Looking for Info on the Blizzards of 67 and 79 (Chicago: credit, living in)

[Manigault]

Originally Posted by supersoulty

Any good resources on that, though?

The Chicago Tribune on defining moments in Chicago history:

On the last day of 1978, Jane Byrne, in an underfunded and mostly unnoticed campaign for mayor against the highly favored incumbent, Michael Bilandic, said she prayed for a felicitous coming year. The heavens opened. On the first weekend of 1979, it snowed more than 9 inches. On Jan. 12, it began snowing again and continued all the next day, finally stopping around 2 a.m. Sunday the 14th. With 20.3 inches added to that remaining from the earlier storm, it was a city record for accumulation -- 29 inches.

The city wasn't prepared to handle the piles and drifts that turned Chicago into a heavily frosted wedding cake. O'Hare and Midway airports were closed. The CTA system was crippled. Hundreds of schools were closed. Chicagoans blamed Bilandic for not doing enough to put their lives back to normal and for, in fact, seeming to put the burden of leadership on them. Early on, he issued a statement saying, "We're calling on all citizens of Chicago to rise to the occasion as they always have."

The city issued a list of 100 school lots that had been cleared so Chicagoans could move their cars off the streets. The list contained many snowbound lots. In an uncharacteristically snide Page One package, the Tribune teamed the headline, "Bilandic Said You Should Park Here" with a photo of a lot thigh deep in snow.

Nonetheless, police were ordered to have cars parked on the streets towed. When asked about sick, elderly or handicapped drivers, the mayor said they could "tell it to the judge."

Bilandic was seen as dismissive and selectively so. CTA trains loaded up with suburbanites at the ends of lines and passed by commuters (voters) in inner city minority neighborhoods who threw snowballs at the passing cars. Underdog Byrne took every photo opportunity to show the mayor's ineffectiveness in snow removal. In the Feb. 27 election, she won.

"I believe if it hadn't been for that snowstorm," Rep. William Lipinski said at the time, "he would have been re-elected in 1979 and probably gone on to serve a number of terms."

Bilandic's defeat is said to have marked the end of the once all-powerful Democrat Machine. It also was a signal to municipal leaders here and elsewhere to stock up on snow removal equipment lest they become "Bilandic-ed."

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http://www.chicagotribune.com/entert...,5181770.story

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by ekg56

... I have pictures of my 1 year old son standing outside and it looked like he was in a tunnel. We couldn't park on the street and parked in the Jewel parking lot off of Pulaski and Wilson.

I remember making tunnels in the snow.;-)

[supersoulty]

Originally Posted by Manigault

The Chicago Tribune on defining moments in Chicago history:

On the last day of 1978, Jane Byrne, in an underfunded and mostly unnoticed campaign for mayor against the highly favored incumbent, Michael Bilandic, said she prayed for a felicitous coming year. The heavens opened. On the first weekend of 1979, it snowed more than 9 inches. On Jan. 12, it began snowing again and continued all the next day, finally stopping around 2 a.m. Sunday the 14th. With 20.3 inches added to that remaining from the earlier storm, it was a city record for accumulation -- 29 inches.

The city wasn't prepared to handle the piles and drifts that turned Chicago into a heavily frosted wedding cake. O'Hare and Midway airports were closed. The CTA system was crippled. Hundreds of schools were closed. Chicagoans blamed Bilandic for not doing enough to put their lives back to normal and for, in fact, seeming to put the burden of leadership on them. Early on, he issued a statement saying, "We're calling on all citizens of Chicago to rise to the occasion as they always have."

The city issued a list of 100 school lots that had been cleared so Chicagoans could move their cars off the streets. The list contained many snowbound lots. In an uncharacteristically snide Page One package, the Tribune teamed the headline, "Bilandic Said You Should Park Here" with a photo of a lot thigh deep in snow.

Nonetheless, police were ordered to have cars parked on the streets towed. When asked about sick, elderly or handicapped drivers, the mayor said they could "tell it to the judge."

Bilandic was seen as dismissive and selectively so. CTA trains loaded up with suburbanites at the ends of lines and passed by commuters (voters) in inner city minority neighborhoods who threw snowballs at the passing cars. Underdog Byrne took every photo opportunity to show the mayor's ineffectiveness in snow removal. In the Feb. 27 election, she won.

"I believe if it hadn't been for that snowstorm," Rep. William Lipinski said at the time, "he would have been re-elected in 1979 and probably gone on to serve a number of terms."

Bilandic's defeat is said to have marked the end of the once all-powerful Democrat Machine. It also was a signal to municipal leaders here and elsewhere to stock up on snow removal equipment lest they become "Bilandic-ed."

----------

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entert...,5181770.story

Thank you. I found an article on the Blizzard of 67. With those combined I should be golden. I would cheer the Cubs right now, but you might be a White Sox fan, so I will keep my peace other than to say I have a warm place in my heart for your city.

Take care.

[Chuckity]

We have some video of the blizzard of '79 - it includes the very first city snowplow to ever visit our southeast Chicago side street.

[Manigault]

What's odd is that neither the University of Chicago nor Evanston Township High School closed during the blizzard of '79. Folks were just expected to soldier on.

[NYrules]

Why does no one ever remember the blizzard of '99? ESP since that was a bigger storm and dumped more snow than the one in '79? cbs2chicago.com - The Blizzard Of 1999: 21.6 Inches Of Misery I guess its just old people reminscing on the "olden days"

[Manigault]

In '79 the political fallout was far more severe. Harold Washington later went on to defeat a person he called "The Snow Queen".

[67 and Artesian]

I lived in Chicago for the Big snow of 67 .You have to remember the times. The city was shut down for a couple of days.Many streets were blocked. A lot of people got stuck were they were . My mother did not get home for three days. My sister walked a few miles home because the bus never came. This was a freak of nature and I believe most people made the most of it. This is pre URBAN DECLINE . I believe the city worker's did all they could PEOPLE WERE LIKE THAT THEN.The snow fell at rush hour ---plows could not get through.Car's were big old clunky things that slipped and slid all over.The snow of 78-79 went on and on and on from DEc. 10, 1978 untill
the last snow melted in MAY. No one could have seen that mess coming. The city was in financial distress and the MAYOR BILANDIC had snow put into the parks and people complained. If you did not shovel yourselves out you did not go out. 84 inches
Garages collapsed my street at the time was 67 th and Komensky . cars were blocked
in for about three weeks. Everywhere you went SNOW SNOW SNOW. Jayne Bryne used this as a political move to make herself look good. Most times the city handles the snow well now it has more modern equipment better salt and snow routes.Good outcomes from BIG natural disasters. Chicago is a great big city and it really tries harder.

[67 and Artesian]

because 7 8-79 was one large snow fall after the other with No BIG THAW
PILING UP 84 inches of frozen icy slushy cold SNOW
snow started 12/10/78 and we had several major snow storms.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by NYrules

Why does no one ever remember the blizzard of '99? ESP since that was a bigger storm and dumped more snow than the one in '79? cbs2chicago.com - The Blizzard Of 1999: 21.6 Inches Of Misery I guess its just old people reminscing on the "olden days"

I have mentioned in many times in this forum.