Does anyone remember that? We were the first of the new homes on Richard Road. I remember when Channel 10 had a western town behind their building where the parking lot is now. My father tried to heat one room using charcoal and almost got us all sick. I lived on Richard Road right off Valley Forge Park. Downingtown is 30 miles west of Philadelphia and if I'm correct, Philadelphia got very little snow. We survived by throwing extra blankets on the bed. What I disliked the most was having to go to bed at 7:30 because with no power the whole house was dark and cold. I also believe school was closed for a week. Back in the 1950's there were no automatic coffee makers. I remember my father trying to make a pot of coffee using a propane torch to heat the pot. The word got out and the local Boy Scout Troops banded together and went door to door to tell residents that they were not allowed by order of the borough council. One of the problems that occurred in the community is that several residents tried to cook on charcoal grills inside their homes. Emergency shelters were set up in the Downingtown Methodist Church and the Alert fire company. I lived in Downingtown, Pennsylvania and I remember that it was a heavy, wet snow. The only time we would leave the room was to sleep at night under my daddy's heavy army blankets in our freezing upstairs bedrooms. My father would cook food for us on the back porch on a Sterno burner. I, being 11 years old, recall living for a week with my other five family members in our teeny, tiny den where there was a fireplace which worked poorly, and smoke would back up into the room. When it was possible to travel, many of his relatives came to stay at their house where it was warm, and there was food. His family had coal, heat and a gas stove, so they had warmth and food. Cedarville Rd.) all the way out to Hanover St. He has told me stories of how he and his neighbors shoveled their road (E. He, being 13 years old, lived in North Coventry Township, Chester County, and I lived in Montgomery County in Lower Pottsgrove Township, both outside of Pottstown. My husband and I were in the area at the time of this storm. We fortunately didn't lose power during either of these snow storms. I remember playing a lot of canasta with my girlfriend. We missed a week of school for this storm. The winds were also strong for days as soon as a road was opened up it would be closed again as the snow blew and drifted. The snow was very light/dry and the temperature stayed extremely cold for days. The other big snow storm that March was not as deep, maybe 18". I recall the mothers on Cobblestone Drive coming out of their homes to tell the plow truck drivers not to drop any cinders on the big hill so all the kids could go sledding.ĭriver Slams Minivan Into Philadelphia Police Headquarters The neighborhood kids had a great time sledding and making snowmen & snow caves. One storm was about 36" and school was closed for 3 days. I recall two snow storms late in March that year, but I don't remember which storm came first. old and lived with my family on Chetwynd Circle in Paoli. It was just a lot different back then when it came to snow. Also so made it possible for me to make some candles everyday from the wax left over from the night before. we had a gas stove so we were in luck with that. The next farm up has a spring that I could walk to for water. No electric due to down power lines, so no power to run the well pump. Snow removal was not quite the same back then. We were basically snow IN for almost a week. I remember being in school when it started thinking it wouldn't be much. I was 12 years old then living in Birdsboro, Pa area at that time. Thinking back due to the new storm arriving here tomorrow. As the anniversary approaches, several viewers are sharing their stories of a record-breaking storm that dropped 50 inches of snow on parts of the Pennsylvania region back in 1958.
0 Comments
|