My grandfather used to tell me that in those days people would share meals and anything they had with neighbors or people who need it help,, now my neighbors call the cops if people park their vehicle in front of their house,, so sad,,, I'm so glad my dad brought me up to always respect and help others in need, now I feel like I must do the same to keep passing it on to next generation,,
@@normhiscock352 Agree with that..... things need to change, to make all this a level playing field. There’s so much injustice in the world, that most people are seemingly ok with it. Start to peel back the layers and you start understanding why people are set up to fail and not achieve great things. All by design. I’m convinced of it. When you read stories showing 200+ people in Scotland queuing in the snow for food. That’s not progression at all. This is 2021, not the 1800’s.
My dad who lived through this storm and farmed near Monroe, Nebraska showed me pictures of drifts that were way above his head just like in this documentary. So I was really glad to have stumbled across this video and find out more of what it was like back them. One thing that my dad said that the video didn't mention was that Canada sent fleets of snowplows down to help open the roads because rural Nebraska was just not equipped to handle that much snow. They also brought hay for the animals so they wouldn't starve. Thank you, Canada for your generosity.
My Dad wrote a letter to his best friend. In it he recalls being stranded in the blizzard and how he managed to make to his friends house. The friend and his wife took him in and slowly warmed my Dad up to keep frostbite from setting in. The letter was of remembrance and thanks. My Dad never told us kids of this story. I found a copy of the letter in my Dad's things after he passed in 2019. His friend is still around and I sent him a copy of the letter in case my Dad never sent it. His friend remembers the situation but doesn't remember getting that letter before. It touched him greatly. I'm glad he and my Dad were such good friends and that I was finally able to say "thanks" for him. Watching this now, I can see the dire situations everyone faced. Thank you to all who opened up their homes to those in need.
That was a good thing you did. I wonder why he wouldn't have sent it? Maybe he wrote it but then felt that he had expressed his gratitude better in person. Nice story though.
I lived through this storm at age 13 with my parents and two sisters at Hereford CO - 2 miles south of the WY border about 40 miles east of Rockport. We milked our cow twice per day and feed and watered our 12 chickens - gathered the eggs etc. all three days. Dad had enstalled a propane floor furnace in 1948 which kept us nice and warm. It was totally black - we used coal-oil lamps to see. Since we happened to have plenty of food, we ate, played games, took care of ou animals and waited it out. After the storm, we used our track tractor (it would float on top of the snow drifts) to deliver food to people who ran out. I will never forget the blizzard of 1949-50.
85 and you know how to use the internet? Damn rare occurrence in my family. My grandfather is the same age and he's stubborn as all hell about technology.
Hey bud i can sit and listen to your stories for hours...I miss my grand parents and there stories! I love history and i bet you have seen everything in life! God bless you!
My mom was born in the mid thirties... Many times she'd tell me... "In those days neighbors helped one another." If someone lost their home to fire, neighbors gathered together and helped build a new home. As technology advances humanity decreases. Not saying there still aren't good people but doesn't seem as common now for people to help and be kind. Love this.
I'm wondering... how are all the current drug addictions impacting this charitable mindset? It appears addicts only think about "Me me me." They often steal from their own families and kids. There were much fewer addicts way back then. They were there, but not even close to the drain on society that they are now. Maybe you had one or two town drunks.
@@annetteyoutube742 some do......' I guess this saying applies: 'Until you've walked a mile in someone else's shoes.....' sound familar Annette youtube
@@guyspencer4470 ....I agree to a point; but, even if it's for a tax write off, most corporations donate more money, time, food, etc. to community based organizations that help people than the regular public does. Trying to get people to volunteer at a foodbank or anyplace else that helps, unless it's holiday season and their church is doing it, is like pulling flippin' teeth.
@@tandiparent1949 yeah , but I pay more taxes than GE and Amazon combined.. and I can't even afford a car that's newer than 5-10 years old. I guess college paid off there! In my next life I will sell children til I'm 27. then I'll open some company or other that doesn't require me to actually do anything but threaten my employees and spend my profits....
Ah, but what a view though on the nice days! My first time OTR into Wyoming in 2006 was unbelievable. It has to be one of the prettiest states that I’ve ever pulled through. Especially hailing from the slums of the Northeast cities of the US - it was hard to believe that this postcard state was actually real. Yeah, but winter sucks there for sure and it starts early and ends late. I hate winter too, but Wyoming without snow is mighty lovely.
“Has it ever struck you that life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going?”― Tennessee Williams
my friend you are correct, great analogy, life stops when you can no longer remember anything, life with allzhymers is a testimony to that, so my conclusion is, as humans age and get older their memories are less prevalent and less vivíd and less sharp, your life begins to fade away and as you go and finally sis to exist someone else takes your place on earth, it's perhaps a gentle way to say goodbye, slow process but certain, just a matter of time.
It’s not a “tradition”, being prepared for emergencies is as old as civilization itself. I’m sure there were emergency supplies in the covered wagons traveling west in the 1800’s as well. It’s just basic common sense,unfortunately there is plenty of things we all have n common but there’s hardly any sense left.
I learned from a young age to carry emergency items, including water, food, matches, spare everything!!!! I have always lived in Minnesota and only been stranded once, but I had enough supplies to stay warm, safe, and not get thirsty or hungry.
❤️💔My dear grandmother Ruth grew up in WY and lived through this and the Great Depression. She was the most stoic and strong person I have ever met. She NEVER complained about life. I miss the many amazing people I have known through my life that have survived the toughest life has to offer. Grandma always told me to remember that “This too shall pass”. Good advice to remember when things seem like they are unbearable and never going to get better.💔❤️ Be kind to each other we are all going through this human condition.❤️ These challenging times bring out the best and the worst in man kind. Please let it bring out your best 🙏❤️
Truer words were never spoken! My grandfather was the same way. Never got excited about temporary issues! I miss him sooooo bad! Thank you for sharing! ❤🧡💛💚💙💜🥰
@Southeastern777 Here in the north east...we don't like having to search...for the barn. So we tie 'em together with a woodshed in the middle. Thataway you don't get lost on the way back home. In fact my friend had a "two holer" off the hallway to the barn ...no woodshed...but at least they never got lost on any late nite excursions!
These people survived a world war and the great depression. They were tough as nails back then. Today if your Wi-Fi goes out people will curl up into a little ball and cry.
And this is why the world's struggling to move past covid .. so many whiney sniveling brats doing nothing but complaining instead of growing up taking it seriously and getting tougher through this horrible situation. Learn and grown from situations examine this video because one day this will strike and no one will survive except the real survivers.
@@sweetvibes18 It's not serious and you are brainwashed. It's leftist socialist communism. If you want to save and protect human life, HELP FIGHT TO END ABORTION.
Yeah, and that is exactly why I do not see much hope for most Americans for what is coming. It’s going to be hell on earth, most will not survive. But there are still a few tough individuals who will make it. From that breeding stock will come a strong, intelligent, and capable people. Maybe, just maybe, the evil that is happening in our world today will not happen again. We can pray.
I was eight and a half living on a small ranch about 30 miles east of Greeley, Colorado when the storm hit. Al the menfolk dressed and saddled our horses. That was my Great Grandpa, Granddad, Dad, my two uncles and me. and headed out to keep the livestock moving. We had about 1,000 head. As long as they kept drifting in a large circle we were in good shape. Only lost about 50 head, but they were pg breeding units. I guess it would have been considered child abuse to send a kid my age out in a blizzard, but most of my friends from school went out so different times for different situations. All I can say was that the Air Force was revered and I am sure that many of their enlistees were from the Blizzard of '49 because they saved the bacon for many farmers and ranchers in Southeastern Colorado and when we came of age it was the only service we considered.
I am wondering if they ate/slaughtered the frozen livestock? Typically, you gut a dead animal right away when it's warm, but curious if you know? They were frozen solid so really, bacteria wouldn't have set in? Sorry if thats a dumb question. I've froze entire fish solid(had to) and gutted them when thawed or just eat them raw. All those people trapped with food running out..thought just maybe that would have been an option? Thanks if you reply
I am re-writing my emergency supply kit before buying it. This documentary makes you realize emergency is lurking around us. Be safe everyone. God bless us all!❤
Read "Bowling alone" by Robert Putnam. He's the guy from Harvard who did that study of "diversity", which he kept in his drawer for years, because it showed that all societal health measures plummeted with increased diversity. Social cohesion, community participation, societal trust, care for commons and public spaces... everything gets destroyed.
Also it was back when people thought the world was going into another ice age as the world temperature decreased starting in '42 and didn't get back to its previous level until 1979.
Parts of the prairies in Canada were affected by this storm. My Dad was 14 years old at the time. They lived in Whitesands Saskatchewan. They had to tie a rope from the house to the barn so they could go and milk the cows. They did not have a lot of livestock at that time so they lost none. Great documentary. Thank you for sharing.
I've had the privilege of working all over the state of Wyoming and I can honestly say that the people of the state are the most genuinely honest and sincere people I've every met. And I never tired of driving the long distances between cities and enjoying the, to me, most beautiful landscape in our country. And this video is just another example of how remarkable the folks in the state are and have always been. Love you Wyoming.
The forgotten years had the bravest, strongest and most humble survivalists who can teach our generation manners, hard work and God loving people. Adonai bless these people 🙏🏼
My family was living in Renton Highlands, Wash. in 1949 (near Seattle). I had just started 1st Grade. The Storm of '49 even in Washington State piled the drifts to the eaves. We lived within 3 miles or so of school, so no school buses for us. For years I was told this was a record storm, but I didn't know how bad it actually was until I saw this video. There was a Safety Patrol on some corners to and from school. Even so I got lost on the way home one day and I didn't get home until nearly dark.You have to realize even a 4-foot drift was over my head. And there were plenty of those. Nobody was excited, no searches, etc. Guess it was a different time. I was six years old, thought I was thirty. We were like Yorkshire Terriers, who are 6 pounds but think they're 60. Can you imagine 6-year old kids today walking three miles to school and back, with their books and a lunch, all by themselves? Any kids who lacked warm clothes, pencils, a father who had never come back from the war, a nickel for the movies, who complained were regarded as crybabies. My grandfather abandoned my father, his brother, and their mother in West Virginia in 1909. My father, who was nine,had to get a job across the river in Ohio in a factory. He had to cross the river on a ferry, and come back in the evening. Dark both ways. Being nine he was allowed to go home after 10 hours' work. All this for a dollar a day in 1909. For these reasons I have no respect or patience for those who today trot out the old "uphill both ways" crap. You have no idea what you've missed.
Our politicians and corporations are trying to bring back all those conditions so our collective grandchildren and great-grandchildren have to work their childhoods away and die young, malnourished and impoverished from disease, workplace injuries and no social safety net. They are literally talking about abolishing the minimum wage and child labor laws. It's normal to have and express human emotions about awful things like a father abandoning his family. Maybe you're impatient and disrespectful towards the wrong people.
My grandfather just told me about his experience as he was in highschool on queen Anne. Their house on the hillside was level with the "street" below, about a 12' vertical difference 😳😳 And now this video pops in my RUclips feed during the artic blast 😂
I was 16 yr. old in '49 and the snow was very deep. I lived on a farm and I sat close to the wood fired cooks stove in the kitchen and read. No road travel was impossible. A neighbor started having labor pains and some one still had a team of horses and an old farm sled. They bundled her up on the sled and headed for the hospital 12 miles away. She made it and had a healthy little boy. We made snow cream and my mother made a cherry cobbler. We had lots of cream because the cows still had to be milked. The cows stayed in the barn for several days.
Great documentary--one of the best things was that there were no reinactments or tons of historians sitting in their offices blabbing on and on. The original footage and old timer interviews made it great.
My mom was pregnant with me when this happened, She had married my father in late '48 and moved with him to a farm in North Dakota. Me, being her first, they had decided to go to California so she could be with her mom. I was born in February. I grew up on a farm with winters that produced -40 degrees. Snow drifts that covered our neighbors house and barn, Storms that beat against our house for 3-4 days and made milking the cows and bringing the milk 200 yards to the house a chore. I've seen 48 degrees below zero I have the farm country thermometer to prove it. People who have not lived through a three day blizzard in the northern plains have NO CONCEPT of bad weather.
I think I've only seen about -20 trucking out in the NE. Pardon my inexperience, but how did that thermometer record the event? I'm into cool things like that and hadn't considered the need for something like that.
@@jeffbanfieldsflwr3537 Awh...😢 there's still many good people in this world, ❤ But watchin this made me feel like I was sittin with my grandma when she told me her experiences going thru the dustbowl.....yep, missin her and my mama right now for sure.😖
The biggest city in our province where our son lives, had a huge dump of snow in November, a call went out for volunteers with snowmobiles to pick up doctors & nurses to take to the hospital for their shifts. Our son's sled was at home here, so he drove around with his 4x4 truck, and pulled people out of the ditches and snowbanks, back alleys etc. instead. Snow storms still bring people out to help their neighbors in this part of Canada.
Both of my grandfathers and my dad told me the story of the winter of 1949. My dad and his father had cattle that they had to tend. They were able to save most of their stock by stuffing them into barns. The biggest challenge was watering them as water had to be carried in buckets from the house. This was in Idaho, where the cold was bad, but not as much snow as Wyoming. When people talk about a weather event around the dinner table for seventy years, then it was bad. Relatives in Nebraska compared notes and it was bad there as well.
All nations would learn a lot about these hard times and how they coped with it ! People helped each other to get through any catastrophic issues. Only have to remember the past tragedy’s ….most people just came to help and make sure people are being fed and kept safe and warm! I really think if push came to shove….people would come together,no matter what!
@@SteveMoser the other day me and my friends were joking around and said gang violence. Teacher got mad not because I was saying it in school or something like that no. It was because I'm male. Not joking and I quote "you aren't allowed to say gang violence because as a male that's inappropriate" how's it different if a girl said it.
I survived the Storm of 49. I was 4 years old at the time. I now know why dad had to jump out the upstairs window in order to shove a walkway to the front door. We also had a State Snowplow parked at our house as Dad was the driver. My mom was pregnant with my brother Steve who was born in May of 49. We were among the lucky ones as we lived in the small town of Bonesteel, South Dakota. We were one block from Dr Cook's, the best damn doctor you could ever have. Two grocery stores were also about a block away. I know there must be more stories as many of my relatives lived on or off the YS reservation. I wish I knew those stories. Maybe some of my oyote has some of those stories. I wonder how people would react to a storm like this one is it happened today. If Hurricane Katrina was any indication I don't want to be there.
Clearing snow and heating is by far an easier logistical undertaking than a extremely massive flooding. You can buy a very cheap gas generator these days and with other technological advances there would be lower casualties these days..
I live on the MS gulf coast and my town caught the eye of Katrina. So many people could not have fathomed the total destruction that was left behind. It was one of the hardest things my family and I ever experienced. I cannot imagine what it was like to have lived through this blizzard.
We had a really bad ice storm here in Kansas in 2007 I remeber that 1 well because we were without power for 7 full days luckily we had a gas stove to keep us warm lol
Always be prepared. I live in Northern Maine......I never drive in the winter without my snowmobile suit, boots, and all the rest of my gear in the car. You never know when you might have to spend a night or so in a snowbank somewhere.
Household fireplaces/stoves are good to have....they can take the chill off your existence for a while....and you can cook on them, too. Even a kerosene lamp throws off enough heat to make a smallish room tolerable. Candles are handy. Home-size generators are more accessible now than they were generations ago. I also recommend having many, many heavy/utilitarian quilts (made of course from repurposed fabrics) covering recycled blankets, old bedspreads or comforters, sleeping bags, beach towels: you name it!!! Nice to have loved ones (or a few good dogs :) to snuggle with. And never forget: if there is a significant storm headed your way: clean the bathtub and fill it with water.
Well, since we are entering a Grand Solar Minimum and next spring in the Midwest is going to be worse than this spring (according to the weather people) I hope and pray those farmers get to high ground and get prepared. The Fields didn't get a chance to dry down enough before they started getting snow this year so all of that flooded area is now a sea of ice, under the snow. When it starts to thaw out, there will be no place for the melted snow to go. I feel for those down river too.
Oh yeah I learned my lesson and put everything in the back of my truck like one of those weirdo doomsday preppers ...jugs of water small emergency back up generator a booster jumper pack with plug and USB outlets built-in flashlight built-in radio and tire pump blankets and cushions emergency roadside assistance kit a 24 box of mre food rations flare guns extra car battery small plug in heater a mini fridge etc . etc and I'm always adding more people joke around about me but guess what I will be the last one getting the laugh when "shtf"
It makes my heart hurt that ppl were so extremely kind to each other. We have had so many improvements in our time, every thing has gotten better EXCEPT for what really needed to which is mankind. We are smarter in a way but so much harder. Every thing has evolved forward but human nature. So depressing.
Human nature NEVER changes, which is why utopianism is so dangerous. We can get as good as we can get, and you have to account for greed and evil, you can't EVER create a world where it doesn't exist.
It it. You said it. Especially these days it is getting worse and worse. When I walk my beat (Railway Police for the National Railway where I live) especially young people love to rat each other out. "Hey officer I saw a couple kissing not wearing masks" and so on. When I grew up, beinga busybody tattletale like this was considered the worst thing, but today it is encouraged by the media, politicians and society in general. Makes me feel old, and I'm 29...
Also the breakdown in human relations and spoiled mentalities have ruined families. If you don’t have a strong foundation ( a stable family) well that’s not a good starting point
It was crazy in 2018 there was -60 F in Minnesota USA. Exhaust froze to the roads and made them into ice rinks. My neighbor and my roommates car batteries froze. I luckily had a newer battery and drove those days with that freezing temps.
Eastern North Dakota, the Red River Valley. Sometimes gets so cold that the telephone lines freeze up. In the spring when the lines thaw out, all the yakking finally comes out!
My heart hurts for those who lost so much to this storm. The farming families who lost all their animals. Hearing how those poor animals froze broke my heart. The people really did great helping each other during this terrible blizzard. America's greatest generation!
We lived just outside of Cheyenne Wyoming in 1949. I was 5 year old at the time. My dad was a career Army officer and was in Japan so it was just my mom and myself. I remember the wind and it was loud and seemed to never end. My mom spend one night in the basement with a torch to keep the water pipes from freezing. She later told me that the temp outside at one point was 40 below zero. I was in kindergarten at the time an there was no school for over 2 weeks. We also lost telephone service but our electric stayed on.
After army days of shivering for long periods I'll take global warming and drinking water all the time. Glad to hear you did okay. Bet your dad never heard the end of it for being gone during it :)
I was born in November of 1950.. I often think about those times about how we managed to keep from freezing to death. maybe as kids.. our blood run hotter.. maybe we didn't know what it meant to be cold, I don't know... but to me.. today.. I find it amazing.
This is the saddest thing I have watched in a while when the mans aunt and uncle were found kneeling down for the children frozen as well as the many animals and ppl stuck in their cars or trucks thinking the storm would blow over no pun intended I pray this never happens again sometimes we forget how fragile life is and just how small we are in the grand scheme of things may all the families and children rest in peace my heart is truly broken for all who braved the storm of the century
My grandparents from this generation raised me. Every day I am reminded of all the gifts of knowledge, survival, and love that they gave me. There is virtually nothing I can't do to ensure my coping, survival, health, home, and daily living.....ALL with a sense of economy and generosity toward others. Even more important: I have the value system from that generation that they raised me with: "ALWAYS DO THE RIGHT THING". That has made all the difference in my life....and their example of goodness, light, laughter, and love has benefitted me, and everyone that my life and career has touched. THANK YOU NANA AND PAPA!!! I REMEMBER YOU EVERY DAY......AND NOW MY GRAND CHILDREN DO TOO!!!
The story of the family of four freezing, the parents trying to protect the kids kills me. So heartbreaking. Those poor kids, and God the parents. Can you imagine coming to the realization you and your kids were gonna freeze? I never knew what fear was until I had kids.
And our powers that be want to do away with oil,coal, and make everything green. Telling us that data is the future. Their kids kids will freeze to death heating with data.
This still happens today. I was in Houston during Harvey. There were 30,000 “swift water” (dangerous) rescues; 20,000 of these by civilian volunteers that risk their lives to save strangers.
I love this documentary. My grandfather was born during this blizzard in Western Nebraska in his families barn. It was great to learn of the events my grandfather was born in.
A truly excellent documentary. As a child of eight that I was then, I remember the talk and newspaper pictures about the trains being stuck in the snow. I was surprised that snow could stop a train, at that time (still am).
These documentaries are great. I remember a blizzard hitting the Detroit area in the 70's that dumped 22"s of snow and had all that thunder and lightning that went on for hours. I was a morning paperboy back then. Had to pull a sled to deliver papers the following day. The snow plows weren't going to get to us for a couple of days so, the entire neighborhood shoveled the streets.
OMG my brother and I were delivering papers in Ann Arbor on a sled, too. For some reason we had the idea that like the mail, newspapers must absolutely get delivered regardless of the weather. :-)
I was living in New York City when the blizzard of 1978 hit us. I was 10-11 years old at the time and it was a school night. My friend was sleeping over, and we decided to set the alarm clock for 5:30 A.M. (School didn't start until 9), but we wanted to listen to music before going to school. When the alarm went off, we regretted it, until my mother poked her head in the bedroom and told us that school was closed due to a blizzard, there was 3 feet of snow on the ground. We were wide awake after that!
@@fanaticat1 The 70s had green appliances, ugly clothes. Ugly cars, ugly everything. However, the people back then were normal and responsible compared the loons I see today.
Very good documentary. The one term they mention is working together. Stranger helping stranger, neighbors helping neighbors , residents helping the military all working together to preserve life and live stock. Times have changed. God bless them all
Ed 2168 times haven’t changed. Every day after 9/11, when the police and fire dept left the wtc, New Yorkers were there thanking and feeding them dinner. The Cajun navy is made up civilians who help with hurricane relief. Last week I opened up my home to three people who I didn’t know because it was -15 and they got a flat tire traveling from Iowa to Nevada. I keep seeing people say that if it happened today it would be so different, and speaking as a wyomingite, no it wouldn’t. We may have fancier toys, but we’re still human.
@@dewalt4598 True,but at what width and depth?And only with 70 year old snow shovels.They are heroes.In today's society you would be very hard pressed to even find that many men who would volunteer for anything, especially in those temperature's.
My grandparents were farmers in Kansas through the dust storms with my father born 1922 with polio in leg braces. We as modern day humans have nothing to complain about really.
Well, I reckon those in the Midwest and some up the East Coast that got flooded this year and lost everything might have a reason to complain...Especially those in the Midwest who were still too wet to work their fields before the snow hit them again this fall. And they'll have more to complain about come spring because all of that soggy mess froze and that snow won't have anywhere to go when it starts melting. I reckon losing everything you worked for and then having your Farmer Husband commit suicide is a tad bit worse! My first husband had polio and wore legs braces. Crap happens, but he was alive!
@Andrew Grey liberalism would be wiped out by a storm like this, your cries for help to siri would go unanswered. Our youth isn't prepared for any kind of a struggle, they would just go to their safe space and freeze to death.
I remember A Doozy winter storm. I was 14, youngest sis was 9, bundled in snow suits siting in our back yard, 10 miles north of Toronto 1978. Wind was 80 miles an hour, was cold 14*F -10C, Lightning and thunder constant. Towering over our house a line of 60 foot hi power lines with 10 cables stacked high. They were extra large poles that carried a lot of voltage. The sound from those Lines whistling was incredible. We watch the news and learned downtown Toronto was shut down. Plate glass sheets were flying off the tall buildings. Ropes were set up for people to try to walk on the sidewalks with assistance from police. Everybody left work early before dark. (@4p.m. With the snow and time of year ) It had been reported on the news the barometer had dropped the lowest amount in recorded history for Toronto and it was the quickest drop too. By the next morning snow drifts we’re at the top of a Ford pick up truck’s hood. As children this was the best storm we ever had. We built tunnels at the bottom of our driveway and along our front were a snowplough had mounted it over the following days. I was the paperboy and had quite a few extra papers in my garage. My friend*s dad was going to England later that winter. Thus we collected the pictures of the snow storm from the papers. The people in England couldn’t believe what we went through. But it was nothing compared to what happened in Dakota and Nebraska. **** So now we have global warming. 75°F most of the week along southwestern Ontario in the second week of November. Wow, broke all the records. But don’t kid yourself all this moisture will crash with those arctic vortexes and we will have monumental snow storms again. Learned from this video. 10 packages of spaghetti goes along way. And it only $10 when it’s on sale. You can keep it in your cupboard for years. Covid is a wake up call too. We can all probably wrap ourselves in toilet paper to stay warm somebody has it all.
Mr . Remmington , wow that's incredible... that's really wild and what a great story , thank you . About a year-and-a-half ago in the American government was forcing Dairy Farmers to throw away literally millions and millions of gallons of milk and also forcing them to bury their crops I knew there were going to be food shortages . I was warning people . People should stock up on whatever they can ... whenever they can . Also I don't agree with these people who have gone minimalist and have given away most of their possessions because the time might come when they'll wish they had a lot of those extra possessions in case they need to barter and trade when they've lost their jobs or money just isn't coming in because of these epidemics . I'm sure there will be another one , a new one , not covid , on the horizon in a year or two .
All over the world, events like this one brings people together for the best reason. I’m in Australia and each flood and/or fire event sees the best in us come out - unconditional care, love and help. Each time, everybody comments on the kindness and generosity of their community, their friends, neighbours and even total strangers. In the midst of a tragedy, I try to remember that feeling, that way of thinking about others and I hang onto that and carry it forward with everything I do. It’s when we are at our best as human beings and anyone who has experienced this remembers it forever, not only the tragedy but that feeling of coming together and just being there for others in whichever way they need. During this pandemic, we have seen a lot of acts of kindness. Whenever you have a chance, try it, be kind, help, carry a bag, hold a door, let someone know that they look beautiful - whatever it is, try and be kind to those around you. See how it feels, being kind costs nothing. Thanks for this upload, thanks for reminding me about the feeling of being kind to others and of the joy of coming together for a common goal. This is such a great documentary, such amazing images and primary source interviews. I can’t even imagine that kind of cold, just incredible stories of both survival and of loss. 🐿 P.s gee wiz I can ramble on, ha ha. This one just got to me.
Watching things like this restores my faith in humanity and the goodness that resides in most people. For me it’s like a spiritual pep talk and a balm for the soul.
@@matthartman19 in some places, but Not Everywhere! In about 1930 my father's family had my father, 2 brothers, and their young Black friend to dinner. The friend's sister was in the kitchen and forbade him to sit and eat with the family, at which point my father and his brothers stood up silently and walked to the kitchen with their plates and sat together eating dinner. Yes, situations were terrible also for other cultures including Hispanics in Kansas where my family was but not ALL were bad. There were Exceptions, at least. For 1930, it was a start...
A few years back constant knocking woke me up so I got up & went to see why,my horse's got out & across the road & 2 guys in there Work truck were making sure the girls stayed out of this busy road & they stayed until we got them back in the yard & glad they knew horse's & they helped me out. One day I saw a Mini Horse in my yard & I helped keep her safe & ran to all stores near me & none said they were missing one & we took her & pd for Xtra things for her for a few day's then had call animal control we didn't have xtra room,3 days latter they came and got her & few days latter I heard someone say the owner picked her mini up & Never did the lady stop to say TY,offer a few dollars to help cover cost we pd but whatever,I couldn't just let the lil horse go on this busy road..
People helping people...is how it's suppose to be. It should not be thought of something special, grand or abnormal....I'm sure it wasn't back then...it's what you did ...you help those in need without a second thought...you knew they would do the same. Most folks were still self sufficient, especially those living in rural areas. I bet some of the city folks traveling on the trains learned a lesson about humanity, something many of us need a lesson in now. Great photo's , interviews and all around nicely produced. Thanks for the opportunity to watch this.
@Thedude 404 They helped strangers with their food and shelters, while being overwhelmed by the storms. Our government did the job they were elected to do; help it's citizens in their time of need. The final end of government is not to exert restraint but to do good. ~ Rufus Choate
What a valuable piece of weather history that the producers of this documentary were able to put together. It was produced in time to be able to interview people who lived through it for first person account of a historic blizzard that has not been equaled since. All the men and women in this documentary are gone now and it gives one an odd feeling to see people talking to us like they are still here and relating a heroic story of survival.
Although I was only 7-years old at the time, I remember quite a bit about the blizzard of '49. Most of it is good memories since I was a child and recall mostly the end of the blizzard and getting to finally go outside. We lived in a small area called Poison Spider, Wyoming, about 30-35 miles WSW of Casper. Our house was completely buried in a giant snowdrift. One advantage of all that snow was that it helped to heat the house. When my dad opened the front door because he thought the storm was over, he was met with a white wall. He dug into and up until he broke through the top of the drift. It was still snowing and blowing, but we now had a window to the outside world which he checked on often until the blizzard was over. The snowpack was so hard, my brother and I would push our bicycles to the peak of the roof, then ride down the drift until it ended. Then, back up until we were frozen and worn out. After about a month of being buried in the snow, one day, the snow melted down enough that a crack of light shown through the top of some of the windows. Each day, more of the sky could be seen as the gaps widened. It had a magical feeling to it, and made us all so happy. Finally, one day, my dad had to return to work driving a maintainer with a grader blade to clear the dirt roads in the area. Eventually, all of us kids who had been trapped for so long had to go back to school. One of my fondest memories of growing up in Wyoming.
My parents were 9 & 13 years old, living in Mills & Casper Wyoming when this hit. They talked about this hard Winter for years. I wished were still around to see this video. Excellent documentary. Thank you!
It's a choice to make the decision to care about other people........you have to actually give a shit. You're right.....there's fewer and fewer people like that every day....and more of the greedy selfish ones.
except for the colored people. I feel horrible for the Native Indians, they lived in thin huts and yet they where the last ones to get help or their roads cleared.
@@Julies_YT so how is taking charity from the "white man" living out their culture in the tradition of their ancestors? Don't call them colored people, that's insulting segregationist language you've learned from morons that only know how to tag people by skin color.
I'm glad I got to hear my grandma tell me about what it was like during the Great Depression and how they survived. They were farmers from S. Minnesota which they had food which gave them barter leverage if they needed gas or other supplies.
It's amazing how fast we forget and how little we have prepared to anticipate such events . We should have contingency plans for such events as they will happen again
But that would be responsible. Our government can't go around being responsible, what would our corporate masters say? Proper preparation cuts into profit margins.
@@austenhead5303 Everybody does what they can when times get tough. We will weather the little storm of 2020 🇺🇸🗽. Everyone should watch this. Share it with the young and old.
I can remember going to Sundance Wyoming when I was a kid to visit my grandmother. My dad and great uncle talked about this blizzard. They had to tunnel from the house to the barn so they could feed livestock. Talked about what a hard time everyone had.
Yes, those people were already used to hard physical labor. Imagine if it happened today. All of the lazy sissies of today couldn't handle what those people endured.
My grandparents was in Taylor Nebraska when this was going on My daddy was small but he told me he remembered the plane that dropped hay for their livestock. That plane is on display at the Military Museum at Ashlen Nebraska
@@tandiparent1949 Tandi, it's right near Omaha.....the extreme east-Central portion of Nebraska. Just across the river from Omaha (Missouri River) is Iowa. If you stay in Lincoln, Ashland is only about 40 minute drive. From Omaha....less than 30. Good luck!
@@vashon100 And Vashon100.....some people would just be happy as heck to simply be kind to the one who is asking and provide them their answer. Guess it was too much to ask of you for an answer to her question, eh bro? Never forget....for many people who are "shut ins", their only connection to other humans in this world is thru conversations they strike up on the internet. Sad, but quite true.
@@pla5730 sure ok, that's why Antarctica use to have a Forrest. How about the world is still coming out of an ice age and will eventually go back into another one.
Both of my parents lived threw the storm, mom lived in 14 miles north of Lusk Dad was in Casper, they've repeatedly said that they were blessed to have survived...
The older generation in northeastern Colorado where I grew up used to talk about the blizzard of '49 a lot. Farmers died of exposure after losing their way walking from house to barn trying to feed cattle & horses.
You hear about blizzards, white out conditions and all. But to hear actual personal stories of this tragedy, how people would come together to help, wow! Amazing stories. Again, thank you!
II remember the same cold storm that year in Alberta, Canada with six to eight foot drifts, animal and pheasant loss, schools closed but we did not have the moisture combination that hit the prairies south in the United States. Well done program and reminds us of the amazing results when we all work together for a United purpose.
I remember Minnesota blizzards when I was a kid and the drifts were level with my upstairs bedroom window. My dad had to take the window out of our screen door and shovel the snow into the house to be able to get outside. We had tunnels going to from house to the garage, sheds and barn.
I remember the blizzards too. My dad had to dig tunnels so we could get out of the house. We lived in a small town ( where I still live today), and my uncle lived on the family farm with my grandparents .. when we finally got out to the farm my older brother and I were delighted with the igloo he’d made for us in the apple orchard. An adult could easily stand up in it! He’d made,out of the snow,benches to sit on too. This was in central Minnesota.
Yessss!!!!I was just thinking the same thing!!! Laura Ingall's family lived through the brutal blizzards of Dakota Territory in one of her Little House books "The Long Winter". The trains stopped running due to the relentless blizzards and people ran out of food and coal and kerosene.
Great documentary!! I wish the history channel would play this stuff! Or maybe teach our kids in school this! Amazing what you accomplish when people work together!
This shows what America used to be. Americans working together. I miss those times and hope the need for connectivity brings Americans back to what truly made this Country great. Working together, as one.
People are the same today as they were then. When the next big disaster hits the U.S. you will see the best and the worse that is just how human animals are.
Sarah Augustine I'm a Canadian that was living in Boston, Harvard Square actually, on September 11th! I'd say there was 3 weeks of oneness. It was unique. I actually think we are close to coming together again soon. The 3 weeks aft September 11th were so interesting. Amazing conversations ten times a day.
It’s crazy how much our society has changed in 70 years people would help each other at the drop of a hat no question asked but today instead of helping the pull their phones out to film it
Exactly. The days of the people making America great have been gone for many years. Back when people had no choice but to work hard to get by they knew that helping others, even strangers was the normal thing to do. These days most people are so spoiled that they typically just expect someone else to help people in need. These days if people lose their phones or wifi they act like its the end of the world. Technology has had a huge impact on how people act and treat each other. So many people have lost track of what its like to actually be required to work hard every day just to get by.
@@kacey5324 ye… of how people are helping each other. Not people seeing someone struggling and only filmed it. And how many people had cameras in thier pockets? This was prob a collection of individual small films by the few who had access to cameras
@@amymenjivar3489 As I watched I started thinking of the indigenous people. Not 5 seconds later, they finally got to that part. Maybe they were the hardest to get to, but only because they were forcibly located perhaps hundreds of miles away 100-ish years prior. Who's fault is that! People that are still racist today are the most snow-blind, sad and really just hate themselves. And now Amy, we shall wait here for the fun "liberal democrat bla bla" slander storm. :D
lmao the wealthy folks sat in their mansions in front of roaring fires. The only thing they can be credited with is sending their employees out to die, as long as the government was paying for it. Same as it is today.
Helping one another is the key 🔑too all survival in times like this. Blizzard of 1978 Survivor. Nothing compared to this, but just as deadly for many. I was 4 year's old.
In all of the trips across Wyoming that I have made as a truck driver, there are only a few that did not have strong winds across Interstate 80. On numerousl occasions I have been stuck at Laramie or in Rawlins because the highway was closed due to high winds. Sometimes it was during snow storms and other times it was just the wind around Elk Mountain. It was never for more than 3 days though and I always got my cargo to its destination on time. Regardless of the conditions, the scenery is always beautiful out there. Anyone wanting to visit there, except in midsummer, should go prepared for stormy weather.
If your a trucker, then I'm sure you saw that one truck that sure the hell wasn't a 49! Was a 70's something cabover. Freightliner or Peterbuilt maybe?? Frame 31:39.
2012, riding cross-country, 2-up on a fully loaded Harley dresser, we stopped East of the Bighorn to gas up. This was early June. June - right? Girl at the register says, "You're not planning on crossing the Bighorn, are you?" Well, we were... "They're closing the roads right now," she says. There was a McDonald's across the road, so we went in to get weather info on the computer and met some people. One motorcyclist figured he'd head North to I-80 - he was riding solo on a very nice BMW; had full weather gear on. Another guy pulls up in a HUGE 4-wheel-drive and comes in stomping the snow off his boots. "25 years I've lived in Wyoming and this is the worst snowstorm I've seen any month of the year!" He was the last man down the mountains. June, right? Well, we loaded up and headed North to try to make I-80, and when we got to Billings, we pulled in at the first motel we could find - there was about 6 inches of snow in the parking lot by then, and I'm trying to work that big motorcycle into a parking space, and we nestled in for the night. And the next day, And the next night. Well, the Internet showed cameras of the different passes along I-80, and there had been NOTHING rolling on that road. On the third day, a few tractor-trailer rigs could be seen rolling across the passes, and I figured I could ride in behind one of them and make it across. And we did, and made it to Missoula that night. So, I learned 2 things - 1. Riding a motorcycle in the snow is just plain stupid, and 2. they've got some serious weather in Wyoming!
Allen, great comments. I'm trucking through Wyoming right now. Ran into a blizzard in Nebraska. A lot of rigs have turned over. Even with professional drivers, it can be dangerous. Anyone who doesn't have to be on the road, shouldn't.
I’m a retired cop in Omaha. I worked on a case involving a suspect in Wyoming. The WY investigator Who helped me told me they didn’t get many murders in that area but a lot of suicides. I asked him why so many suicides and he told me that some people blame it on the constant winds. Some people can’t put up with the winds out that way.
Dean Thorsen sorry dean, you got me thinking. I live in Wyoming, and yeah, we have a high suicide rate. the winds don’t help, but we have an older pop with all the infirmities entailed. The high divorce rates, and low pop density leads to feelings of isolation. Fairly high drug and alcohol problems per capita. Diminishing energy jobs are hitting our miners as well. Then the lives of farmers are getting harder.
Wow! And I thought Boston's winter of 2015 was bad! This documentary is great to watch, but sobering at the same time. I wish more people knew about this. This is US history.
My grandfather used to tell me that in those days people would share meals and anything they had with neighbors or people who need it help,, now my neighbors call the cops if people park their vehicle in front of their house,, so sad,,, I'm so glad my dad brought me up to always respect and help others in need, now I feel like I must do the same to keep passing it on to next generation,,
I like to always think that the good always outweighs the bad... But yes, that is sad. Sad reflection on our society. It’s not progression at all.
That's how I was raised. The older I got the more I feel like I was setup for failure and feel like I have injustice in my daily life.
@@normhiscock352 Agree with that..... things need to change, to make all this a level playing field. There’s so much injustice in the world, that most people are seemingly ok with it. Start to peel back the layers and you start understanding why people are set up to fail and not achieve great things. All by design. I’m convinced of it. When you read stories showing 200+ people in Scotland queuing in the snow for food. That’s not progression at all. This is 2021, not the 1800’s.
@bob smith I completely agree. People with multiple cars and feel entitled disrespecting their neighbors. Narcissistic mentality.
...same here....the neighborly ways are so the wrong way today!!! Sad
My dad who lived through this storm and farmed near Monroe, Nebraska showed me pictures of drifts that were way above his head just like in this documentary. So I was really glad to have stumbled across this video and find out more of what it was like back them. One thing that my dad said that the video didn't mention was that Canada sent fleets of snowplows down to help open the roads because rural Nebraska was just not equipped to handle that much snow. They also brought hay for the animals so they wouldn't starve. Thank you, Canada for your generosity.
It's a shame this show of generosity wasn't mentioned in the film. Thank you for posting this.
Snow seems to bring people together i wonder if thats why canadians are so generous and kind to others
Sounds like Canada. They are so nice.
@@pamelasue8396 actually there's a bunch of junkies in Canada just like the US they're kind but they have problems too
@@nikolas_schreck Being a junkie doesn't mean someone's not a nice person
My Dad wrote a letter to his best friend. In it he recalls being stranded in the blizzard and how he managed to make to his friends house. The friend and his wife took him in and slowly warmed my Dad up to keep frostbite from setting in. The letter was of remembrance and thanks. My Dad never told us kids of this story. I found a copy of the letter in my Dad's things after he passed in 2019. His friend is still around and I sent him a copy of the letter in case my Dad never sent it. His friend remembers the situation but doesn't remember getting that letter before. It touched him greatly. I'm glad he and my Dad were such good friends and that I was finally able to say "thanks" for him. Watching this now, I can see the dire situations everyone faced. Thank you to all who opened up their homes to those in need.
That brought a tear to my eye
Samantha Miller wow, amazing! That was so nice you found that letter ❤️🌸
That was a good thing you did. I wonder why he wouldn't have sent it? Maybe he wrote it but then felt that he had expressed his gratitude better in person. Nice story though.
That's amazing man 👏👏👏
thank you for sharing that great story with us. Brought tears to my eyes.
That was some blizzard! What I like about the documentary is how the people came together and helped each other. This is real America.
It made me cry hearing all of those stories - taking in people where you might not have enough for your own family but you still HELPED.
That WAS America. Now it is changed. The people hate each other.
I lived through this storm at age 13 with my parents and two sisters at Hereford CO - 2 miles south of the WY border about 40 miles east of Rockport. We milked our cow twice per day and feed and watered our 12 chickens - gathered the eggs etc. all three days. Dad had enstalled a propane floor furnace in 1948 which kept us nice and warm. It was totally black - we used coal-oil lamps to see. Since we happened to have plenty of food, we ate, played games, took care of ou animals and waited it out. After the storm, we used our track tractor (it would float on top of the snow drifts) to deliver food to people who ran out. I will never forget the blizzard of 1949-50.
Your dad made a good call having the floor furnace fitted the year before .
Glad you had a magical time.
Enjoyed ur story. Ty.
85 and you know how to use the internet? Damn rare occurrence in my family. My grandfather is the same age and he's stubborn as all hell about technology.
Hey bud i can sit and listen to your stories for hours...I miss my grand parents and there stories! I love history and i bet you have seen everything in life! God bless you!
My mom was born in the mid thirties... Many times she'd tell me... "In those days neighbors helped one another." If someone lost their home to fire, neighbors gathered together and helped build a new home. As technology advances humanity decreases. Not saying there still aren't good people but doesn't seem as common now for people to help and be kind. Love this.
I'm wondering... how are all the current drug addictions impacting this charitable mindset? It appears addicts only think about "Me me me." They often steal from their own families and kids.
There were much fewer addicts way back then. They were there, but not even close to the drain on society that they are now. Maybe you had one or two town drunks.
@@annetteyoutube742 some do......' I guess this saying applies: 'Until you've walked a mile in someone else's shoes.....' sound familar Annette youtube
@@guyspencer4470 ....I agree to a point; but, even if it's for a tax write off, most corporations donate more money, time, food, etc. to community based organizations that help people than the regular public does. Trying to get people to volunteer at a foodbank or anyplace else that helps, unless it's holiday season and their church is doing it, is like pulling flippin' teeth.
I’ve heard people talk about how people used to help each other, but I don’t recall this culture.
@@tandiparent1949 yeah , but I pay more taxes than GE and Amazon combined.. and I can't even afford a car that's newer than 5-10 years old. I guess college paid off there! In my next life I will sell children til I'm 27. then I'll open some company or other that doesn't require me to actually do anything but threaten my employees and spend my profits....
As a trucker, I've been out there in normal winter conditions. It's miserable.. I can't imagine being out there in this.
I hate winter, much less this BS..No way!
Ah, but what a view though on the nice days! My first time OTR into Wyoming in 2006 was unbelievable. It has to be one of the prettiest states that I’ve ever pulled through. Especially hailing from the slums of the Northeast cities of the US - it was hard to believe that this postcard state was actually real. Yeah, but winter sucks there for sure and it starts early and ends late. I hate winter too, but Wyoming without snow is mighty lovely.
@Iron Monster **Peterbilt or Kenworth?
Animals froze in place. Yeah, I thought I'd seen a bad winter. But that's like the Arctic; in those wind conditions you don't go out or you die.
Me either, I hated going through Wyoming. Seemed like they'd shut 90 down almost every night.
“Has it ever struck you that life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going?”― Tennessee Williams
my friend you are correct, great analogy, life stops when you can no longer remember anything, life with allzhymers is a testimony to that, so my conclusion is, as humans age and get older their memories are less prevalent and less vivíd and less sharp, your life begins to fade away and as you go and finally sis to exist someone else takes your place on earth, it's perhaps a gentle way to say goodbye, slow process but certain, just a matter of time.
A bit of a painful nostalgia stung me when I read that.
What an awesome quote!!!
What a true quote
Deep
What a great documentary and what a great decision to shoot the interviews in black and white . I’d forgotten how beautiful monochrome is .
There was no color in those days, only black and white
Monochrome was the only option at the time.
The interviews! Geez, reading comprehension is lacking here!! 🙄
I think the interviews were conducted a long time ago, when black and white film was cheaper by far than color.
I agree, these people were kids when it happened &adults when this was filmed. It was a wise decision to film the interviews without color.
I think this is why my family always tells me to carry matches, blankets, and food/water in your car in CO. Probably where that tradition comes from.
Jena Hall I’m in NJ Zane I carry those things (plus more). Lol. I was a girl scout! Stay safe.
People think im crazy for keeping ckothes and a shovel in my car oh and boots
And a Swiss army knife
It’s not a “tradition”, being prepared for emergencies is as old as civilization itself. I’m sure there were emergency supplies in the covered wagons traveling west in the 1800’s as well. It’s just basic common sense,unfortunately there is plenty of things we all have n common but there’s hardly any sense left.
I learned from a young age to carry emergency items, including water, food, matches, spare everything!!!!
I have always lived in Minnesota and only been stranded once, but I had enough supplies to stay warm, safe, and not get thirsty or hungry.
Holy hell ! They shoveled snow One mile per hour by hand with shovels! What a bunch of real men ! Amazing !
"Holy hell!" That's an oxymoron. / I was impressed with that stat as well - "They shoveled snow One mile per hour by hand with shovels!"
@@billwilson5341 I love oxymorons
I love snow but that's too much
There were at least 65 of these real men.
@@agoniaXdunyabm
❤️💔My dear grandmother Ruth grew up in WY and lived through this and the Great Depression. She was the most stoic and strong person I have ever met. She NEVER complained about life. I miss the many amazing people I have known through my life that have survived the toughest life has to offer. Grandma always told me to remember that “This too shall pass”. Good advice to remember when things seem like they are unbearable and never going to get better.💔❤️ Be kind to each other we are all going through this human condition.❤️ These challenging times bring out the best and the worst in man kind. Please let it bring out your best 🙏❤️
Bless you.. From 🇬🇧.
David B aww. You were blessed! She is always with you, smiling 🌸❤️
Truer words were never spoken! My grandfather was the same way. Never got excited about temporary issues! I miss him sooooo bad! Thank you for sharing! ❤🧡💛💚💙💜🥰
What a beutiful thing to say thank you and looks like he sllready did so but God bless you
Just imagine all the slaves that felt that way?"
This must be the storm my grandpa always talked about, saying he could walk on top the barn, and you wouldnt even know it.
It was
I remember reading in little house on the prairie books the door wouldn't open because of snow
@Southeastern777
Here in the north east...we don't like
having to search...for the barn. So we tie 'em together with a woodshed in the middle. Thataway you don't get lost on the way back home.
In fact my friend had a "two holer" off the hallway to the barn ...no woodshed...but at least they never got lost on any late nite excursions!
@Kristin j.r. wow!!!
We had one where we climbed up one side of a friends barn and slid down the roof into huge piles. So much fun!
These people survived a world war and the great depression. They were tough as nails back then. Today if your Wi-Fi goes out people will curl up into a little ball and cry.
its exactly the way they want us to be..
And this is why the world's struggling to move past covid .. so many whiney sniveling brats doing nothing but complaining instead of growing up taking it seriously and getting tougher through this horrible situation. Learn and grown from situations examine this video because one day this will strike and no one will survive except the real survivers.
@@sweetvibes18 It's not serious and you are brainwashed. It's leftist socialist communism. If you want to save and protect human life, HELP FIGHT TO END ABORTION.
Yeah, and that is exactly why I do not see much hope for most Americans for what is coming. It’s going to be hell on earth, most will not survive. But there are still a few tough individuals who will make it. From that breeding stock will come a strong, intelligent, and capable people. Maybe, just maybe, the evil that is happening in our world today will not happen again. We can pray.
@@greenskeeper9883 Amen to that.
I was eight and a half living on a small ranch about 30 miles east of Greeley, Colorado when the storm hit. Al the menfolk dressed and saddled our horses. That was my Great Grandpa, Granddad, Dad, my two uncles and me. and headed out to keep the livestock moving. We had about 1,000 head. As long as they kept drifting in a large circle we were in good shape. Only lost about 50 head, but they were pg breeding units. I guess it would have been considered child abuse to send a kid my age out in a blizzard, but most of my friends from school went out so different times for different situations. All I can say was that the Air Force was revered and I am sure that many of their enlistees were from the Blizzard of '49 because they saved the bacon for many farmers and ranchers in Southeastern Colorado and when we came of age it was the only service we considered.
Thanks for telling this! Impressive that you only lost 50 head in this storm.
Pretty lucky only losing about 50
I am wondering if they ate/slaughtered the frozen livestock? Typically, you gut a dead animal right away when it's warm, but curious if you know? They were frozen solid so really, bacteria wouldn't have set in? Sorry if thats a dumb question. I've froze entire fish solid(had to) and gutted them when thawed or just eat them raw. All those people trapped with food running out..thought just maybe that would have been an option? Thanks if you reply
Thank you for sharing your story with us. This is so mind blowing what you guys went through.
It made you the MAN you are today
I am re-writing my emergency supply kit before buying it. This documentary makes you realize emergency is lurking around us. Be safe everyone. God bless us all!❤
Not me I moved to georgia no more having to deal with that crap.
Stay safe and God bless you 🙏🏼
@@horsefly1020 After the winter storm we had, I'm thinking maybe you spoke just a little too soon? Never discount freak weather.
back when people worked together for the good of all,wish it was still like this!
Back when bums were few and far between and people didn’t expect handouts from others
sorta still is, just all the bad stuff overshadows the good stuff
Read "Bowling alone" by Robert Putnam. He's the guy from Harvard who did that study of "diversity", which he kept in his drawer for years, because it showed that all societal health measures plummeted with increased diversity. Social cohesion, community participation, societal trust, care for commons and public spaces... everything gets destroyed.
Also it was back when people thought the world was going into another ice age as the world temperature decreased starting in '42 and didn't get back to its previous level until 1979.
True that, half the population wants to kill the other half
When the one guy talked about what happened to his aunt, uncle and cousins 😔 Terribly sad.
I know right frozen right in place. ...this is beyond Weird.... I hope nothing like that happens again
Very sad
This makes the blizzard of 1978 look like a walk in the park. Wow
That blizzard of 13,000,000 b.c. really puts these to shame
@@FedoraSpunk and you remember it well??????
The
The blizzard of 49 made all blizzards look bad.
I think that the blizzard of 49 made all blizzard look good..that blizzard was really really for gone,super bad.
Soooo many people and pollution...
Global warming from the dinosaurs.
Parts of the prairies in Canada were affected by this storm. My Dad was 14 years old at the time. They lived in Whitesands Saskatchewan. They had to tie a rope from the house to the barn so they could go and milk the cows. They did not have a lot of livestock at that time so they lost none. Great documentary. Thank you for sharing.
I've had the privilege of working all over the state of Wyoming and I can honestly say that the people of the state are the most genuinely honest and sincere people I've every met. And I never tired of driving the long distances between cities and enjoying the, to me, most beautiful landscape in our country.
And this video is just another example of how remarkable the folks in the state are and have always been.
Love you Wyoming.
One thing about Wyoming is that it is ALWAYS windy...... always
The forgotten years had the bravest, strongest and most humble survivalists who can teach our generation manners, hard work and God loving people. Adonai bless these people 🙏🏼
You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink
Adonai❤️
My mother's family was one trapped in a car for 9 days. They lived on a 50lb bag of peanuts they'd bought the day before.
Those peanuts might have saved There lives. Crazy man
50 pounds of peanuts! Now that’s impressive
I love the catchy name, "Sandy From Earth We Think" ! Good one, Lol!
My family was living in Renton Highlands, Wash. in 1949 (near Seattle). I had just started 1st Grade. The Storm of '49 even in Washington State piled the drifts to the eaves. We lived within 3 miles or so of school, so no school buses for us. For years I was told this was a record storm, but I didn't know how bad it actually was until I saw this video. There was a Safety Patrol on some corners to and from school. Even so I got lost on the way home one day and I didn't get home until nearly dark.You have to realize even a 4-foot drift was over my head. And there were plenty of those. Nobody was excited, no searches, etc. Guess it was a different time. I was six years old, thought I was thirty. We were like Yorkshire Terriers, who are 6 pounds but think they're 60. Can you imagine 6-year old kids today walking three miles to school and back, with their books and a lunch, all by themselves? Any kids who lacked warm clothes, pencils, a father who had never come back from the war, a nickel for the movies, who complained were regarded as crybabies. My grandfather abandoned my father, his brother, and their mother in West Virginia in 1909. My father, who was nine,had to get a job across the river in Ohio in a factory. He had to cross the river on a ferry, and come back in the evening. Dark both ways. Being nine he was allowed to go home after 10 hours' work. All this for a dollar a day in 1909. For these reasons I have no respect or patience for those who today trot out the old "uphill both ways" crap. You have no idea what you've missed.
Our politicians and corporations are trying to bring back all those conditions so our collective grandchildren and great-grandchildren have to work their childhoods away and die young, malnourished and impoverished from disease, workplace injuries and no social safety net. They are literally talking about abolishing the minimum wage and child labor laws.
It's normal to have and express human emotions about awful things like a father abandoning his family. Maybe you're impatient and disrespectful towards the wrong people.
@@amybly1400 who is talking about abolishing the minimum wage all I hear is they want to raise it to 20 per hour.
It actually snowed there again this year! I lived in Puyallup for 20 years and it only snowed twice.
My grandfather just told me about his experience as he was in highschool on queen Anne. Their house on the hillside was level with the "street" below, about a 12' vertical difference 😳😳
And now this video pops in my RUclips feed during the artic blast 😂
We really don't have the same grit anymore.
I was 16 yr. old in '49 and the snow was very deep. I lived on a farm and I sat close to the wood fired cooks stove in the kitchen and read. No road travel was impossible. A neighbor started having labor pains and some one still had a team of horses and an old farm sled. They bundled her up on the sled and headed for the hospital 12 miles away. She made it and had a healthy little boy. We made snow cream and my mother made a cherry cobbler. We had lots of cream because the cows still had to be milked. The cows stayed in the barn for several days.
They don’t build houses with fire places anymore. We be in a right bad way if it were to happen today.
Those cattle are darn nice eh?
God bless you....
Thank you for your story Carolyn!
The people came together, but the animals, breaks my heart. 💔
This is how my mom describes the conditions she walked to school in.
Yeah 👌
LOL !
@@salaciouscrumb4386 0
My mom said they put a hot potatoe under the horses tail to step on the gas!!hot cross buns.
I WALKED FIF-TEEN MILES!
Great documentary--one of the best things was that there were no reinactments or tons of historians sitting in their offices blabbing on and on. The original footage and old timer interviews made it great.
edited by self-interests of course
Agreed. Simply fascinating.
d garbato. hyuck, hyuck.
Absolutely awesome!
Yes! Re-enactments are usually corny and annoying.
I could listen to old ppl talk about the old days all day because it makes you stop and think just how lucky we are today 👍🏻
In some ways. In other ways, not so much.
Too much of a good thing, really. My granny used to say: You don't know you're alive!
My mom was pregnant with me when this happened, She had married my father in late '48 and moved with him to a farm in North Dakota. Me, being her first, they had decided to go to California so she could be with her mom. I was born in February. I grew up on a farm with winters that produced -40 degrees. Snow drifts that covered our neighbors house and barn, Storms that beat against our house for 3-4 days and made milking the cows and bringing the milk 200 yards to the house a chore. I've seen 48 degrees below zero I have the farm country thermometer to prove it. People who have not lived through a three day blizzard in the northern plains have NO CONCEPT of bad weather.
I think I've only seen about -20 trucking out in the NE. Pardon my inexperience, but how did that thermometer record the event? I'm into cool things like that and hadn't considered the need for something like that.
Old Geezer I’m on
This Nebraska boy co-signs your post!!
I lived through two hurricanes and trust me I know the meaning of bad weather .
Edmonton: hold my frozen Timmy's
I have watched this video 5 TIMES AND I ALWAYS COME AWAY WISHING OUR SOCIETY WAS LIKE THIS. WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE GREATER GOOD FOR ALL💪❤️🇺🇲
I enjoyed this. It's like going back in real time. The people behind the camera captured this historic event so well.
Yea, it seems like all the good people are long gone.... only a memory now.
@@jeffbanfieldsflwr3537 Awh...😢 there's still many good people in this world, ❤ But watchin this made me feel like I was sittin with my grandma when she told me her experiences going thru the dustbowl.....yep, missin her and my mama right now for sure.😖
😞🧐Yes we all miss our long lost loved ones both family and friends 🙂. Thanks for showing this hopefully we will become stronger and tougher 🙏🏼.
The biggest city in our province where our son lives, had a huge dump of snow in November, a call went out for volunteers with snowmobiles to pick up doctors & nurses to take to the hospital for their shifts. Our son's sled was at home here, so he drove around with his 4x4 truck, and pulled people out of the ditches and snowbanks, back alleys etc. instead.
Snow storms still bring people out to help their neighbors in this part of Canada.
Real people, real accounts, real memories and real true grit survives.
Amazing documentary.
Both of my grandfathers and my dad told me the story of the winter of 1949. My dad and his father had cattle that they had to tend. They were able to save most of their stock by stuffing them into barns. The biggest challenge was watering them as water had to be carried in buckets from the house. This was in Idaho, where the cold was bad, but not as much snow as Wyoming. When people talk about a weather event around the dinner table for seventy years, then it was bad. Relatives in Nebraska compared notes and it was bad there as well.
I was born in 1949... for me it was a good year to be born. I have had the most loving greatest mom and dad in the world. ❤️❤️❤️
Bless your heart
What a Great Nation. I just hope we can ever get back to basics and live together for the greater good.
Maybe if the kids in school are taught this story and similar instead of gender studies and CRT ?
All nations would learn a lot about these hard times and how they coped with it !
People helped each other to get through any catastrophic issues.
Only have to remember the past tragedy’s ….most people just came to help and make sure people are being fed and kept safe and warm! I really think if push came to shove….people would come together,no matter what!
@@Star-qh5wp Those are secondary education subjects. Kids aren't being taught those things. Turn off fox "news."
@@SteveMoser They mix CRT into all subjects- math, history, English, ect. You're very uninformed!
@@SteveMoser the other day me and my friends were joking around and said gang violence. Teacher got mad not because I was saying it in school or something like that no. It was because I'm male. Not joking and I quote "you aren't allowed to say gang violence because as a male that's inappropriate" how's it different if a girl said it.
I survived the Storm of 49. I was 4 years old at the time. I now know why dad had to jump out the upstairs window in order to shove a walkway to the front door. We also had a State Snowplow parked at our house as Dad was the driver. My mom was pregnant with my brother Steve who was born in May of 49. We were among the lucky ones as we lived in the small town of Bonesteel, South Dakota. We were one block from Dr Cook's, the best damn doctor you could ever have. Two grocery stores were also about a block away. I know there must be more stories as many of my relatives lived on or off the YS reservation. I wish I knew those stories. Maybe some of my oyote has some of those stories. I wonder how people would react to a storm like this one is it happened today. If Hurricane Katrina was any indication I don't want to be there.
Clearing snow and heating is by far an easier logistical undertaking than a extremely massive flooding. You can buy a very cheap gas generator these days and with other technological advances there would be lower casualties these days..
I live on the MS gulf coast and my town caught the eye of Katrina. So many people could not have fathomed the total destruction that was left behind. It was one of the hardest things my family and I ever experienced. I cannot imagine what it was like to have lived through this blizzard.
We had a really bad ice storm here in Kansas in 2007 I remeber that 1 well because we were without power for 7 full days luckily we had a gas stove to keep us warm lol
This is a wonderful documentary, sad, in so many ways, but with so much compassion for others, which is lacking these day.
Demographics are different now.
Hey....it's 2022 , and you just offended me
It makes you feel so proud of all who willingly helped feed and rescue the great number of ppl and animals suffering from the terrible storms.
This is why even today it's a good idea to keep emergency kits in your vehicle and home
Always be prepared. I live in Northern Maine......I never drive in the winter without my snowmobile suit, boots, and all the rest of my gear in the car. You never know when you might have to spend a night or so in a snowbank somewhere.
Household fireplaces/stoves are good to have....they can take the chill off your existence for a while....and you can cook on them, too. Even a kerosene lamp throws off enough heat to make a smallish room tolerable. Candles are handy. Home-size generators are more accessible now than they were generations ago. I also recommend having many, many heavy/utilitarian quilts (made of course from repurposed fabrics) covering recycled blankets, old bedspreads or comforters, sleeping bags, beach towels: you name it!!! Nice to have loved ones (or a few good dogs :) to snuggle with.
And never forget: if there is a significant storm headed your way: clean the bathtub and fill it with water.
Well, since we are entering a Grand Solar Minimum and next spring in the Midwest is going to be worse than this spring (according to the weather people) I hope and pray those farmers get to high ground and get prepared. The Fields didn't get a chance to dry down enough before they started getting snow this year so all of that flooded area is now a sea of ice, under the snow. When it starts to thaw out, there will be no place for the melted snow to go. I feel for those down river too.
Yea Totally. ...
Oh yeah I learned my lesson and put everything in the back of my truck like one of those weirdo doomsday preppers ...jugs of water small emergency back up generator a booster jumper pack with plug and USB outlets built-in flashlight built-in radio and tire pump blankets and cushions emergency roadside assistance kit a 24 box of mre food rations flare guns extra car battery small plug in heater a mini fridge etc . etc and I'm always adding more people joke around about me but guess what I will be the last one getting the laugh when "shtf"
It makes my heart hurt that ppl were so extremely kind to each other. We have had so many improvements in our time, every thing has gotten better EXCEPT for what really needed to which is mankind. We are smarter in a way but so much harder. Every thing has evolved forward but human nature. So depressing.
too much greed. The more people have, the more that want and the hell on everyone else.
Yep. Instead of helping each other like they did in ‘49, it will be the “kill or be killed” mentality. Very sad.
Human nature NEVER changes, which is why utopianism is so dangerous. We can get as good as we can get, and you have to account for greed and evil, you can't EVER create a world where it doesn't exist.
It it. You said it. Especially these days it is getting worse and worse. When I walk my beat (Railway Police for the National Railway where I live) especially young people love to rat each other out. "Hey officer I saw a couple kissing not wearing masks" and so on. When I grew up, beinga busybody tattletale like this was considered the worst thing, but today it is encouraged by the media, politicians and society in general. Makes me feel old, and I'm 29...
Also the breakdown in human relations and spoiled mentalities have ruined families. If you don’t have a strong foundation ( a stable family) well that’s not a good starting point
I live in Melbourne, Australia and I simply cannot imagine cold like this. I am awestruck by the spirit and generosity of the American people.
It was crazy in 2018 there was -60 F in Minnesota USA. Exhaust froze to the roads and made them into ice rinks. My neighbor and my roommates car batteries froze. I luckily had a newer battery and drove those days with that freezing temps.
Eastern North Dakota, the Red River Valley. Sometimes gets so cold that the telephone lines freeze up. In the spring when the lines thaw out, all the yakking finally comes out!
My heart hurts for those who lost so much to this storm. The farming families who lost all their animals. Hearing how those poor animals froze broke my heart. The people really did great helping each other during this terrible blizzard. America's greatest generation!
We lived just outside of Cheyenne Wyoming in 1949. I was 5 year old at the time. My dad was a career Army officer and was in Japan so it was just my mom and myself. I remember the wind and it was loud and seemed to never end. My mom spend one night in the basement with a torch to keep the water pipes from freezing. She later told me that the temp outside at one point was 40 below zero. I was in kindergarten at the time an there was no school for over 2 weeks. We also lost telephone service but our electric stayed on.
Bill thanks for sharing!
After army days of shivering for long periods I'll take global warming and drinking water all the time. Glad to hear you did okay. Bet your dad never heard the end of it for being gone during it :)
Your statement here means a lot, Bill! Very much appreciated, Sir!!
Zero problems? His house got so cold in the basement the pipes were about to freeze. How is that zero problems?
Good story, Bill
I was born in November of 1950.. I often think about those times about how we managed to keep from freezing to death. maybe as kids.. our blood run hotter.. maybe we didn't know what it meant to be cold, I don't know... but to me.. today.. I find it amazing.
This is the saddest thing I have watched in a while when the mans aunt and uncle were found kneeling down for the children frozen as well as the many animals and ppl stuck in their cars or trucks thinking the storm would blow over no pun intended I pray this never happens again sometimes we forget how fragile life is and just how small we are in the grand scheme of things may all the families and children rest in peace my heart is truly broken for all who braved the storm of the century
It's probably one of the better ways to die, you basically fall asleep. But yes very sad so many lives lost!
Respect to the older generations who knew how to survive. So easy to take for granted modern living.
So many of the modern suburban younger folks haven't a clue!
My grandparents from this generation raised me. Every day I am reminded of all the gifts of knowledge, survival, and love that they gave me. There is virtually nothing I can't do to ensure my coping, survival, health, home, and daily living.....ALL with a sense of economy and generosity toward others. Even more important: I have the value system from that generation that they raised me with: "ALWAYS DO THE RIGHT THING". That has made all the difference in my life....and their example of goodness, light, laughter, and love has benefitted me, and everyone that my life and career has touched.
THANK YOU NANA AND PAPA!!!
I REMEMBER YOU EVERY DAY......AND NOW MY GRAND CHILDREN DO TOO!!!
@@blondwiththewind always do the right thing, come to Jesus
Yes, the other older generation don't cry and blame it on global warming
Yes and for helping others so willingly
The story of the family of four freezing, the parents trying to protect the kids kills me. So heartbreaking. Those poor kids, and God the parents. Can you imagine coming to the realization you and your kids were gonna freeze?
I never knew what fear was until I had kids.
@Sunshine Baker explain this? What mysterious way came from this? The entire family perished. Have some sense and show respect.
@Sunshine Baker as a born again Christian, I also don't like when people say "God works in mysterious ways"
And our powers that be want to do away with oil,coal, and make everything green. Telling us that data is the future. Their kids kids will freeze to death heating with data.
Sunshine Baker You mean Mother Nature
@Sunshine Baker God wouldnt let such things happen.. Thats why there is none other than self. Its all up to you..
Shame that people can’t get along together in trust and love for fellow man
This still happens today. I was in Houston during Harvey. There were 30,000 “swift water” (dangerous) rescues; 20,000 of these by civilian volunteers that risk their lives to save strangers.
Shame fellow man can't be trusted
Did you even watch this doc.becausethatswwhat people
Did,helped each other,shoveled 1mile an hour. Fed clothed,gave drink to strangers,etc etc.
I love this documentary. My grandfather was born during this blizzard in Western Nebraska in his families barn. It was great to learn of the events my grandfather was born in.
A truly excellent documentary. As a child of eight that I was then, I remember the talk and newspaper pictures about the trains being stuck in the snow. I was surprised that snow could stop a train, at that time (still am).
Come to the UK leaves stops the train over here.
I grew up in this area and still like to take my car or a train for a long trip, but am very happy now to be able to fly over snow country in winter!
These documentaries are great. I remember a blizzard hitting the Detroit area in the 70's that dumped 22"s of snow and had all that thunder and lightning that went on for hours. I was a morning paperboy back then. Had to pull a sled to deliver papers the following day. The snow plows weren't going to get to us for a couple of days so, the entire neighborhood shoveled the streets.
Same storm his us in Wisconsin. The winter of 1978-79. I was 11 years. It was great🎗️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️
OMG my brother and I were delivering papers in Ann Arbor on a sled, too. For some reason we had the idea that like the mail, newspapers must absolutely get delivered regardless of the weather. :-)
I was living in New York City when the blizzard of 1978 hit us. I was 10-11 years old at the time and it was a school night. My friend was sleeping over, and we decided to set the alarm clock for 5:30 A.M. (School didn't start until 9), but we wanted to listen to music before going to school. When the alarm went off, we regretted it, until my mother poked her head in the bedroom and told us that school was closed due to a blizzard, there was 3 feet of snow on the ground. We were wide awake after that!
Sonny Eliot loved reporting snow closures.
@@fanaticat1 The 70s had green appliances, ugly clothes. Ugly cars, ugly everything. However, the people back then were normal and responsible compared the loons I see today.
Very good documentary. The one term they mention is working together. Stranger helping stranger, neighbors helping neighbors , residents helping the military all working together to preserve life and live stock. Times have changed. God bless them all
Ed 2168 times haven’t changed. Every day after 9/11, when the police and fire dept left the wtc, New Yorkers were there thanking and feeding them dinner. The Cajun navy is made up civilians who help with hurricane relief. Last week I opened up my home to three people who I didn’t know because it was -15 and they got a flat tire traveling from Iowa to Nevada. I keep seeing people say that if it happened today it would be so different, and speaking as a wyomingite, no it wouldn’t. We may have fancier toys, but we’re still human.
People can be kind when disaster hits. We tend to forget our differences.
preach.
Such a great documentary.. Love these PBS docs.
I agree, PBS has the best documentaries! I never turn down the chance to watch them.
Too bad they can't be trusted when it comes to politics.
Shoveled 1 mile per hour, now that’s old man strength 💪🏽
That's 88 feet per minute, questionable.
For sure😂😂🤣🤣
I'm thinking that's about how fast I jog.
They said that there was 65 people doing that .
So that is believable.
It wasnt just one doing this
@@dewalt4598 True,but at what width and depth?And only with 70 year old snow shovels.They are heroes.In today's society you would be very hard pressed to even find that many men who would volunteer for anything, especially in those temperature's.
My grandparents were farmers in Kansas through the dust storms with my father born 1922 with polio in leg braces. We as modern day humans have nothing to complain about really.
JennyO. LuvsFLA yes we do. There are still plenty of things wrong in the world
Lol "nothing to complain about"... that's what priviledge sounds like
Well, I reckon those in the Midwest and some up the East Coast that got flooded this year and lost everything might have a reason to complain...Especially those in the Midwest who were still too wet to work their fields before the snow hit them again this fall. And they'll have more to complain about come spring because all of that soggy mess froze and that snow won't have anywhere to go when it starts melting.
I reckon losing everything you worked for and then having your Farmer Husband commit suicide is a tad bit worse! My first husband had polio and wore legs braces. Crap happens, but he was alive!
@Andrew Grey liberalism would be wiped out by a storm like this, your cries for help to siri would go unanswered. Our youth isn't prepared for any kind of a struggle, they would just go to their safe space and freeze to death.
@@AnonymousOne11One Some of them would, others would be more realistic.
I remember A Doozy winter storm. I was 14, youngest sis was 9, bundled in snow suits siting in our back yard, 10 miles north of Toronto 1978. Wind was 80 miles an hour, was cold 14*F -10C, Lightning and thunder constant. Towering over our house a line of 60 foot hi power lines with 10 cables stacked high. They were extra large poles that carried a lot of voltage. The sound from those Lines whistling was incredible. We watch the news and learned downtown Toronto was shut down. Plate glass sheets were flying off the tall buildings. Ropes were set up for people to try to walk on the sidewalks with assistance from police. Everybody left work early before dark. (@4p.m. With the snow and time of year ) It had been reported on the news the barometer had dropped the lowest amount in recorded history for Toronto and it was the quickest drop too. By the next morning snow drifts we’re at the top of a Ford pick up truck’s hood. As children this was the best storm we ever had. We built tunnels at the bottom of our driveway and along our front were a snowplough had mounted it over the following days. I was the paperboy and had quite a few extra papers in my garage. My friend*s dad was going to England later that winter. Thus we collected the pictures of the snow storm from the papers. The people in England couldn’t believe what we went through. But it was nothing compared to what happened in Dakota and Nebraska. **** So now we have global warming. 75°F most of the week along southwestern Ontario in the second week of November. Wow, broke all the records. But don’t kid yourself all this moisture will crash with those arctic vortexes and we will have monumental snow storms again. Learned from this video. 10 packages of spaghetti goes along way. And it only $10 when it’s on sale. You can keep it in your cupboard for years. Covid is a wake up call too. We can all probably wrap ourselves in toilet paper to stay warm somebody has it all.
Mr . Remmington , wow that's incredible... that's really wild and what a great story , thank you .
About a year-and-a-half ago in the American government was forcing Dairy Farmers to throw away literally millions and millions of gallons of milk and also forcing them to bury their crops I knew there were going to be food shortages .
I was warning people .
People should stock up on whatever they can ... whenever they can .
Also I don't agree with these people who have gone minimalist and have given away most of their possessions because the time might come when they'll wish they had a lot of those extra possessions in case they need to barter and trade when they've lost their jobs or money just isn't coming in because of these epidemics .
I'm sure there will be another one , a new one , not covid , on the horizon in a year or two .
All over the world, events like this one brings people together for the best reason. I’m in Australia and each flood and/or fire event sees the best in us come out - unconditional care, love and help. Each time, everybody comments on the kindness and generosity of their community, their friends, neighbours and even total strangers. In the midst of a tragedy, I try to remember that feeling, that way of thinking about others and I hang onto that and carry it forward with everything I do. It’s when we are at our best as human beings and anyone who has experienced this remembers it forever, not only the tragedy but that feeling of coming together and just being there for others in whichever way they need. During this pandemic, we have seen a lot of acts of kindness. Whenever you have a chance, try it, be kind, help, carry a bag, hold a door, let someone know that they look beautiful - whatever it is, try and be kind to those around you. See how it feels, being kind costs nothing.
Thanks for this upload, thanks for reminding me about the feeling of being kind to others and of the joy of coming together for a common goal.
This is such a great documentary, such amazing images and primary source interviews.
I can’t even imagine that kind of cold, just incredible stories of both survival and of loss. 🐿
P.s gee wiz I can ramble on, ha ha. This one just got to me.
Yes! Go on and on...fascinating! I hang on every word. Thank you for sharing!!
Watching things like this restores my faith in humanity and the goodness that resides in most people. For me it’s like a spiritual pep talk and a balm for the soul.
Back in the good ol' days when you didn't have to help all of your neighbors, just the white ones, right?!
@@matthartman19 in some places, but Not Everywhere! In about 1930 my father's family had my father, 2 brothers, and their young Black friend to dinner. The friend's sister was in the kitchen and forbade him to sit and eat with the family, at which point my father and his brothers stood up silently and walked to the kitchen with their plates and sat together eating dinner. Yes, situations were terrible also for other cultures including Hispanics in Kansas where my family was but not ALL were bad. There were Exceptions, at least. For 1930, it was a start...
The blizard of 49 , the people. TOUGH PEOPLE OLD SCHOOL. HATS OFF.
i was in the first grade at school,,yes 1949 was very scary...we had nothing,,nothing. jimmy
Good people.
Just as kind to one another as they were "tough". Had a good work ethic, too....everybody pitched-in whenever they could.
Greatest generation.
Gone are the days of empathy.
People record deaths with their phones now.
The old man talking about dropping the bailies off hay .. you can just tell he’s a nice guy
Those were different times. Everyone cared for and helped each other. I don’t think we have the same sense of community today.
It would all be in FEMA's command now.
Look how it has succeeded in managing hurricane disaster.
A few years back constant knocking woke me up so I got up & went to see why,my horse's got out & across the road & 2 guys in there Work truck were making sure the girls stayed out of this busy road & they stayed until we got them back in the yard & glad they knew horse's & they helped me out.
One day I saw a Mini Horse in my yard & I helped keep her safe & ran to all stores near me & none said they were missing one & we took her & pd for Xtra things for her for a few day's then had call animal control we didn't have xtra room,3 days latter they came and got her & few days latter I heard someone say the owner picked her mini up & Never did the lady stop to say TY,offer a few dollars to help cover cost we pd but whatever,I couldn't just let the lil horse go on this busy road..
To much diversity!
People helping people...is how it's suppose to be. It should not be thought of something special, grand or abnormal....I'm sure it wasn't back then...it's what you did ...you help those in need without a second thought...you knew they would do the same. Most folks were still self sufficient, especially those living in rural areas. I bet some of the city folks traveling on the trains learned a lesson about humanity, something many of us need a lesson in now. Great photo's , interviews and all around nicely produced. Thanks for the opportunity to watch this.
@Thedude 404 They helped strangers with their food and shelters, while being overwhelmed by the storms. Our government did the job they were elected to do; help it's citizens in their time of need.
The final end of government is not to exert restraint but to do good. ~ Rufus Choate
Tragic and scary event, but a well done documentary.
Pedro Mateo .
What a valuable piece of weather history that the producers of this documentary were able to put together. It was produced in time to be able to interview people who lived through it for first person account of a historic blizzard that has not been equaled since. All the men and women in this documentary are gone now and it gives one an odd feeling to see people talking to us like they are still here and relating a heroic story of survival.
It was made 2 years ago, what makes you think they're all dead?
Why on Earth do you think that all of these people who have been interviewed have passed away by now?
Although I was only 7-years old at the time, I remember quite a bit about the blizzard of '49. Most of it is good memories since I was a child and recall mostly the end of the blizzard and getting to finally go outside. We lived in a small area called Poison Spider, Wyoming, about 30-35 miles WSW of Casper. Our house was completely buried in a giant snowdrift. One advantage of all that snow was that it helped to heat the house. When my dad opened the front door because he thought the storm was over, he was met with a white wall. He dug into and up until he broke through the top of the drift. It was still snowing and blowing, but we now had a window to the outside world which he checked on often until the blizzard was over. The snowpack was so hard, my brother and I would push our bicycles to the peak of the roof, then ride down the drift until it ended. Then, back up until we were frozen and worn out. After about a month of being buried in the snow, one day, the snow melted down enough that a crack of light shown through the top of some of the windows. Each day, more of the sky could be seen as the gaps widened. It had a magical feeling to it, and made us all so happy. Finally, one day, my dad had to return to work driving a maintainer with a grader blade to clear the dirt roads in the area. Eventually, all of us kids who had been trapped for so long had to go back to school. One of my fondest memories of growing up in Wyoming.
@@guysmith4323 Really great story; thanks, Guy!
I was born in 1945 ans I'm still hear at 74 yrs. old. What makes you think that the people in the doc are all gone???? stupid a/hole.
My parents were 9 & 13 years old, living in Mills & Casper Wyoming when this hit. They talked about this hard Winter for years. I wished were still around to see this video. Excellent documentary. Thank you!
WOW, Well DONE... Made me cry to see the LOVE they had for EACH OTHER.. You do not see that anymore..
It's a choice to make the decision to care about other people........you have to actually give a shit. You're right.....there's fewer and fewer people like that every day....and more of the greedy selfish ones.
blondwiththewind People WILL learn the hard way. Adapt or die.
This is what makes America great. How we can come together in time of need for complete strangers.
Its not just America its every human race
@kevin lawrence ya they do stuff like this in Canada as well. Canadians are very helpful to each other as well
@Draugr here we are on the precipice of losing our country. I'll take a blizzard over global technocratic takeover any day. Wwg1wga
except for the colored people. I feel horrible for the Native Indians, they lived in thin huts and yet they where the last ones to get help or their roads cleared.
@@Julies_YT so how is taking charity from the "white man" living out their culture in the tradition of their ancestors?
Don't call them colored people, that's insulting segregationist language you've learned from morons that only know how to tag people by skin color.
I'm glad I got to hear my grandma tell me about what it was like during the Great Depression and how they survived. They were farmers from S. Minnesota which they had food which gave them barter leverage if they needed gas or other supplies.
Those poor animals. They cant help themselves at all. Thank you for showing this. Both my parents were alive, but one was in Oregon and Washington
It's amazing how fast we forget and how little we have prepared to anticipate such events . We should have contingency plans for such events as they will happen again
Don’t hex us . 2020 has been bad enough already
But that would be responsible. Our government can't go around being responsible, what would our corporate masters say? Proper preparation cuts into profit margins.
Some do.Most dont.
@@austenhead5303 Everybody does what they can when times get tough. We will weather the little storm of 2020 🇺🇸🗽. Everyone should watch this. Share it with the young and old.
@@wombatburrito5896 😂😂😂
I can remember going to Sundance Wyoming when I was a kid to visit my grandmother. My dad and great uncle talked about this blizzard. They had to tunnel from the house to the barn so they could feed livestock. Talked about what a hard time everyone had.
Tough people make it through tough times!
Yes, those people were already used to hard physical labor. Imagine if it happened today. All of the lazy sissies of today couldn't handle what those people endured.
Thank you PBS, for a fantastic documentary! People helping people during times of historic weather adversity, as it should be.
My grandparents was in Taylor Nebraska when this was going on
My daddy was small but he told me he remembered the plane that dropped hay for their livestock.
That plane is on display at the Military Museum at Ashlen Nebraska
What part of the state is Ashland in? I love going to museums.
Thanks for that story. Very interesting.
Some people would just Google search for Ashland location themselves.
@@tandiparent1949 Tandi, it's right near Omaha.....the extreme east-Central portion of Nebraska. Just across the river from Omaha (Missouri River) is Iowa. If you stay in Lincoln, Ashland is only about 40 minute drive. From Omaha....less than 30. Good luck!
@@vashon100 And Vashon100.....some people would just be happy as heck to simply be kind to the one who is asking and provide them their answer. Guess it was too much to ask of you for an answer to her question, eh bro? Never forget....for many people who are "shut ins", their only connection to other humans in this world is thru conversations they strike up on the internet. Sad, but quite true.
I lived near Newcastle WY as an 11 year old boy during this time. I really appreciate this documentary and found it very factual. Thank you.
Everyone needs to watch this...especially now! 2019
Sasha Kruse Grim exactly.
@Sasha Kruse Grim really? Please explain, I like know how you know just what's coming ?
@@dmfb68 Global warming?? Its no joke
I'm so cold.
@@pla5730 sure ok, that's why Antarctica use to have a Forrest. How about the world is still coming out of an ice age and will eventually go back into another one.
Both of my parents lived threw the storm, mom lived in 14 miles north of Lusk Dad was in Casper, they've repeatedly said that they were blessed to have survived...
I never knew about this, thank you for the excellent program
The older generation in northeastern Colorado where I grew up used to talk about the blizzard of '49 a lot. Farmers died of exposure after losing their way walking from house to barn trying to feed cattle & horses.
You hear about blizzards, white out conditions and all. But to hear actual personal stories of this tragedy, how people would come together to help, wow! Amazing stories. Again, thank you!
My dad talks about this storm. He was a freshman in High School in western Nebraska at the time. Great documentary, thanks for uploading!
It is so important to listen to people who lived through these events, we can learn so much from them.
II remember the same cold storm that year in Alberta, Canada with six to eight foot drifts, animal and pheasant loss, schools closed but we did not have the moisture combination that hit the prairies south in the United States. Well done program and reminds us of the amazing results when we all work together for a United purpose.
I remember Minnesota blizzards when I was a kid and the drifts were level with my upstairs bedroom window. My dad had to take the window out of our screen door and shovel the snow into the house to be able to get outside. We had tunnels going to from house to the garage, sheds and barn.
Minnesota? Serious, very serious weather..........
I remember the blizzards too. My dad had to dig tunnels so we could get out of the house. We lived in a small town ( where I still live today), and my uncle lived on the family farm with my grandparents .. when we finally got out to the farm my older brother and I were delighted with the igloo he’d made for us in the apple orchard. An adult could easily stand up in it! He’d made,out of the snow,benches to sit on too. This was in central Minnesota.
This reminds me of the blizzard in those Little House on Prairie books.
Yessss!!!!I was just thinking the same thing!!! Laura Ingall's family lived through the brutal blizzards of Dakota Territory in one of her Little House books "The Long Winter". The trains stopped running due to the relentless blizzards and people ran out of food and coal and kerosene.
The Long Winter is an incredible story of survival.
Great documentary!! I wish the history channel would play this stuff! Or maybe teach our kids in school this! Amazing what you accomplish when people work together!
Well it's not about Nazis or aliens, so forget about. They'd get it wrong anyway.
Now everything is about sex.
Liberals wouldn't allow. Good people, not communism
@@leslienewton2773 you know Republicans in Texas are banning books right? That’s how they keep their base dumb and obedient.
Man this documentary makes me proud to be apart of the pbs team. Good job Kyle, very well done!!
This shows what America used to be. Americans working together. I miss those times and hope the need for connectivity brings Americans back to what truly made this Country great. Working together, as one.
Sarah Augustine
It usually takes a war
People are the same today as they were then. When the next big disaster hits the U.S. you will see the best and the worse that is just how human animals are.
Sadly will never be like that again.
Sarah Augustine I'm a Canadian that was living in Boston, Harvard Square actually, on September 11th! I'd say there was 3 weeks of oneness. It was unique. I actually think we are close to coming together again soon. The 3 weeks aft September 11th were so interesting. Amazing conversations ten times a day.
Incredible people, amazing story telling. All respect to those who lived through this!
I do love how everyone came n worked together
It’s crazy how much our society has changed in 70 years people would help each other at the drop of a hat no question asked but today instead of helping the pull their phones out to film it
Exactly. The days of the people making America great have been gone for many years. Back when people had no choice but to work hard to get by they knew that helping others, even strangers was the normal thing to do. These days most people are so spoiled that they typically just expect someone else to help people in need. These days if people lose their phones or wifi they act like its the end of the world. Technology has had a huge impact on how people act and treat each other. So many people have lost track of what its like to actually be required to work hard every day just to get by.
Ted Kaczynski also said this.
Hmmmmmm......but obviously somebody recorded this footage 😒
Christ, you people need to take those rose-tinted glasses off. The past was the worst.
@@kacey5324 ye… of how people are helping each other. Not people seeing someone struggling and only filmed it. And how many people had cameras in thier pockets? This was prob a collection of individual small films by the few who had access to cameras
I love Wyoming!!! The people that live there are the salt of the earth.
Omg! I nerver heard about this storm! This was so sad for all the people and their livestock😥
And that one guy lost all his chickens
@@paulhammons7537 I sure hope he recovered at such a tragic loss...
Still not colder than Hillary Clinton's heart
Ryan Coldiron on the shady side of an iceberg...
People helping People!! Rich and not so wealthy alike. America at its finest!!
You did catch the part where the reservations weren't reached until April...right?
@@amymenjivar3489 As I watched I started thinking of the indigenous people. Not 5 seconds later, they finally got to that part. Maybe they were the hardest to get to, but only because they were forcibly located perhaps hundreds of miles away 100-ish years prior. Who's fault is that! People that are still racist today are the most snow-blind, sad and really just hate themselves. And now Amy, we shall wait here for the fun "liberal democrat bla bla" slander storm. :D
@@UberLummox Oh don't worry trump is on the way.
Its not like that anymore, sadly. America has become an evil big coorporation ruled by a few
lmao the wealthy folks sat in their mansions in front of roaring fires. The only thing they can be credited with is sending their employees out to die, as long as the government was paying for it. Same as it is today.
Helping one another is the key 🔑too all survival in times like this. Blizzard of 1978 Survivor. Nothing compared to this, but just as deadly for many. I was 4 year's old.
thank you for the documentary on the blizzard of 1949
In all of the trips across Wyoming that I have made as a truck driver, there are only a few that did not have strong winds across Interstate 80. On numerousl occasions I have been stuck at Laramie or in Rawlins because the highway was closed due to high winds. Sometimes it was during snow storms and other times it was just the wind around Elk Mountain. It was never for more than 3 days though and I always got my cargo to its destination on time. Regardless of the conditions, the scenery is always beautiful out there. Anyone wanting to visit there, except in midsummer, should go prepared for stormy weather.
If your a trucker, then I'm sure you saw that one truck that sure the hell wasn't a 49! Was a 70's something cabover. Freightliner or Peterbuilt maybe?? Frame 31:39.
2012, riding cross-country, 2-up on a fully loaded Harley dresser, we stopped East of the Bighorn to gas up. This was early June. June - right? Girl at the register says, "You're not planning on crossing the Bighorn, are you?" Well, we were... "They're closing the roads right now," she says. There was a McDonald's across the road, so we went in to get weather info on the computer and met some people. One motorcyclist figured he'd head North to I-80 - he was riding solo on a very nice BMW; had full weather gear on. Another guy pulls up in a HUGE 4-wheel-drive and comes in stomping the snow off his boots. "25 years I've lived in Wyoming and this is the worst snowstorm I've seen any month of the year!" He was the last man down the mountains. June, right? Well, we loaded up and headed North to try to make I-80, and when we got to Billings, we pulled in at the first motel we could find - there was about 6 inches of snow in the parking lot by then, and I'm trying to work that big motorcycle into a parking space, and we nestled in for the night. And the next day, And the next night. Well, the Internet showed cameras of the different passes along I-80, and there had been NOTHING rolling on that road. On the third day, a few tractor-trailer rigs could be seen rolling across the passes, and I figured I could ride in behind one of them and make it across. And we did, and made it to Missoula that night. So, I learned 2 things - 1. Riding a motorcycle in the snow is just plain stupid, and 2. they've got some serious weather in Wyoming!
Allen, great comments. I'm trucking through Wyoming right now. Ran into a blizzard in Nebraska. A lot of rigs have turned over. Even with professional drivers, it can be dangerous. Anyone who doesn't have to be on the road, shouldn't.
I’m a retired cop in Omaha. I worked on a case involving a suspect in Wyoming. The WY investigator Who helped me told me they didn’t get many murders in that area but a lot of suicides. I asked him why so many suicides and he told me that some people blame it on the constant winds. Some people can’t put up with the winds out that way.
Dean Thorsen sorry dean, you got me thinking. I live in Wyoming, and yeah, we have a high suicide rate. the winds don’t help, but we have an older pop with all the infirmities entailed. The high divorce rates, and low pop density leads to feelings of isolation. Fairly high drug and alcohol problems per capita. Diminishing energy jobs are hitting our miners as well. Then the lives of farmers are getting harder.
GOD bless all those kind folks. Most are probably past away now, but I hope the LORD remembered they're compassion for one another. I'm sure he did!!
Great when humans pull together and stop fighting
*sodamntrue*
Wow! And I thought Boston's winter of 2015 was bad! This documentary is great to watch, but sobering at the same time. I wish more people knew about this. This is US history.
buddy 2015 was a joke guess you werent old enough to remember the blizzard of 1978
Boston's winter of 2015 was a non- event. '79 and '96 were much worse