Snowbound state workers endure blizzard ordeal in Norwalk garage
Five state highway department workers including Supt. Melvin Robinson and timekeeper Carl Frate survived the Blizzard of 78 after hours of isolation at the Dublin Road garage. Frate walked from his car through snow to reach the office, aided by a rope-taired group and later fed soup by rescued colleagues. The crew faced power loss, frozen doors, and a broken generator before rescue with snowmobiles and outside crews.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Carl Frate
Frate
Dublin Road
New London
State Highway Department
Walt Stoddard
Don Cole
Albert Miller
Supt
Melvin Robinson
Norwalk
Robinson
Miller
Pendleton
U.S. 250
Dublin
Carl
Milan
Ralph Holzmiller
Huron County
Holzmiller
Stoddard
Fred Smiths
State Highway
Mel Robinson
Area Communities Face Weekend Blizzard Aftermath
Dozens of villages including Plymouth and North Fairfield endured four days of power and water outages from Thursday's blizzard. Ohio Power cut service for hours, fire and emergency crews worked around the clock, and residents relied on neighbor help, four wheel drive vehicles, and Red Cross coordination. Hospitals, schools, and roads faced isolation with multiple evacuations, weather-related delays, and restored service by Sunday.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Plymouth
Ohio Power
General Telephone
GTE
Glenn Frakes
Elizabeth Paddock
Willard Hospital
Frakes
William Faulkner
Mansfield
Steven Arnold
W. Robert Seel
Patricia Woodmansee
Seel
Mayor Paddock
Jack Hutchison
Red Cross
Paul Songstock
North Fairfield
National Guard
Townline Road
Old State Road
Randy Garner
Leroy Stober
Masonic Lodge
Virgil Valentine
Vincent Construction Co
Wakeman
Clarksfield
Fisher-Titus Memorial Hospital
Akron Children’s Hospital
Valentine
Valentine Said Police Worked Closely With Members of the Snowballers
Holiday Lakes
Willard West Road
Austin Drive
Chessie
Willard Area
Willard Board of Education
Highway Department
New London Hospital
Columbia Gas Co
Reservoir Recreation Area
Ohio
Fitchville
City Hall
Firelands Electric Cooperative
Bartell’s
Greenwich
Atlee Myers
Baseline Road
Myers Funeral Home
Norwalk
Ashland
U.S. 224
Willard
Milan
Charles Lindecamp
Gary Limbird
Ptl
Jerry Christopher
Lindecamp
James Rockwell
Jeffries
Bryant
Milan School
Norwalk Hosts 50 Travelers In Storm Shelter Network
In Norwalk a large relief effort sheltered about 50 stranded travelers and locals after a major winter storm. St Peter Lutheran Church hosted 33 visitors Friday and 29 motorists slept on cots with supplies from its Good Samaritan Fund and Food Bank Fund. The Salvation Army fed 15 Friday and 12 Saturday as truckers, salesmen, and area residents sought heat and meals while waits for power restoration continued.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New Hampshire
Chicago
Norwalk
St. Peter Lutheran Church
the Salvation
Army
Ost
Minnesota
Detroit
Toledo
Bowling Green
Boston
Ann Arbor
Ohio
New London
Also Mentioned on This Page
Snowbound
Avery
U.S
Dennis Hartley
Dan Bennett
South Norwalk Road
Bennett
Sheriff's Department
Cbs
Seal
Monroeville
Donald Schick
Dave Parker
Leroy Axe
Sue Fendan
Edison Drive
Sandusky
Robert Bickley
Dale Berner
Bruce Wallis
The
Salvation Army
Cleveland Area
Shill’s
Interiors, Inc
W. Main
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!