125 years ago snowflakes began to fall in the Northeast on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It was November 26, 1898. Residents were still thinking about the Thanksgiving Day holiday that they and their friends and families had just celebrated. The holiday was on Thursday, November 24th and some people had traveled to their destinations to be with family members/ friends. On November 26, 1898 it was reported in the Springfield Daily Republican that Springfield, MA resident Clarence A. R. Euson had recently moved into his newly built house on Main Street (Longmeadow Street)/ South Park Terrace in Longmeadow, MA.
Residents on the east coast were to experience a nor'easter that weekend. It was the "first storm of the winter" and also it was a blizzard. Now, this storm is known as "The Portland Gale" and it affected Southern New England. The large snow drifts, cold wind and cold temperatures made everything challenging. It was more severe than the Blizzard of 1888 that many residents in the Longmeadow/ Springfield area remembered.
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| Springfield Daily Republican Nov. 28, 1898 (click to enlarge) |
Milk could not be delivered into Springfield from the surrounding communities. The morning newspapers were not delivered, either. Travel to any point in Springfield became difficult. Some trollys were able to return to the trolly barn and other trollys stalled on their routes. The hotels in Springfield did a brisk business with guests who were in town for the holiday or for the theatre.
Sixteen inches of snow had fallen in 24 hours. After the snow stopped falling the clean up began. On November 28th it was easier to walk on streets that had been plowed. The trollys ran again to many areas of Springfield. Little by little everyday life resumed.
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| Springfield Daily Republican Nov. 28, 1898 |
The weekend after Thanksgiving in 1898 was one for residents of Southern New England to remember!
Written by Judy Moran
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