Volume 6 , Issue 12

Blizzard Story of '49...

"In the winter of 1949 I was living in Alva with my parents. Unemployed and looking for work. I heard that they were hiring section workers on the railroad. The hiring office was at Avard so I decided to go there and see if I could get a job. I didn't have any transportation so I decided to hitchhike from Alva to Avard.    It was chilly day but not too cold for that time of year and it was a sunny day without much wind when I started out in mid-morning. I caught a ride very quickly on the highway heading west that took me to the Avard turnoff. I remember it being very clear with good visibility when I got out of the car because I could see the Avard grain elevators about 2 mile down the road.    I started walking down the road to the town which as you know in our flat country was a straight shot with no twists or turns. I hadn't gone very far when the wind picked up and it turned very cold. I looked to the north and saw a grayish cloud head toward me the was on the ground and covered the entire horizon. Then the blizzard struck with its full force and fury. The snow was icy pellets and were being driven parrallel to the ground with the force of the wind. There was absolutely no visibility. It was like being inside a white cloud. I quickly became disoriented and decided to get off the road because if a vehicle came by it would not be able to see me. In getting off the road I ran into a barb wire fence and used that as a guide to keep moving toward Avard. I don't remember how long it took to reach the town but I knew I was there when I ran head on into one of the elevators.    After all that... the job was only a rumor and I went home empty handed." -- Bill Barker   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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