[or-roots] Snow, Floods, Etc

[Jean Raabe]

Here I sit with it snowing outside in Eugene and reading all the messges about past snows.  There seems to be some controversy about the "big snow" of the late 60's.  The three feet of snow here in Eugene occurred in mid-January of 1969.  I know that for a fact as we had just moved into a new home and had two little ones.  Went out in the snow during the day to put our Federal and State taxes in the box at the postoffice and it was just beginning.  We put the chains on and went for pizza with friends in the evening then back to their house to put the kids to bed and play games.  We thought it had quit when we looked out the window as the snow was very fine so we just kept on playing.  When we finally went out to our car, two sleeping little girls in our arms, the snow was so drifted against the passenger door we could hardly open it.  All the way home, about four miles, we were wondering why we even tried to leave our friends house but it was too late to turn back so just kept plowing (literally) on home.  When we got up the next morning we couldn't open the garage door for all the snow.  Eugene was paralyzed for a couple days and almost everyone walked wherever they had to go.  What fun walking down the middle of some of the busiest streets in town!  Thankfully the little market near our home was open a few hours a day so we had milk, etc. for the girls.  The city was in no way prepared for that much snow and had no snow removal equipement.  Private construction companies were called into service with their road graders and blades to clear the main roads.  Very few people had four-wheel drive in those days so those that did worked overtime helping out as well.  It was fun for a while but wore thin pretty quickly.  It was good to see neighbors helping each other and even helping those they didn't know.

As to the flooding mentioned.  Again, I remember it well and it was December of 1964.  We were married in July and had just bought a small house that had virtually no heat but a baseboard - remember those? - in one bedroom.  It was so cold and snowy we borrowed space heaters from every family member that could spare one and kept the oven on with the door open as much as possible.  Then it warmed overnight and the state was in a major flood disaster.  We have since taken the Rogue River Jet Boat trip a few times and are always over-awed to see how high the Rogue got in that flood.  What a mess !

I do enjoy reading all of your memories and it brings up so many of mine.  Keep 'em coming!

Jean in Eugene
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