Michigan Towns Covered in Snow: 1900-1950s

Remembering back when I was a kid...it seems that during winter there was always snow. I mean always. I would trudge to school walking in knee-deep snow, through my back yard and cutting across a neighbor's (who yelled at me for cutting across her lawn), and across the slippery street to the school. What awaited me there? Not an empty school out for a 'snow day', but buses that had fought their way through the countryside to pick up the farm kids for their classes.

I mean, these were heavy snowfalls...and we still had school. Nowadays a few flakes and some school superintendents freak out and cancel classes for the day. Sure, we had 'snow days', but the snowfall had to be pretty spectacular to have 'em...and we did.

Every winter we in Michigan do get a couple of decent snowfalls, but not as many as we did decades ago. Is that true or is it just how I recall it?

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When we did have a 'snow day', a friend and I would go out, door-to-door, and ask if our neighbors wanted their sidewalks shoveled. It would take awhile, using those wide snow shovels, but we got 'em done. Plus, we did OK...enough money to buy pop, snacks, and comic books. In the 2000s that's changed.

Snow blowers for everyone.
I haven't seen a kid out in the snow shoveling a sidewalk in years.
Adults, yeah, but no kids.

The gallery below shows vintage photos from 1900-1950s with over 60 Michigan towns after snowfalls: most of them heavy and some pretty incredible snowfalls. Many of these show the downtown areas and maybe those of you who are too young to appreciate or enjoy a really heavy Michigan snowfall, will get the 'drift' of what is was like many, many years ago...

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