1936 left to right: TJ, Ellen (Mother), Leveta, Charles, and Louise (Photo provided by Charles Fletcher)
March 17, 1936–One of the worst snowstorms of the century swept across Asheville and Western North Carolina. Snowdrifts up to 8 feet high buried parked cars in the city and caused hazardous driving through the area.
I was thirteen years old, and my younger brother, T.J., was eleven at the time of the late spring snow of March 17th 1936. We went to the new school called Beaverdam Elementary School which was about one-half mile away from where we lived. Our house was located on a hill above a graveyard, and as might be expected, it was referred to as “Graveyard Hill”.
On March 15th at noon the snow was coming down very hard, so the school closed at noon and sent everyone home. The snow continued very hard from Friday until Sunday night.
My Dad was working in the paper mill at Canton, and the mill’s supervisors asked all the employees who were working to stay and not go home. They wanted to be sure that they would have someone to keep the mill running and not have to shut it down.
Like most of the people who lived in the mountains of Western North Carolina, my family were always prepared for the unexpected problems that come up every now and then. They always had plenty of food that they had preserved in the summer and plenty of firewood on hand to keep the house warm and cookstove hot so they could cook three meals evey day.
Although we didn’t have the things that children and adults have nowadays to keep themselves entertained, we managed very well with the things we had. We read, told stories, and played games, and Mom would read us Bible Stories.
On Monday morning we asked Mom if we could go back to school. We would have to walk the half-mile to school because we lived less than the two-mile distance from the school which would qualify us to ride the school bus. After Mom made sure we had enough clothes on so we wouldn’t freeze, she let us leave for school if we promised that if the snow was too deep we would come back home.
The snow was up higher than our heads on the route we normally took to school, so we walked the ridges where the wind had blown off the snow. When we came down off the ridges, we walked on the sides of the road where the snow had been blown back to the high side of the road.
Burt Robinson’s house was the closest house to the school, and he was the janitor and caretaker for the school. When we got near the school, we could see black smoke coming from the coal-fired furnace that heated the water that ciruclated through pipes to heat the school rooms. We knew that Burt was at the school.
When we reached the school, we headed straight to the boiler-room where Burt spent most of his time during the school day. He had his candy store in the boiler-room. Students could come in and buy an all-day sugar daddy for a penny.
When we entered the boiler-room, Burt asked what we were doing at school. He told us that there wouldn’t be any classes for the better part of a week and that we should go on back home before it started snowing again.
When we got back to our house, Dad was home. He had walked the ridges where the snow had blown off just like my younger brother and I had done.
This spring snow set back farming for the year and did lots of damage to trees. There was also at least one death that was known about when a man who was our neighbor lost his life from what was called “cold sleepiness”. In cold sleepiness the body temperature gets low, and the mind tells a person to go to sleep. Once asleep, the person freezes to death.
I am now 91 years old, and I have seen many big snow storms, but I will never forget the spring snow of March 17, 1936.
Charles Fletcher
March 27, 2013
I hope you enjoyed the memories Charles shared as much as I did-although we’ve had a cold snowy March this year in western NC, it doesn’t compare with the snow storm from Charles’s youth.
—March 29, 2013
I was reminded of this old post from the archives because of the cold weather we’ve had this week. Now the snow of March 1936 was a big snow! I can’t imagine snowdrifts that tall here in western NC.
We’ve barely got any snow this year, only a skiff here and there. Although I’m always wishing for a big snow I don’t want one like Charles described.
Last night’s video: Curing Thrush in Babies by Blowing in Mouth in the Appalachian Mountains.
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Wow! I really enjoyed Mr. Fletcher’s story Miss Tipper, when I’m reading old stories like this from days gone by, this might sound crazy but I’m thinking in my mind of how different things were back then and even though they lived in such tough times of having to walk pretty much wherever they went no matter the season of the year and how they were always prepared for the what if’s in life. Also as I’m reading them it makes me feel as if I was there with them. The worst snow storm I can remember here in South Carolina was I 1973 I was 6 years old, but I can barely remember it, roads were shut down and my Grandaddy had to dig a foot path through the snow to the outhouse as he didn’t have any indoor plumbing at the time as far as a bathroom.
Thanks so much for sharing this story as well as every story & post on here that you do!
What a great story!!! Love it that they were prepared no matter what. And, that they wanted to go to school!!!!
And, 57 years later, the Blizzard of 1993 hit on March 12 – 14. That was the most snow this Southern girl ever saw.
Everyone have a wonderful weekend.
I remember ’93 and we referred to the snow and ice as, Hurricane. We had to travel north and took the I 95 route…trees looked like toothpicks, twisted and broken off. I was something to see all the way north to New York. Don’t want to see that again, And thanks for the story. God Bless
Tipper,
Thanks for sharing Mr. Fletchers story with us, I could spend time everyday reading such stories as this.
To everyone that replied about the March snows in Greenville. The reason I am thinking 1971 was because I was in high school and was a substitute bus driver. At the first snow the schools did not dismiss early and a lot of the buses slid into ditches or had other problems getting home, some did not make it home until something like 7 or 8 o’clock that night. At that time students at least 16 years old drove the school buses in SC and kept the buses at their homes. Like Robert said, one snow would not be completely gone before another one would come on top of it. I also remember the problems it it caused for my daddy because for 3 straight weeks he only got to work 2 days a week because the company he worked at had more women working than men and would close anytime it snowed. When there are more days in a week than money in a paycheck, and you are trying to take care of a family, this makes for real problem. If we had not had food put up from our garden we probably would have went hungry.
The biggest March snowstorm I’ve ever seen was definitely the blizzard of 93. I was 9 years old living on chambers mtn in Clyde and remember getting stuck in the backyard…I laid down trying to make a snow angel and couldn’t get back up! My neighbors said they got a good laugh out of watching me rolling and rolling trying to get up haha. I also almost got lost on the porch! That’s when I learned what a whiteout is! It was snowing so hard and the wind blowing it so hard that you couldn’t see anything around you at all….my daddy had to come grab me and pull me back in the house! I was only a few feet from the door but could not find it on my own…scary
That’s a wonderful story. The only snow I have seen this year was last Saturday, it snowed for about 15 minutes and that was it. This has been an interesting March so far. Between the little dab of snow, rain, wind, the nighttime freezes, pollen coming in around a month earlier than usual, and then the warm, almost summer feeling days, I wonder what is next? When My husband leaves for work in the mornings, he is carrying a lightweight jacket, a vest, then has on a heavier coat. Reminds me of the story book, Mr. Grabb it, the Rabbit. He said he never knew anymore what to wear. Tipper, I found last night’s video really interesting. That’s the first time I have ever heard of someone blowing in a baby’s mouth to kill thrush. Heard of folks talking the fire out of someone and some other things but never that. Have a great day everyone!!!
You know I haven’t seen one single flake of snow this winter. I desperately wanted to see one flake! Just one flake!
I’m glad you got at least a little bit!
Good memories from Charles. His mind was still sharp at 93, wow what a blessing! I’m thankful he shared his story and appreciate you Tipper for sharing it again. I don’t recall having any bad snows like that in March and hope not to see any like that now.
We received a skiff of snow last night here in eastern Kansas. No planting potatoes today ☘️. Sun’s out though so it won’t last long.
Certainly a snow to remember. And that was during the Depression to boot; troubles on top of troubles. But they took them in stride, figuratively and literally. Children have an advantage over adults in these things; they aren’t responsible for the well-being of others. What we remember as big adventures from childhood may have been white knuckle events for our parents.
I really enjoyed this story and to imagine 8 feet high snow in your area boggles my mind. Can you imagine kids WANTING to go to school in that stuff- much less hike it to find out it’s closed and back home again? Yikes! Hearing about hills, I am reminded of my dear friend who attended school in Virginia right close by. Once they had a little party and there were cupcakes, candy and Koolaid mamas brought. Anyway, many of the little children got hepatitis from the party. When the county began to trace back, they found one of the Koolaid bringers lived down hill from an old, old graveyard. Somehow the hepatitis had come into those country folks water supply from the graveyard leaching. She didnt get it because she didn’t drink that koolaid. Dear Spring- don’t tease me anymore baby cause I love you and want you to stay. “Cold feet, warm heart. Dirty feet, no sweetheart.”
I remember hearing about this. We had a big snow March 1960. My last year in high school. Neighbor Ezra Ledford was foreman at Deep South Poultry Farm. He and his sons Don & Jim picked me up at 2am in a jeep and we went to the farm. The chickens were piling up to keep warm and smothering to death. We threw chickens all day. By the time we had one end of the chicken house cleared they would be piled up in the other end. We threw chickens all day and I thought my arms would fall off. About 5pm another crew came in and threw chickens all night. Weather warmed up next day and the chickens stopped piling up…March 1961 I was at Ft.Monmouth NJ for two of the worst back-to-back blizzards in 20 years….another story!!
I remember chickens piling up like that when it was extremely cold. We would throw them with our hands and push our feet along the ground so as not to climb up on the pile. You’re right! You’d throw them behind you and they’d hit the ground running toward the other end.
It wasn’t just cold that made them pile up. Sudden movements and loud noises had the same effect. I remember when military aircraft first broke the sound barrier and began producing sonic booms that caused chickens to panic. Even aircraft flying at subsonic speeds scared chickens into piling up. Back in the late 50s and 1960 the Nantahala National Forest was used as a survival training ground for the military. Soldiers were dropped from helicopters and parachuted from airplanes. Many different kinds of aircraft flew low over our farm and when we heard them we headed for the chicken houses to unpile the birds.
A lot of chicken farmers lost a lot of chickens until the government curtailed flights over inhabited areas.
I don’t know about now but back then people wouldn’t eat chickens that had smothered to death. Daddy had dug a pit in the ground, covered with wood planking and with a trap door in it. That’s were chickens that smothered or otherwise died of natural causes went. It was a horrible place look into and emitted horrendous smell. I remember holding my breath and closing my eyes when I had to open that trap door and toss a dead chicken inside.
I had forgotten about the aircraft terrifying the chickens. My cousin Tommy Mauney was a Navy pilot and flew over his sweetheart Jean Paine’s family farm near Hiawassee Dam..only happened once! Papa Paine was not happy!!Tom retired as a full Commander and they lived at Gulf Breeze until they both passed.
Well, Don, I reckon we must be about the same age. 🙂
That was quite a blizzard. Back in 1993, we had a similar one here on the Cumberland Plateau. The snow drifts covered up the garage door on the western side of my house.
This reminds me of the blizzard that struck WNC in March of 1993. In Haywood County, some of the drifts were overhead.
Cassie, that is the blizzard I was referring to in my earlier comment. I think it was 10-12 inches deep in the Greenville, SC area and I had to keep going to work and driving 17 miles one way in it. I always drove a two wheel dive pickup with with 10 or 12 eight inch cement blocks placed in the bed over the real axle.
I think the blizzard of 93 is when we got 22″ of snow in one night.
This story read like a real thriller and I know it wasn’t a good thrill but from the way it was described, the people were strong and adaptable. What a great story on this, hopefully our last, dreary, cold (32F) spring Florida mornings. I’m sure grateful for what heat we do have instead of all that snow and can’t imagine all the losses that were experienced.
What a great story! I praise God that I can go easily for a couple weeks! Much longer if needed! I truly enjoy your posts and videos. I rewatched two from last year because I saw “fried mush”! I love it, my Mom used to make it when I was a little…I fry mine in bacon grease and/or butter. I like it crispy, sometimes I eat it alone, with bacon or with jelly. Thank you for sharing Appalachia and your lives with us. God bless you and yours❤❤
Another great story. I wonder in this day and time how many would be “prepared for the unexpected problem” ?
This was before my time, but I remember one year, I think it was 1971, when it snowed every Wednesday for 3 straight weeks in March. This was at Greenville, SC. None of the snows were as bad as this one but the schools and business closed. I could not help but think of the paper mill at Canton, it was recently announced that the owners are planning on closing the mill this fall. I think it was said over a thousand workers would lose their jobs and how the closing would effect the town of Canton and the surrounding areas. I believe it was also said the mill had been around for over a hundred years. I think of the effects the closing of the textile (cotton mills) had on the small towns they were located at in my area and the south. These mills were the lifeblood of these towns. Now many of these towns look like ghost towns and never recovered from these closings. I do have a way of heating, eating and cooking, or lighting my home during times of no power. Now thanks to having city water, I no longer have to worry about water. Last week the weathermen were talking about a blizzard 30 years ago in the Asheville, NC area.
Randy, I remember another big snow in Greenville in 1971. It was the last week of April. It was thundering and lightening. It snowed 14 inches and brought everything to a halt.
Randy, I remember snows on successive Wednesdays in March of ’60 in Raleigh and most of NC. The first was about 12 inches and a hard freeze followed it assuring that it wouldn’t soon melt. Before many streets were cleared, it snowed again the next week with about 10 inches. This, too, was followed by a hard freeze. Only folks with snow chains and 4-wheel drive vehicles – which meant jeeps in those days – were getting around. The thirds snow was only about 8-10″ and it warmed up during the next week starting the melt-off and allowing street clearings to begin. Schools were closed for at least 3 weeks causing them to extend classes into June. I remember this well because it was my senior year in high school. And, yes, I had chains on my 1950 Ford and went about easily. I used it to make trips to the grocery store for family, friends, and neighbors.