Children’s Blizzard by David Laskin

This review is a guest post by my lovely wife, Heather.

This book is the gripping account of the sudden, devastating blizzard that struck the Dakotas in 1888. It is sometimes referred to as the Children’s Blizzard because of the number of children that froze to death trying to get home from school. Some of their bodies weren’t found for months.
I was delighted to find this story as it has special meaning to me. I’ve always had a love of genealogy. My maternal great-great grandparents were homesteaders in Dakota territory in the 1880's. My great great grandpa Samuel was 33 in 1888. His parents had come to America in 1851 through New York. His parents settled in Wisconsin. I would guess that the offer of free land is what drew he and Hettie to Dakota.
I’ve always heard the story of how Sam was caught in the Blizzard of ‘88. He froze his tear ducts and was never able to produce tears again.
Laskin’s story is non fiction but with some liberties in imagining what particular victims may have felt or thought as they were caught in this tragic weather event.
Wessington Springs, SD is featured in the story of May Hunt, a school marm, and her seven students at the country school. The storm hit around noon. By 4 pm the school had run out of fuel. She had to choose whether to stay and freeze or try to make it to one of the farmsteads a mere 140 yards away on the other side of steep gully. An older student offered to scout it out. When he made it back unscathed the eight set out. They were quickly overcome with the freezing temperatures. Their eyelashes, eyes, and nostrils filled with ice. They were finally able to seek shelter in a haystack just a few yards from the invisible farmstead. However, they were not yet safe. You’ll need to read the story yourself to see if they live or die.
The storm hit on January 12. It started as an unseasonably warm day. People were able to come out of their sod houses for the first time in weeks and breathe fresh air. Children went to school for the first time in weeks, many dressed in little more than cotton shirts and pants with no sweaters or jackets.
The Blizzard affected the entire center of North America. The cold front dropped the temperature 18 degrees in 3 minutes. Farmers were caught outside caring for their animals. A single cow or pig might be all these families had to keep them going. It was imperative that the animals be saved. The homesteaders were immigrants from Northern Europe lured to America with the promise of 160 acres and freedom from persecution. Many had no idea what they were getting into on the wide, endless, harsh prairie. But they had spent everything and risked their lives just to get here. Many had nothing to go back to - if there was something for them there was no way they could afford to return to their homeland.
Laskin has done deep research into his subject. He read historical accounts, spoke with victims’ families, scoured old news papers as well as read scientific research about the weather phenomenon.
I suppose this might be a bit dry for some readers. I found it fascinating. Perhaps it’s because of my family connection to the event. I recommend the tale to anyone who has an interest in history or in understanding what the promise of America used to be. It’s relatively short with just under 300 pages.