These stories can also be heard on Sunday mornings around 10 am on WILD 102’s “Look Back in Time” program. Each week’s radio story will be posted here on our website.
Weekly radio stories are researched, compiled, and read by Sheila Winstead, RCHS Board Member.
February 18, 2024
From the February 16, 1939 Roseau Times-Region, there are accounts of snowstorms that almost shut
down the county for a while. This tale is told in the Ross News. The writer quotes a poem by Whittier.
“Shut in from all the world without, We sat the clean-winged hearth about, Content to let the north
wind roar In baffled rage at pane and door.” Then goes on to say, “This week we could easily imagine
that Whittier was referring to us in his famous poem, “Snowbound,” as the old weather man was in such
a rage that we didn’t have much opportunity to make news, but had to be content to remain at home.
We all rejoiced when the snow plow came through and opened the highway late Sunday afternoon and
released us from our snowy prison, after being penned up since Thursday night. Monday proved to be
more favorable. The farmers from the surrounding countryside rushed to Ross in sleighs, toboggans, on
foot, and a few of the more fortunate ones in autos, to get a fresh supply of provisions from the store,
deliver their cream, and scramble to the post office for the mail, as Clarence Dokken was able to get
through and bring the mail from Fox. He was unable to get through on Friday and Saturday.
Evelyn Sanders, who teaches in District 10, Ruth Smith of District 11, and Olga Efshen of District 21
returned to their homes as their schools have been closed because of unfavorable weather conditions.”
Another column in that same issue in 1939 tells more about that weather with the heading “Snowstorm
Ties Up Traffic; Mercury Drops – Mail Carriers and School Bus Drivers Experience Hard Days on Routes.”
This section of the state was caught in the coldest spell of the year the first of the week, following a
snowstorm of heavy snow and strong wind. Yesterday morning the official temperature reading here at
the coldest point was 46 degrees below zero, while at Warroad, the official reading was 49 degrees
below.
Friday and Saturday were the toughest days for the mail carriers. Parts of their routes have not been
served every day because of blocked roads, and the carriers have traveled afoot in places to give service.
The school busses have not been able to cover completely their respective routes.
The county highway snow plows have been having a hard grind trying to open up the mail traveled
roads. Yesterday morning the large Diesel driven outfit came back in the wee hours after having been on
the job trying to open the Pencer-Wannaska road. The job had to be given up until a double-header can
be put on the road. Harry Paine, highway engineer, stated that the plow was pushing up a four-foot
embankment in places on that road. The county has four snow plow outfits and they are all out on the
road opening business. The intense cold is adding to the highway department’s troubles.
The following week, a few more details came out in the Roseau Times-Region about more bad weather.
No sooner had the county roads been made passable after the previous week’s heavy snowfall and
drifting than another storm unlimbered and filled the road channels plump full and cut off traffic
between points of the trunk highways.
Saturday afternoon’s snowfall of two inches, as estimated by M. J. Hegland, U. S. weather observer here,
piled up into deep drifts by a strong wind, did the blocking effectively. The snowplows had a big job
opening the roads last week, but Saturday’s and Sunday’s drifting made the job more difficult this week.
County Highway Engineer Harry Paine stated yesterday that the plows are working day and night under
double shifts to open the roads. So far the work has been done in single units but it may be necessary to
use tandem rigs on some stretches. These sections will be the last to be opened.
The roads in the Warroad territory were opened by last evening; the roads in the central part were also
opened, and the snowplows were putting in hard licks on the roads in the western part of the county
yesterday. Mr. Paine expected to have the roads open for traffic in all sections of the county in a day or
so, unless the unforeseen occurs.
County Superintendent Charles Christianson stated that about thirty-five rural schools in the county are
closed this week because of the extreme weather and snow.
The coldest point recorded during Monday night was 36 degrees below zero. Tuesday morning the low
reading was 39 degrees below, and yesterday morning Mr. Hegland reported 32 degrees below. That’s
cold enough for a brass monkey.
The snowfall the past two weeks is set down at six inches by Mr. Hegland.
On March 9, 1939, the Pinecreek News column said this:
Piney, which has been snowbound for a couple of weeks, had the snow plow from this side clear its
highway on Friday and the inhabitants were able to come over by car again.
Little Donna Mae Kvien had a long walk Monday. She rode with her daddy, who was going to Ross, and
was to spend the time at the Brookside School until his return. To her amazement the door was locked
and nobody there, but being a brilliant little girl, she did not wait outside for her father but started to
walk home and reached her destination, which is two miles, before her father returned. Her only
hardship was a frozen ear. The school was closed that day due to illness of the teacher, Miss Ruth Smith.
Thank you to (www.roseauonline.com) for letting us share our county’s history with your listeners by donating air time, studio time, and production staff every week.