We are only a few weeks away from planting, but when snowstorm after snowstorm buries us like they have this March, it can feel like winter is here to stay.
It’s true that we’ve received a lot of snow this winter, but imagine yourself in Northern Maine in the winter of 1937. You need to go into town to get something from the store, but snow plows are not yet practical for a Northern Maine winter. You might decide the best way to commute is to take your horse and carriage. If removing the snow from the road isn’t an option, then the next best thing is to roll it as compact and hard as possible.
Not long ago we were going through my great aunt Marge’s scrapbook, when we came across this picture taken near her home.
It’s hard to count them all, but I think there are at least 18 horses pulling the snow roller over the road. I’m thankful that in 2014, we have better ways to deal with the snow. Yesterday, we took this picture of the path beside our greenhouse left by a BIG snowblower. Our dad, Kimber, looks pretty rad in this photo. Actually, he looks pretty rad in every photo.
To learn more about the history of snow removal check out this article from Mental Floss (http://mentalfloss.com/article/32006/scenes-history-snow-removal) and this post from Marketplace (http://www.marketplace.org/topics/economy/numbers/brief-history-snow-removal).