_By Tiffany Amber Stockton
Here's a look back at the winter of 1917-1918, when parts of the Chesapeake Bay and coastal inlets froze so completely that people and carts crossed on ice. Can you believe it?
The Winter the Coast Stood Still
The tide had stopped breathing. From Chincoteague to Crisfield, the sea lay silent under a crust of ice so thick you could drive a wagon across it. Steamboats and other waterway vessels sat stuck for nearly a month due to the frigid temperatures and blizzard that brought uncharacteristic cold further south than it had ever remained for this long.
The freeze affected nearly everything. Watermen couldn’t get to their oysters and crabs. Small towns that relied on regular marine deliveries had to deal with delayed supplies or no deliveries at all. Even the mail struggled to get through when boats were stuck and roads weren’t much better.
They Must Survive
People adapted, as they always do. Sometimes, you simply don't have a choice. And sometimes, you get the opportunity to tackle things that got pushed aside for more important needs. Like how men spent the downtime repairing boats and gear that normally never stopped long enough to get a thorough overhaul. And children did exactly what you’d expect. They tested the ice, ignored stern instructions, and had adventures they’d retell for decades afterward. :)
Now, I'm sure a little bit of tall tale snuck in there during the retelling at some of my family gatherings, but the details still tracked with real events. And no one challenged the report of a few men on their bellies pulling a wide sleigh across the ice to get much-needed supplies to island residents.
Thankfully, that blizzard and winter didn't end in disaster. But when I read about that experience, I'm reminded that my great-grandparents dealt with that surprise weather without modern forecasts, heated trucks, or social media updates. They had to rely on their common sense, neighbors, and a lot of layers of clothing. One of many good things came out of it, though.
They left us the stories!
NOW IT'S YOUR TURN:
* Have you ever heard an older family member talk about extreme weather conditions they endured?* Do you know of any famous weather stories from your own hometown?
* If you lived in a coastal community back then, which part do you think would have been hardest: food, work, or travel shutting down?
Leave answers to these questions or any comments on the post below.
** This note is for our email readers. Please do not reply via email with any comments. View the blog online and scroll down to the comments section.
Come back on the 9th of each month for my next foray into historical tidbits to share.
BIO
Actually, I can add a first hand memory, unknowingly passed on by an elderly uncle. He was always completely truthful in his stories, and it took me years to figure out what was meant by this one. He told the story something like "We walked to town for the Fourth of July celebration. It was a cool day. We listened to speeches and watched the parade, but it got colder. We headed home, but it began to snow before we reached home." I assumed he was speaking of his own childhood, before 1910. I could not find weather data that agreed. I then realized he was telling the story exactly as it was told him, but the "we" was his grandparents in Pennsylvania! Where he lived in Indiana wasn't even settled until his family moved here 1836. Indiana became a state in1815. I had heard that year without a summer sparked much emigration, hoping for a better climate.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting. My older relatives always talked about how high the snowbanks were, and I believe most of it, because even in my childhood we got quite a bit more snow than it seems we do now.
ReplyDelete