Blizzard
Photos from LaFayette Rd., LaFayette NY
Winter,
Jan-Feb 1947 or 1948
Winter
of
1947-48 or 1948-49
March
5 through 7, 1971
Submitted by
Ed Fry
Date:
Winter, Jan-Feb 1947 or 1948
Location:
LaFayette, NY,
LaFayette Rd.
This
photo taken about 6:30 P.M. This snow the result of
a blizzard and LaFayette Rd.
had been unusable for about three days.
It was an area wide storm and the total of Onondaga
County was “shoveling” out. Earlier in the afternoon I had ventured out
of the house, down to the road to see if the County was able to plow
yet. Indeed, about 1.5 or 2.0 miles north,
on LaFayette Rd.
you could faintly hear and see the twin plumes
of the “Sno-Go” as it chopped, augured and blew the offending snow into
the
fields. It took 3 to 4 hours to cover
this 1.5 to 2.0 miles. The County
of Onondaga was exceptional
at
keeping the roads clear to aide the dairy farmers in getting their milk
to the
creamery in Onativia. Onativia is about
¾ mile east, as the “crow flies,”’ of the cross-roads of Route
11 and 20 at LaFayette, NY.
I
informed my father that they were working at about Crows
Farm, where I had first heard and seen the clearing effort. Included here are four pictures as the
“Sno-Go” approached in the dark. My
father had asked my Mom to prepare a supper for the drivers. In the second photo you see the machine at
rest just after they had eaten (note the meal basket on the snow). A tremendous machine this Walter Sno Fighter
with the augers and blowers in front and the power to drive the augers
and
blower coming from the engine mounted in back of the cab.
Photo
#3 is a shot from the back while the drivers were
finishing their meal.
Photo
#4 is the machine and men back to work.
In my Photo #4 I am able to make out the two plumes of snow
being blown
to the east side of LaFayette Rd.
Date: Winter of
1947-48 or 1948-49
Location: LaFayette, NY,
LaFayette Rd.
at 2615-17 (current address)
The
driveway had drifted to a depth of 3 ½ feet +/-.
This the result of some “new snow” together
with an intense wind. Shoveling by hand
was effective, but labor intensive. The
“shoveler,” pictured here, has not suffered as he is 74 years old and
still
going (07-21-2005). The address above is about 5/8 of a mile
north of the south termination of LaFayette
Rd.
at Route #20.
Date: March 5
through 7, 1971
The first picture was snapped on the 5th of March. The snow had
stopped falling during the night. The morning was spent plowing
out the driveway at 2615-2617 LaFayette Rd. The roads were
unpassable, the result of excessive snow fall and some wind. This
day was sunny and when the driveway was plowed the ice and snow started
to melt. Clearing the driveway was aided by the road being
shut. Most of the snow was pushed across the road, up and over
the guard rail and fell down a steeply sloped field. The near
hill, in the background is called "Irish Hill." The far hill is
the ridge from Pompey north. Sweet Road runs the ridge north from
Pompey to the town of Manlius.
The 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th pictures were taken on March 6, 1971.
The county used a rotary plow to open the road. Note the
neighbors to our north (2nd picture) out in the road, checking the
progress.
The 4th picture of the rotary plow is looking south down the valley,
toward Apulia Station. The three standing together watching the
rotary plow moving toward them are my children Natt, Pam and Todd.
The 5th picture, taken on March 6, 1971, is of a Walter "Snow
Fighter." It has a "V" plow with a 14 foot wing on both the left
and right sides of the truck. The truck has 4 wheel positive
drive. The outside wheel of the rear duals were removed for snow
fighting, with tire chains on the remaining four wheels and the dump
body loaded with heavy solid concrete balast. These machines
could move the snow!
The last picture was taken on March 7, 1971. This picture
witnesses the capability of these Walter plows to lift and move the
snow. This picture was taken from inside our car, on LaFayette
Rd., travelling north, just beyond the Crow Farm homestead. It is
evident that more snow will be removed to widen the passage to normal
width.
Submitted 6 January
2006