Near Burwell in Garfield County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
The Easter Blizzard of 1873
One of the worst storms in Nebraska history struck without warning on Easter Sunday, April 13, 1873. Rain began to fall in the afternoon and evening, later changing to snow. By Monday morning heavy, wet snow, driven before howling northwesterly winds, had cut visibility to zero. The storm raged until Wednesday, April 17, accumulating as eighteen to twenty-foot drifts in some areas. Hardest hit was east central Nebraska, where as many as twenty persons perished, along with thousands of head of livestock.
Here in the thinly-settled North Loup Valley tragedy was narrowly averted. When the storm broke, Truman Freeland and young Newt McClimans were bathing in the river. Freeland reached shelter at a neighbor's cabin, but McClimans became separated. After the blizzard ended, searchers seeking McClimans's body found him safe in Freeland's dugout, upon which he had stumbled by accident.
Although Nebraska's sparse population helped keep the death toll relatively low, the Easter Blizzard of 1873 probably caused a greater loss of life as a percentage of population than any other storm in the state's history.
Erected by Garfield County Historical Society; and Nebraska State Historical Society. (Marker Number 374.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Disasters • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Nebraska State Historical Society series list. A significant historical date for this entry is April 13, 1873.
Location. 41° 47.233′ N, 99° 7.236′ W. Marker is near Burwell, Nebraska, in Garfield County. Marker is on State Highway 91/11, 0.3 miles east of Windy Hill Road, on the right when traveling east. Located in a pull-out on the south side of the highway. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Burwell NE 68823, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 13 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Pebble Creek Fight (here, next to this marker); First Settlers in Garfield (approx. 0.9 miles away); Garfield County (approx. 0.9 miles away); Railroad Turntable (approx. 1.2 miles away); Kamp Kaleo (approx. 1˝ miles away); The North Loup Project (approx. 5.7 miles away); The Calamus Valley (approx. 5.7 miles away); Valleyview (approx. 12.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Burwell.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 11, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 15, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 588 times since then and 88 times this year. It was the Marker of the Week April 9, 2023. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 16, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 3. submitted on April 8, 2023, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.