Milligan in Fillmore County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
The Blizzard of 1888
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 23, 2022
1. The Blizzard of 1888 Marker
One of the most spectacular and harrowing events in the history of the Great Plains was the Blizzard of January 12, 1888. Other storms had produced colder temperatures and greater amounts of snow. It was the combination of gale winds, blinding snow, and rapidly falling temperatures that made the 1888 blizzard so dangerous.
The storm’s full fury lasted up to eighteen hours in many parts of Nebraska. Because of the suddenness of its onset, the blizzard caught many children away from home in one-room schoolhouses. In an attempt to rescue her two sons, Charles and Thomas, from school Mary Masek of Milligan trekked nearly two miles to the schoolhouse. Finding the building empty, she started for home, but she never reached her destination. She was found frozen to death huddled near a cottonwood tree, only a short distance from a neighbor’s farmhouse.
The Blizzard of 1888 created the scene for heroic acts. Mary Masek, like many Nebraskans, fell victim to one of nature’s most violent displays while courageously attempting to save the lives of her children.
Erected by Milligan Community Club; and Nebraska State Historical Society. (Marker Number 247.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters
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Location. 40° 30.606′ N, 97° 23.113′ W. Marker is in Milligan, Nebraska, in Fillmore County. Marker is on State Highway 41 just east of N Street (Road 24), on the left when traveling east. Marker is leftmost of four Nebraska state historical markers at this location. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Milligan NE 68406, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Two B-24 "Liberators" Crash Near Milligan, 1943 (here, next to this marker); BT-13B "Valiant" and P-47D "Thunderbolt" Crash, 1944 (here, next to this marker); B-17G "Flying Fortress" and P-47D "Thunderbolt" Crash, 1944 (a few steps from this marker); Milligan Auditorium (approx. 0.7 miles away); Pioneer Chapel (approx. 1.1 miles away); The Pioneer Chapel and Cesky Bratri Cemetery (approx. 1.1 miles away); Sergeant Leodegar Schnyder (approx. 6.6 miles away); The Ohiowa Auditorium (approx. 7½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Milligan.
Also see . . .
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 23, 2022
2. The Blizzard of 1888 Marker
The Blizzard of 1888 is the most celebrated snowstorm ever endured in Nebraska. Although conditions differed somewhat in various parts of the state, most accounts agree that the early hours of that eventful January 12th were unseasonably warm. Cattle were out in the fields. School children in some areas played outside during the noon recess. In some cases, men were reported to have worked out-of-doors in their shirt-sleeves. Then, the wind suddenly changed to the north, driving before it a great mass of thick, blinding snow. Men and animals alike were trapped in a freezing, white wasteland. The thermometer plummeted to 34 degrees below zero. The storm lasted from 12 to 18 hours over most of the area, and was followed by minor local storms. The state was two weeks digging itself out. When the newspapers finally were able to assemble the details from isolated farms and ranches, it was evident that the loss of life and property sustained in the great blizzard was the greatest ever known in the West. Estimates as to the number who died in Nebraska ran as high as 100. In Dakota Territory, 109 lives were lost.(Submitted on September 26, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 23, 2022
3. The Blizzard of 1888 Marker (far left)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 22, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 26, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 211 times since then and 59 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 26, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
