The weather on the frontier dictated the actions of the men and women who toiled on the prairie.  Weather influenced what they wore, where they lived, how successful their crops were, and if they would fair well for the coming season.  

Facing A Fight

The settlers of the prairie knew they could not stand against Mother Nature without making plans for when her fury was released.  Storm cellars were built to protect themselves from tornadoes and cyclones. Some of Mother Nature's natural disasters could not be thwarted.

A devastating grasshopper infestation occurred in Kansas and Nebraska in 1873, 1874 and 1893.   A story in the Homesteader printed in July 1874 stated that the "air is filled with them, the ground is covered with them..."  The reporter mentioned that individuals could not walk the street without a grasshopper flying into your face.

Blizzards of the 19th Century

Blizzards could be particularly deadly for the prairie settler.  Several blizzards in the late 19th century are recorded in their severity to both human and animal life.

The first is the "Great Die-Up" blizzard of 1886-1887.  Heavy snows and frigid temperatures followed by warm weather then cold created ice ranges buried in snow. The name "Great Die-Up" was given because "hundreds of thousands of head of cattle perished on the open ranges from Canada to Texas."

A second blizzard known as the "School Children's Blizzard of 1888" struck the Northern and Plains regions of the United States.  The storm came suddenly with no warning.  Some children and teachers remained at school while others tried to find safety in haystacks.  There were some that never found shelter and died.

It is interesting to note that the "first use of the word 'blizzard'" was written on March 14, 1870 in an Iowa newspaper.

A Deep-Boned Determination

The settlers of the 19th century had a deep-boned determination to carve out a life for themselves despite the challenges wrought by Mother Nature.  We can learn a lesson by their example.  They had a dream and overcame tremendous obstacles to achieve it.

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