3/26/2008:
Yesterday’s Dakota Datebook mentioned that in 1951, March was a turbulent month for North Dakota. Blizzards swept across the prairie until roads were impossible to find.
Some people got lost, and some even died. Animals died, too; in Belfield, after winds of 70 miles an hour and temperatures of up to twenty below zero finally started to improve, one farmer found 62 dead pheasant in his grove. He said the snow and ice got under the feathers of the birds, and they froze to death.
In another report, a car stalled in the snow outside of New Salem, and two other cars crashed into that one.
In less extreme cases, people were stranded everywhere. Fifteen men, making up two of Garrison’s bowling teams, left for Bismarck and got stuck in a drift outside of Washburn. They had to stay two days at a nearby farm. They were treated well, though the fare was light—they were fifteen unexpected guests, after all. Their worst complaint was that they were running out of cigarettes.
An Alaskan man, Dr. Fred M. Langsam, got his car stuck in a snowdrift near New Salem, from where he was able to take a train to Chicago, his destination.
In another instance, one man, Col. Don Fraser, came home to Fargo on a five-day leave. However, he spent one of those days trying to get into town; his plane couldn’t land, and had to take him to Bismarck, from where he, too, had to take a train.
“Operation snow-bound” was launched, and supplies were brought to different snow-bound towns by plane, when they were able to fly, while attempts were made to dig out roads and passages. The Mandan Pioneer treated the first day of spring on the calendar as a joke, especially as they Dakotans found themselves digging out of what was their fourth snowstorm in three weeks’ time. As slightly warmer weather came, the highway department said it would still take about five days of good conditions and “weasel operations” to clear out all state roads. By the 24th of March, only about 20 were still blocked, down from 40. By today’s date, the National Guard was still digging out North Dakota.
Even by the 29th, one Pvt. John Kocurek, who had been given an extended furlough, didn’t know it, because he was still stuck, snowbound in Center, with no telephone at hand.
North Dakota hasn’t had any storms like this for quite a few years. However, when (or if) it happens again, we have these stories to fall back on—that, and North Dakota spirit. We just keep going.
By Sarah Walker
Sources:
Mandan Daily Pioneer, Tuesday, March 20, 1951
Emmons Co. Record, Thursday, March 29, 1951, p.6
Mandan Daily Pioneer, Tuesday, March 21, 1951, p.1
Mandan Daily Pioneer, March 23, 1951, p.1
Bismarck Tribune, March 24, 1951, p.1
Bismarck Tribune, Wednesday, March 21, 1951
Fargo Forum, Wednesday, March 21, 1951, morning
Bismarck Tribune, March 22, 1951, p.19