Winter 2024 brings memories of winter 1959

The headline of the Hometown Current Jan. 17, 2024 read Double Whammy as the article covered the snowstorm that ravaged Eastern Iowa Jan. 8 and 9 only to be followed by gusty winds and dangerous subzero temps.

Traffic and activity virtually came to a halt for a time. The Iowa Valley School District reportedly lost 5 days of schooling during the winter.

This article brought to my memory the winter of 1959 in Iowa County. I was teaching in Marengo, and during that winter we lost seven days to wintry conditions.

According to a notice in the Pioneer Republican March 19, 1959, Superintendent G.G. Bellamy reported to the school board that the district would request forgiveness from the state for three of those seven days with the promise to “make up” the remaining four days.

In order to accomplish this, the Easter break originally planned in the school calendar would be canceled, with classes scheduled on Good Friday and the Monday after Easter.

One Saturday in April would be scheduled as a makeup day (high school students in job assignments would be granted excuse with confirmation provided by their parents), and the final day of school would be one-half day on Memorial Day in late May.

I recall follow-up issues with school attendance later in April and early May as the country gravel roads succumbed to the winter weather and were closed to heavy vehicle traffic.

Thus the school bus routes would run only on the hard surfaced roads, picking up students at the corners of those gravel roads if their parents were able to transport them to that point.

Those with memories going back to those years will also recall the mountains of snow piled in the city park and on any spare lots as streets were cleared for traffic.

As I read the 2024 papers from my winter “den” in the sunshine and warmth of Arizona, I clearly recalled those days of the 1950s when wintry weather was very serious business.

State ball tournaments in Des Moines were challenged by the weather, sometimes schools needing to remain in place after a game and being lodged in the gymnasium there until they could safely return to their communities the next day.

Remember the snow tunnels through the snow on Highway 151 just north of Froelich Acres north of Amana; the plows bladed the snow back along the edges and banked it high on either side of the road so that one virtually drove through a “snow tunnel” for a mile or so.

Hopefully the winter of 2025 will be a bit kinder in terms of weather, bringing snow in more numerous small amounts to blanket our ground.