Monday, March 12, marks the 130th anniversary of the most famous snowstorm in recorded American history, the Blizzard of 1888. Although there have been heavier snowfalls and lower temperatures, the combination of snow, wind and cold of the “Great White Hurricane” has been unmatched in more than a century. The storm paralyzed the East Coast from Maryland to Maine, isolating major cities and small villages for days, as the snowfall continued unabated for 36 hours. The National Weather Service estimated that 50 inches of snow fell in Connecticut. Winds blew up to 48 miles an hour, creating snowdrifts 40 to 50 feet high. Trains came to a standstill, severing communication. In Norfolk, Carl Stoeckel wrote, “All the inhabitants say that it is the greatest storm ever known in Norfolk.” As soon as the snow stopped, residents came out in force to clear the roads and rails. Photographer Marie Kendall was on hand when the first train emerged from the tunnel under Greenwoods Road heading toward the station at noon on Saturday, March 15.

—Ann Havemeyer

Photo courtesy of the Norfolk Historical Society.