Public Domain
The 1947 Milwaukee snowstorm
The 1947 Milwaukee snowstorm
Schools closed, businesses shut down, and retail stores went dark as people shoveled snow for hours just to get out of their homes. More than 100 city plows waged war against 20 inches of snow on Wednesday evening, January 29, 1947.
In the 21st century, significant snowfalls might burden the city for a day or two, but in the years following World War II, things were different. The snowstorm that crippled greater Milwaukee in January 1947 disrupted everyday activities for weeks. Wind gust rose as high as 60 miles per hour. Streetcars, automobiles and stores literally vanished into a record-breaking white tornado that prevented residents from accessing grocery stores, gas stations, jobs, and schools. Newspaper and mail deliveries were halted. Hospitals were among the hardest hit as many doctors, nurses, and other health care professional struggled through the snow on foot.
Only the movie theaters and saloons stubbornly refused to close, their neon signs bringing a quantum of hope to thousands who fought the blinding snow. Actor Walter Huston’s performance at Downtown’s Davidson theater was cancelled but George Raft lit up the screen at the Comet as did Glenn Ford at the Zenith, Bette Davis at the Varsity, and Burt Lancaster at the Tower. One intrepid film fan later bragged that nothing was going to stop him from seeing the Bowery Boys in Ghosts on the Loose at the Savoy. Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall sold at least one ticket that night.
Neighborhood taverns encouraged patrons to Drop Inn or Stagger Inn for a shot of Dutch courage while they waited out the storm. Others made it home if they started early, but many more were forced to spend the night at places of employment or recreation.
Two days later, the price of gasoline hit rock bottom as the cost of groceries went through the roof. Shoppers paid twice as much for meat, fruit, vegetables, and bread while accusing merchants of profiteering. Supermarket prices slowly returned to normal after eight weeks.
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After the city was running smoothly again, officials sharpened their pencils and tried to calculate the costs associated with the 22-hour storm. A figure of $75 million was agreed upon by many. The number considered lost wages, cash out of peoples’ pockets, hotel and restaurant bills, medical services, and loss of revenues at thousands of retail stores. The cost to the city alone hovered at $4 million, much of which covered the purchase of new snow removal vehicles, overtime paid to employees, towing services and other unexpected expenses. Table-pounding and finger-pointing by elected officials revived old feuds as politicians blamed each other for myriad aftereffects from the blizzard. On the other hand, Dean Martin might simply have leaned back and said, “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.”
