How our ancestors handled snow before the combustion engine

Earlier this month, from Texas to Maine, a monster storm shut down roads and closed schools. Millions of people had to deal with snow removal in the aftermath.

Were you one of them? I was! As I wrangled my shovel and snowblower to clear mounds of snow from our own property and that of nearby relatives, I had to wonder: How did our forebears deal with snow and ice, before motorized snowplows, snowblowers, and paved roads?

Sleighs were important, and could be faster than a horse-drawn carriage. The above photo from the Library of Congress shows a US Mail sleigh operating near Nome, Alaska. It appears to be carrying passengers. I have seen photos of smaller mail sleighs from New England and northern New York.

Large sleighs were used for transporting people and/or cargo. This sleigh is transporting workers in New York in 1886:

Crucial to the movement of sleighs were snow rollers, used to pack snow down to make it easier for horses to walk and the metal runners to slide. In some cities, teams of workers would actually shovel snow from the street onto the bare patches of road so the sleds wouldn’t be slowed. This roller was used in Spofford, New Hampshire:

Sometimes plows were necessary. Railway operators employed specialized plows to keep the rails clear. The Chesterfield, New Hampshire historical society notes that horse-drawn wedge plows helped cities manage snow removal from the streets. It was difficult work for horses, though:

The slushy muck created by the snow, the horses, and other debris convinced some cities to move away from snow rollers and sleighs. Instead, they hired hundreds of men to shovel snow into carriages, which were then dumped in nearby waterways. This picture shows a scene in Washington DC in the early 1900s:

Of course, winter weather was an opportunity for fun. “Polar Bear clubs” popped up in many northern cities, taking inspiration from Old World traditions of cold water plunges. In Boston, the “L Street Brownies” have been conducting New Year’s Day plunges into the frigid Boston Harbor since 1902.

And, of course, there is skiing, sledding, and skating. I loved this photo from 1922, showing skaters in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. The tradition of skating outdoors on canals, ponds, and backyard rinks continues to this day.

Stay safe and warm, everyone!

Images: Library of Congress, NY Digital Collections, Chesterfield Historical Society