Blizzard of 1888

In 1888, Nebraska faced one of the worst blizzards of its history. The snow began in the middle of the day. This meant it hit while children were in school, which earned the blizzard the nickname "the School Children's Storm." One teacher near Ord, Nebraska (about 70 miles north of Kearney) saved her 13 students by tying them to her body with a long length of rope and leading them to shelter. The image of "Nebraska's Fearless Maid" trailing a string of schoolchildren as she marches through a raging snowstorm inspired admiration across the nation. There is even a mosaic of the event mounted in the foyer of Lincoln's State Capitol building, made by Jeanne Reynal.