A little bit of history: Winter of 1905

[Thundersnow]

There's a local newspaper from my hometown area that has been posting journal entries from someone who lived over 100 years ago.  You can see it here: http://www.scadvocate.com/Journal.htm.  But, I thought some of you history buffs and/or winter lovers might find this interesting, regarding what winters used to be like around here many years ago.  The person who wrote these entries was in Cheatham County (just west of Nashville).  

January 1905
Friday 20th- Worked on the river for Chess Wyman and Company. John Lovell married January 14th to Ron Packs daughter, Lish at Dick Hoopers. Also Julius and Sam Stephens at Jim Hoopers tonight. Mary went to Tom Works today.
Sat. 21st – Done nothing. Ate dinner at Mitchells. Egbert Riggan stayed all night hear. Jo Hooper came down, give Dick Lovell his check. Mrs. Work and children hear today. Mitchell hear today.
Sun. 22nd – Went home with Ewing. He payed me $2.00 today. Stayed all night. Cold.
Mon. 23rd – Came home, D. Demoss staid all night. Cold
Tue. 24th – Went to Ashland all night at Frank Hoopers. Cold. Down 2 ½ below zero and cold yet.
Wen. 25th- Came home. Cold. Snow on the ground.
Thurs. 26th- At home, cold. Went to Jordans Store, Bought bushel 45cts. – coffee 2 lbs 30 cts, 2 shirts 1.00 snuff 10 cts tobacco 5cts. beans 25cts, Paid cash, Dick Lovell hear today. Tom Work hear today. Julius came home.
Fri. 27th- Julius and Benton gone up the creek. Cold. Snow on the ground. Dick Lovell and Lish gone to Nashville, Pairlee hear to night. Egbert Hoopers wife bad off with her eye. Still cold tonight. Will quit for to night.
Sat. 28th- Benton and Julius gone up the creek. Cold snow on the ground. Spunk Allen and Parlee Lovell hear to night. Julius all night at Ewings, Benton at Bill Doziers. Tom Work hear to day and went to Rustey Hoopers.
Sun. 29th- Julius come home. Bob Crouch lost $100 dollars to day. Pairlee hear to night. One foot of snow on the ground to night, and still snowing. Tom Work hear to day. Snowed all day to day. Paid Rustey 2.50 cash for 25 lbs. bacon yesterday. Out of wood and snow 12 inches deepe.
Mon. 30th- Cold, Snow on the ground. Went Tom Works. Sit till bed time. Bob Crouch has not found his money yet. Julius at home. Lish and Dick still gone. Benton at Dick Hoopers. Nothing doing at all.
Thurs. 31st- Cold, Snow on the ground. Julius at home to night. Pairlee hear to night. At Rusteys to day. This wynds up the month. Benton still out, all so Lish and Dick Lovell.

Febuary 1905
Wed. 1st – Went to Nashville. Lish and Dick Lovell come home. Cold, Snow on the ground. Staid all night with Jo Hooper, me and allen. Si Thornton hear to night all night all so Dick Lovell. Tom Work hear to day.
Thurs. 2nd- In Nashville. Staid all night with Dr. Hooper. Cold. Snow on ground.
Fri 3rd- In Nashville. Staid all night at Jo Hoopers me and allen. Cold snow on ground.
Sat. 4th- Come home me and allen. Cold snow on the ground. Si Thornton hear all night. Cumberland River frozed over. Come down on the train. Got off at Pegrams, walked home. Benton still out.
Sun. 5th- Julius up the creek. Sleeting to day. Si Thornton all night. Snow on the ground. Went to Tom Works. Sit till bed time.
Mon. 6th- Thornton gone home, Clear. Snow on the ground. Dick and Benton come home.
Tue. 7th- Dock hear, new baby at E.L. Hoopers. Ewing hear yesterday. Bought out De Demoss. Paid him fiftey dollars. Bobe Crouch has not found his money yet. John Hooper came over to see me to night. Dick Lovell eat supper hear, Tom Work hear to day. Lish gone to Dock Lovells. Jack Work hear to day.
Wen. 8th- Rain and sleet this morning. Allen hear yesterday. Tom Work hear to day. Lish did not come home. Feeling tuff pain in my left side. Well the sleet slowed some.
Thurs 9th- Fine snow falling this morning. Tom work hear to day.
Fri 10th- Clear and cold this morning. Snow on the ground. 29 this morning. Bob Crouch found his money. Louis Griffin and Dock Hooper had a law suit to day, so I hear. Ozias Crouch, Mitchell and Jack work hear to day. Dock Dozier sick. Juluis went up the creek.
Sat. 11th- Cold, snow on ground. Cloudey to day. 4 today. Still in house. The boys at home. Dick Lovell all night. Mitchell hear to day.
Sun . 12- Dick gone home, Lish all night at Rusteys. Last night turned cold and snowed. Down to 6 this morning. Cabage and meat come Saturday night, Allen and Julius went after it.
Mon. 13- Cold, down to 6 this morning. Snow on ground. 6 degrees below zero last night. Egbert Riggan staid all night. Very Cold. Snow.
Tues. 14- Jack Work hear today. Sold mary a hen. Bill Works boy very sick.
Wens. 15- Cold, down to zero this morning. Snow on ground. Staying 18 above zero at 12 o’clock. No business doing at all. Everything at a stand still.
Thurs. 16th- Ewing hear to day. Ewing had his horses shoed to day.
Fri. 17th- Went to Ashland. Seen Jim Wilson and Jo Justice, Will Shearon, Luke Hooper, Tom Adkinson sold a Farm. Juluis came home. Zero this morning. Seen Tom DeMoss halling wood. Ewing and Tom Work hear today.
Sat. 18- Zero this morning. Snow on ground. Will King hear to day. Tom Work and family hear to day. Eat dinner hear. Bought Mary a dress 45 cts. cash. Shuggar 50 cts. Owe for shuggar. One twist 5 cts. Paid cash. One store pan 20 cts. Cash. Julius up the creek. Lish and Benton went Rusteys. Julius come home.
Sun. 19- Snowed all day. Tom Work hear to day. I was at his house. Still snow on ground. Well I will stop till night.
Mon. 20- Went to Ashland. All night at Frank Hoopers. All so uncle Tom Smiley Hooper.
Tues 21- at Ashand. All night with Frank.
Wens. 22- at Ashland. All night with Jim Wilson. Seen Dr. Shacklett. Slept with him.
Thurs. 23- Come home me and Ewing. Lize got her devorse today.
Fri. 24- Worked for chess Wyman. Tom Work hear. Julius come home. Well it has turned some warmer.
Sat. 25- Went to the Stave mill. Chess paid me and Lish. Shelt Crouch crazey, so I hear. Will Knight and wife parted so I hear. Seen Sam Cox. Tom Gollerhearn leg cut off by a train.
Sun. 26- Tilden Barfield and Mag Johnson married today. Allen and Dazey hear tonight.
Mon. 27- Worked on river me and Lish. Staid all night with Dick Hooper. Mr. Walkup badley hurt today. Bill Stephens gon to Ashland so I hear. Old Mitlin gone left in night so I hear at midnight. Badman. Stray dog come in.
Tues. 28- Worked on river. Dick Lovell, Mrs. Work and children also Tom Work hear today. Egbert Riggan hear. So this winds up the month of Febuary 1905.

It's possible that this was an unusually cold and snowy winter.  But, just look at the dated entries.  It appears from his entries that snow was on the ground for nearly a month (from January 24 - February 20, at least).  There were several days that the temperatures dipped near and below zero.  And, the Cumberland River froze over.

Oh, for winters like that again.  :shock:

[Ron_Jarrell]

I saw a similar journal from the 1800s. Cold snowy winters.

The journal I read was from a resident of Franklin TN.

I'm a history nut too!

[Thundersnow]

On another board, someone suggested that a volcano eruption in the 1880s (Krakatoa) may have caused a colder climate globally for several years.  I've heard of that phenomenon... apparently, gases and ash released into the atmosphere serves to block some of the solar energy... leading to a period of global cooling.  There was apparently another year back earlier in the 1800s (1816, I believe) that was referred to as the "year without summer."  There's a theory that this was also caused by a volcanic eruption.

Fascinating for sure!

[Ron_Jarrell]

On another board, someone suggested that a volcano eruption in the 1880s (Krakatoa) may have caused a colder climate globally for several years.  I've heard of that phenomenon... apparently, gases and ash released into the atmosphere serves to block some of the solar energy... leading to a period of global cooling.  There was apparently another year back earlier in the 1800s (1816, I believe) that was referred to as the "year without summer."  There's a theory that this was also caused by a volcanic eruption.

Fascinating for sure!

Krakatoa was in 1883. It lowered the mean global temp by an estimated 1'C for several years afterwards.

The "year without summer" was 1815 and was a result of the explosion of another volcano, Tambora.

Large volcanoes that erupt launch particulate matter into the upper atmosphere. It is believed that this matter acts as nuclei to which condensate easily clings thus raising cloud cover and precipitation globally and cooling the planet. Sulfur compounds that are released into the upper atmosphere also absorb solar energy to cool the earth after a large volcanic eruption that lasts for several years after a major eruption.