-dust, as fine as flour, driven before a wind so furious and roaring that men’s voices were inaudible at a distance of six feet. Men in the fields and children on their way from school died ere they could reach shelter; some of them having been not frozen, but suffocated from the impossibility of breathing the blizzard. Some 235 persons lost their lives. This was the worst storm since 1864; the Colorado River in Texas was frozen with ice a foot thick, for the first time in the memory of man.” (Taylor, Dick. Pawnee County History (NE). “The Big Brash Blizzard of 1888,” cites Encyclopedia Britannica, 1893.)

Newspaper

Jan 17, Logansport Journal: “Minneapolis, Minn., Jan 16.—The revised list of the blizzard fatalities shows ninety-seven dead in Dakota, eighteen in Minnesota, six in Iowa, seventeen in Nebraska, and two in Montana. Total, 135, besides fifty-five reported missing.”

“St. Paul, Minn., Jan. 16.—The loss of life by the great blizzard o£ Thursday last is shown to be very great by the reports that have already reached here, and when it is remembered that in hundreds of communities removed from telegraph stations the storm was equally severe and the loss in all probability correspondingly heavy, it will be apparent that never in the history of the Northwest was there such a terrible fatality. Below will be found a summary of the reports of death and suffering that have so far reached here.” (Logansport Journal (IN). “Death By The Blizzard,” Jan 17, 1888, 4.)

Minnesota

MSU: “1888 — Western Minnesota receives a major blizzard on January 12th which takes 109 lives.” (Minnesota State Univ.. EMuseum. “Minnesota History: A Chronology.”)

Minnesota Newspaper

Jan 13: “The worst snow storm that has been experienced in the northwest since the winter of 1881 , has raged throughout Minnesota and Dakota for the past three days, completely stopping travel on all the railroads. Trains from the west are over two days late, and not a single train arrived from the south yesterday, all being abandoned except No. 1, which was started out of Minneapolis last night, but stuck all of Thursday night in the snow at Clear Lake. She did not reach Brainerd until late this evening. The storm in this section has stopped, but the snow is drifting so badly as to impede travel almost as much as the storm. On the Missouri and Dakota divisions of the N.P. the storm is reported as the worst ever known. On these divisions travel has been entirely stopped, and no effort will be made to move trains of any kind until the storm ceases, as it is utterly impossible to do so….” (Brainerd Dispatch, MN. “Local News.” 1-13-1888, p. 7.)

Jan 25, Freeborn County Standard (MN): “The snow-drifts are said to be thirty feet deep.” (Freeborn County Standard (MN). “Under Mantles of Snow” 1-25-1888, p. 3)

Nebraska

Hickey, Wunder and Wunder: “The Great Blizzard struck on January 12, 1888….and traveled across the state abt about forty-five miles per hour. By late afternoon the entire state was engulfed….” (Nebraska Moments, p. 129.)

Nebraska State Historical Society: “On January 12, 1888, a sudden fierce blizzard slashed across the Midwest. The temperature fell to between 30 and 40 degrees below zero. A howling northwest wind swept the plains. The storm raged for 12 to 18 hours and is probably the most severe single blizzard to have hit Nebraska since the settlement of the state.

“Sometimes called “the school children’s storm,” the blizzard caught many children away from home. Many acts of heroism were performed by parents, teachers, and the children themselves.
The story of Minnie Freeman has become symbolic of these many acts of heroism. Miss Freeman, still in her teens at the time, was teaching at a school near here. When the wind tore the roof off the sod schoolhouse, Miss Freeman saved her pupils by leading them through the storm to a farmhouse a half mile away.

“Many other teachers performed similar acts of heroism, and at least one lost her life in the attempt. No accurate count of the total deaths from the storm is possible, but estimates for Nebraska have ranged from 40 to 100.” (Nebraska State Historical Society. The Blizzard of 1888 (Website).)

Newspaper account from Nebraska

Jan 17: “A Sad Tale of Death and suffering in the Fierce Storm.

“Omaha, Neb., Jan. 16.—Reports of loss of life in Thursday’s terrible blizzard are far more numerous than had been supposed. Hundreds of people were badly frozen and many were lost in the storm for hours, suffering unknown agony.

“In Gage county, John Sparks, a farmer is missing and cannot be found. It is thought he perished in the storm. Edward and Charles Maxwell, of the same county, narrowly escaped death, spending the night in a haystack.

“Near Sutton an old man named Matthews got lost in going from his house to the stable, and perished. Frank Skinner, a railroad man, attempted to walk home from Sutton, a distance of ten miles, but would have perished had he not come across a lot of calves and sheep and rested among them. About six miles from Sutton the storm overtook Mrs. Campbell and Maggie Skirving, two young women who were driving home from town in a buggy, and they were soon hopelessly lost The team ran into an old sod house and sheltered by this they managed to survive
the night, but suffered badly from frozen feet and faces.

“At Schuyler M. Kline, a farmer started to the school-house for his children and has not since been heard of. John Miller, a farmer near Columbus, got lost while trying to corral his stock and tramped in a circle all night.

“Woman and Two Children Perish.

“Stuart, Neb. Jan. 16.—Mrs. Chapman and her two grandchildren, a girl and boy, the latter 5 years old and the former 11 months, were found twelve miles north of town frozen to death. Thursday morning they started to the children’s home with a span of ponies and a sled. When found the ponies were still hitched to the sled, having stood in their tracks two days.

“Mr. Mason, a prominent citizen living twelve miles southwest of Stuart, has been found frozen
to death.

Another Woman a Victim.

Lincoln, Neb,, Jan. 16.—A farmer’s wife, Mrs. P. Smith, living six miles out of this city, was caught in the storm while returning home from a neighbor’s, and all search was unavailing until this morning, when the body was discovered buried in a drift. She was only a short distance from home when she perished.” (Logansport Journal (IN). “Death By The Blizzard,” Jan 17, 1888, 4.)

Texas

Jan 18: “….St Louis, Jan. 18.—Reports from different sections of Texas note the cessation of the blizzard, but the temperature continues very cold for that latitude. Benham [sp.?] imports that a fanner named Henry Williams froze to death while on his way home, and that a good many cattle have perished. Cleburne reports Henry Corbin…and many cattle frozen. Austin, the capital, reports the Colorado river frozen over for the first time on record, and…four to six inches thick. A large number of cattle have died in that vicinity. Corsicana says the snow and sleet has been unprecedented and travel is greatly impeded. An attempt to drive a herd of cattle to Ennis, twenty miles distant, resulted in losing 250 of them. Stock froze to death while standing in the streets. Sherman reports that meager reports from the panhandle say that many cattle have been frozen to death. Torrell says there are 12,000 cattle on the pasture around that town and that many of them have died from cold. Cattlemen have suffered severely for two months past by bad weather, and have been at great expense feeding stock. Several failures have occurred in consequence. Colorado in the western part of the State, says cattle have drifted badly, and it is believed many have perished. The sheep on the prairies have suffered greatly, and it is feared human lives have been lost at the sheep camps. Belton reports that many cattle on the range in that vicinity have died. Gainesville reports that Tom Jackson, a negro, was frozen to death on the prairie, and Bob Smith, a companion, was so badly frozen that his feet, hands and ears burst open, and he will probably die. News comes from every part of Northern Texas of unheard-of suffering among the people and wholesale destruction among cattle, many of which were frozen to death under good shelter. The unprecedented cold weather will cripple the cattle interest in that part of the State for some time and destroy the growing cereals and the flattering prospects of fruit for this year.” (Freeborn County Standard, MN. “Under Mantles of Snow,” 1.25.1888, 3)

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