Blizzard of ʼ66
Over the years you hear of famous snow storms. One I have heard of is the Armistice Day Storm of 1940. The other is the blizzard of March of 1966. The ʼ66 blizzard hit eastern North Dakota, northwestern Minnesota, and southern Manitoba. The storm killed 5 people, over 70,000 cattle and 50,000 sheep in North Dakota. Bismarck reported 22 inches and some places in Minnesota reported up to 36 inches of snow. Starting on March 2nd winds raged from 70 to 100 mph and the storm continued until Friday March 4th.
Speaking to my neighbor, Arlan Fore, he remembered feeding cattle during the big storm. They had to use a Caterpillar. They hooked to the rack and and loaded it with bales, then came back to the cattle yard and lowered the blade making a big trench. They threw the bales off and the cattle basically followed behind and ate the hay in the newly made trench.
Our school secretary remembers being stranded and the neighbors having to dump their milk down the drain because they couldnʼt get the milk to town. When the storm subsided the neighbor came over on this new fangled invention, a snowmobile, to check and see if they needed anything. Also the kids went our after the storm and literally walked onto the roofs of several outbuildings. I also heard Orlo Melby had to tunnel into the store in Oklee to get to work.
I remember going to a Equality township meeting years ago. Being Minnesotanʼs we must have gotten on the subject of weather. Bob Bluemke remembered the same, not being able to get the milk to town. He also couldnʼt get to town to get cigarettes as he had run out, so he quit. I guess some good did come out of the big storm!!! Bob also told about his neighbors the Bendicksonʼs coming to the rescue with their John Deere tractor with a Farmhand loader. Jimmy Bendickson remembered how good the John Deere with the Farmhand was good at removing snow, but with no live PTO it was a bit clumsy. But the big snow bucket could really move the snow. The bad thing was after cleaning out the driveways, two days later another storm filled them in again!!
I guess the story of Bendicksonʼs John Deere working in Equality Township stayed in my mind because at the same time in Garnes Township there was a G John Deere moving snow. It was my dad. Dad was moving snow and mom grabbed the Polaroid Camera and came out and took a few pictures of me a about 7 months old and her and dad and our dog Lester(named after Lester Flage who mom had gotten the dog from.) The story goes when we got back in the house I was making the putt-putt noise of the G John Deere. It is maybe why I started liking John Deeres. Like I mentioned, being around that G may have started my obsession with tractors. Maybe I have to thank the blizzard of ‘66!!
How about a little tractor trivia.
1. John Deere already had an A, B, C, D, and E was the name on their stationary engine. When they were introducing the G what was their original idea for itʼs name??
2.The model G had 6 forward speeds at the end of itʼs production. How many speeds did the early Gʼs have?
3. How did John Deere get around war restrictions on making improvements on their Model G?
4. Before WWII the model G sold for about $1200. What was the price of a G in 1953?
5.. Early Gʼs had a problem with heating. How did John Deere solve this problem?
answers 1. model F 2. 4 speeds 3. Renaming in the GM, considering it a new model. 4. $2800 5. The recalled them adding a larger radiator.
-Eric Mickelson
Green Magazine
RIchard's Publishing
Oklee, MN 56742
218-791-9157