Barton County KS Archives History - Books .....Blizzard Of 1871 1912
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Book Title: Biographical History Of Barton County

THE BLIZZARD OF 1871

EDWIN TYLER, one of the best known of Barton County's old timers, tells in his
own way about the big blizzard that visited this section in 1871. "I had been
here but a short time and had but forty-five dollars in money, a second-class
team, a ten dollar wagon, a good wife and three children. I had failed as a
buffalo hunter and as that occupation offered about the only means of getting
money, the outlook for me was anything but bright. However, I had come to Kansas
for my health, and by the way was only one here for that purpose. I looked
forward to better things. A few days after my arrival in Great Bend, Lute Morris
said to me, 'you had better take a lot,' and he also stated that the terms would
be one dollar down. He also added that I could build a house within sixty days.
I selected a lot. About this time Judge Morton came with a pocket full of money
and began to buy teams for buffalo hunting I sold him mine for $250.00. This
money enabled me to build a little house and live until spring. Mr. Odell had a
house on the Hess quarter 12 by 14 about a half mile east of the cemetery. The
house had no floor and the walls were held together by bolts. He said to me that
if I wanted to I could live in his house until spring as he was going back east.
I moved what few things I had and myself and family took up our residence there.
The weather had been fine up to that time, similar to other mild winters since.
November 17, 1871, dawned bright and clear. Rube Frey went by the house that
morning without his coat and asked me to go with him to Dry creek for a load of
wood, but Mrs. Tyler was afraid of the Indians so I stayed at home. About nine
o'clock the wind began to blow and I have never been in such a hazy atmosphere
as that which surrounded us that morning. It grew colder and the wind grew
worse, increasing every minute, and very soon I saw Rube Frey and team coming
down the trail at a two-forty clip. He stopped at the house and came in to get
warm. We began to crack jokes. He and I had served three years in the same
regiment in the war and things had to look mighty blue if we could not joke a
little. He soon departed for his house. Shortly after noon the sleet, snow, mist
and hail struck us with great force. By three o'clock it became so dark that it
was impossible to distinguish objects ten feet away. Myself and family huddled
inside the house and looked at each other, being in no mood for conversation. We
could not keep warm and every minute expected the shanty to blow over, but the
house had been securely fastened to posts sunk deep into the ground and had it
not been for this fact I guess we would have been victims of the storm. Luckily
my wife had brought along two feather beds and I had included in my pack a
cauple of tarpaulins such as are used in the army. With these we made a bed on
the floor of the building and with all our clothes on prepared to retire. We
were comfortable but frightened as the wind howled around the house and the
storm grew in volume and violence. We ate very little that day and the next,
spending most of the time in bed where we could keep warm. It grew mighty cold
by the afternoon of the 18th, when the storm began to abate somewhat. On the
morning of the 19th the sun rose bright and clear and the storm was over, but it
was exceedingly cold. That storm is remembered by all who were here at that time
as one of the worst in the history of this part of the state.


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