These photographs show how 19th century Americans dealt with snow removal (and all without the help of a single salt truck) By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED: 05:25 GMT, 11 February 2013 | UPDATED: 07:01 GMT, 11 February 2013 While Northeastern residents had to shovel sidewalks and deal with slushy, salty roadways following Winter Storm Nemo, the mundane task of snow removal is nothing new. In fact, Americans in the 19th and early 20th century embraced the powdery white snow, as it made travel by horse-drawn sleigh more practical and fun. Snow wardens were often employed by townships and cities to make sure the snow was compact for their horses, and that there was enough snowfall on covered bridges so the carriages could pass through seamlessly. Let it snow: Early snow plows basically packed the snow to allow for easier travel via horse-drawn vehicles Let it snow: Early snow plows basically packed the snow to allow for easier travel via horse-drawn vehicles Cool customers: Before cars, horses pulled us around and by outfitting carriages with skis, snow actually made travel easier Cool customers: Before cars, horses pulled us around and by outfitting carriages with skis, snow actually made travel easier According to Mental Floss, snow plows were used fairly regularly by the 1800s. The wooden devices were pulled behind horses. There were also weighted roller-like contraptions that served to pack down snow, making it easier for the animals to pull their loads. More... The big dig-out: Amazing stories of survival as one woman tells how she wrote a goodbye note to her children while trapped in the snow for 12 hours as America’s East Coast recovers from winter storm Nemo The shopocalypse: Panic buyers strip supermarket shelves bare before the snowstorm No business like snow business! Early 20th century photos capture New York clean-up crews hard at work battling the citys famously harsh winters As technology improved and the horseless carriage became more popular, cities and towns needed a better way to deal with snow removal. Motorized snow plows allowed for roads to be cleared, ridding the roads of dangerous slush and snow. New solution: Once cars started replacing horses, snow had to be cleared instead of simply tamped down and, thus, the plow was born New solution: Once cars started replacing horses, snow had to be cleared instead of simply tamped down and, thus, the plow was born Old idea: Just as plows are attached to pickup trucks today, the same was done on early truck models like this Pierce Arrow from 1923 in Seattle Old idea: Just as plows are attached to pickup trucks today, the same was done on early truck models like this Pierce Arrow from 1923 in Seattle Pre-Bloomberg: Though the NYC supermanager has access to much more advanced machinery, this beauty was once top-of-the-line Pre-Bloomberg: Though the NYC supermanager has access to much more advanced machinery, this beauty was once top-of-the-line Rotoplow: Snow blower technology uses a series of augers or rotors today, just as it did on this mid-twentieth century plow Rotoplow: Snow blower technology uses a series of augers or rotors today, just as it did on this mid-twentieth century plow Railroad tracks covered in snow, especially those high in the mountains of the Western U.S., had to be cleared before trains could pass. During the Blizzard of 1888, thousands of people were left without food and clothing, as their supplies were stuck on trains that were embedded in foot after foot of snow. The plight of one family forced to endure the repercussions of the blizzard were documented in Laura Ingalls Wilders The Long Winter, part of the Little House on the Prairie book series. Inventors responded by attaching wedge-shaped plows to the front of trains or with blower-like blades that scooped whisked snow away. After motorcars did away with horse-powered travel, snow became more of a problem for road travel.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Nov 2013 04:41:06 +0000
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