Snowy Days

With the current snowy conditions that prevail here it might be nice to look back to 1811-1812 and see what kind of weather they were having.  Weather then was more dominant in determining when one traveled or did outdoor activities.  Modern technology has made it easier to master the elements than was possible in the past.  Here is one account of snow in 1811 at St. Francisville, Louisiana….

“The Time Piece of Jan. 14, printed at St. Francisville, says, that they have been visited by the heaviest fall of snow ever witnessed in that country-it having measured 18 inches deep. It was the first opportunity for sleighing ever offered to the people in that part of West Florida. The oldest inhabitants are of the opinion, that all the snow which has fallen since the settlement of the country, is not equal to what fell a few hours in one day.”(New Madrid Compendium Item 18120331 3-200)  Lexington, Kentucky, American Statesman, 03/31/1812.

Here is another snow account from an area more accustomed to it.

“The snow storms in Dec. spread destruction and ruin along the whole coast of North America. At Halifax, and below Quebeck and the harbour, 20 vessels are sold to have been either wrecked, stranded or damaged, attended with the loss of many lives. Indeed, in some cases the crews, nearly to a man, are stated to have perished. The snow in the northern states was very deep, accompanied with an unusual degree of cold. The water of the Delaware, East and North rivers was congested, and the river craft suffered prodigiously from the ice. Some persons lost their lives by the mere agency of cold, and others by losing their way in the snow.(New Madrid Compendium Item 18120324 1-201) Lexington, Kentucky, American Statesman, 03/24/1812.