The "Long Winter" of 1880/81 | The History Guy

YouTube ^ | February 24, 2021 | The History Guy

[SunkenCiv]

The winter of 1880/81, popularized by author Laura Ingalls Wilder’s 1940 novel “The Long Winter,” was variously described as “the hard winter,” “the black winter,” the “long winter,” the “starvation winter,” or the “snow winter.” Journalist J. Mark Powell wrote in January 2018: “Think you’ve seen severe winter weather? No matter how bad it is where you are, it can’t hold a candle to this, the Mother of All Bad Winters.” The History Guy remembers The Long Winter of 1880-1881.

This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.

The "Long Winter" of 1880/81 | February 24, 2021 | The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered

[pnut22]

I have the whole set of Laura’s books. The name of the neighbor is Mary Power. If I can find the book I will skim it and let you know.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

Bookmark

[pnut22]

My first experience with the little house books was my 2nd grade teacher reading part of the Long Winter. It was about almost getting lost in a blizzard going to town from the school. My dad bought me the set and I still have it. I have read them many times over the years.

[moehoward]

Bump

[pfflier]

The History Guy is one of my favorite YT Channels.

I'll second that. Factual, entertaining and agenda free. He covers many, many topics. Mrs History Guy even covered a few for him.

[21twelve]

1880 to 1934 (dustbowl): 54 years
1934 to 1975 (coming ice age): 41 years
1975 to 2021 (we’re going to melt): 46 years

Either a typical pattern of climate change, or a generational thing where every “generation” (40 to 50 years) thinks that “their” weather is special.

[meowmeow]

I loved that Little House book, too! Liked the part where the Indian shows up at the general store and tells the town’s men that every 7 years is a bad winter and 7 times the 7th year is the worst...so all the Indians are headed out! Of course the settlers stay and nearly starve to death.

[SunkenCiv]

When I Was A Fair Maid
Mar 7, 2019
Sally Rogers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjBQM3Tf8cQ

[SunkenCiv]

Mine had to be a different year, 2004 or 2005, and the big snow dump came before Christmas. After the plows caught up, the large parking lot next to my workplace was cleared (private plow) and the resulting wall of snow was too tall to see over for about 90 days. Crazy.

[smokingfrog]

[Blood of Tyrants]

Climate change will cause droughts and flooding, longer, hotter summers and longer, colder winters, global warming and and a new ice age, sun spots and Maudlin lows, erectile disfunction and prolonged erections.

Climate change causes everything.

[MrLucky1966]

March 2003, near where I live. I was at work. Barely made it home. 2 hours shoveling to get into the driveway at 1 in the morning. Another 2 hours the next morning shoveling off the patio roof before it could collapse. Wet, heavy stuff.

I am from Pittsburgh but now live a bit west in the Ohio Valley in Ohio just north of Wheeling. Mom passed away, lost the house to make a long story very short. Anyways, a couple of years ago, I drove from here to Pittsburgh to work and I remember one snowstorm where the roads had like 6 to 8 inches of snow and were not touched. I drove home 45 miles in my 2004 Hyundai Sonata (has the standard 4 cylinder engine) with only front wheel drive. I've seen 4x4's trapped in the snow. Maybe I should not have done that and I think I'll never do it again but I did make it.

[Rembrandt]

“Galveston bay froze over in 1886. Nine years later, southeast TX got 2 ft of snow.”

OK, if you can say “I could deal with that,” back then, no home had indoor plumbing. I.e., use a pan or brave the weather to get to the outhouse!

[Jessarah]

The absolute best LIW book that she wrote. Full of adventure, self-reliance, heroes, scary moments, near starvation, and ultimately—resilience.

[bitt]

P

[Jane Long]

What is this winter’s forecast?

[Jane Long]

Well....if you made it through that.....then, MrLucky is a good nick, for you :-)

[MrLucky1966]

Well....if you made it through that.....then, MrLucky is a good nick, for you :-)

We bought the Hyundai in early 2004, it was Mom's car and that was the only thing I inherited from her. I know she is my guardian angel, there were time I thought I lost it but felt someone guiding me or even hearing her voice. I often joke, either she does not want me to die before my time or she does not want to see her car wrecked. B-) I'm still driving it even though it is almost 18 years old, made in late 2003. Then again, I still use the same TV set, a 1982 Zenith that we bought on April 4th, 1983, with her 1959 rabbit ears. B-)

Mr. Lucky is one of my favorite TV shows.

[AZJeep]

Asthma, cancer, kidney disease, liver problems, heart problems and dementia.

Also, seriously, rock slides!
Rock slide in Glenwood Springs, Colorado damaged I70. Apparently caused by global warming according to the media reports.

[Jane Long]

Very nice story. You ARE Mr Lucky :-)