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The following is a transcript of a report written by George M. Gehant, the Lac qui Parle County agent in the late 1960s. In the report, Gehant provides an update on the state of LqP’s roads after a series of blizzards in December 1968 and January 1969 dropped multiple feet of snow on the county. We think this report gives a good idea on what it took to keep roads clear in this time period, and how even a well prepared county can be frozen by a massive snowstorm.
Pair of Snowblowers clearing LqP road (January 1969)
Report Written by George M. Gehant January 1969
Most county and township roads in Lac qui Parle County have been closed since last Wednesday night, January 22. County Engineer Gordon Anderson said today, (January 29), “Very few through highways are open and our plowing is being limited to a hit and miss proposition. Emergency calls are high and are increasing daily. The county has 10 trucks with V plows and many with wings and seven motor graders with V plows and wings. Most of them are now too small to cope with the size of the snowbanks on our roads. We are renting three bulldozers and one large motor grader. The large rented motor grader in the only one that you can be sure will get through.”
Anderson says 80 percent of the 504 miles of county roads are blocked with snow. He estimates that about 80 percent of the 800 miles of township roads are blocked. Two county machines are broken down and three operators are sick. Most equipment used on township roads is too small and some of their equipment is waiting for repairs.
Anderson says he needs six rotary plows for 10 days to open and improve county roads. He’s speaking of the 2 auger rotary powered by a 350 horsepower motor. The county has one small rotary and has ordered a second one.
The State Highway Department has furnished one rotary plow for three and one-half hours. Money is not the problem now. Men and equipment from outside is needed. Bulldozers or rotary plows are the only thing that will open the roads.
Lac qui Parle County lies straight west of Minneapolis on the South Dakota line. It has a rural population of 6,500 people. There has been 52 inches of snowfall since December 12, 1968.
Many dairy farmers are dumping their milk. Farmers are not able to get feed for livestock. Market livestock is being held beyond their best market weights. Many people are being supplied by snowmobile.
Since January 1, 1969, due to road condition; Madison Schools have been closed six days, Dawson School 12 days, and Bellingham, 12 days and Marietta eight days.
To address the snowfall from these storms the county also acquired two snowblowers from Yellowstone National Park (Pictured below). The snowblowers were built for the lighter snow that is more common in that area and quickly broke down when exposed to the heavier, wetter snow in MN. This story and the story of the other storms that winter will be elaborated on further in an upcoming articles.
