Recalling the 1922 "Storm of the Century"
Aftermath of the Feb. 22, 1922, ice storm along Lincoln Boulevard and New York Avenue in Manitowoc.
From February 21-23, 1922, much of eastern Wisconsin was hit by an ice storm. Snow and freezing rain coated trees, power lines, streets and railroads, cutting off electricity, phone and telegraph service.
The storm was headlined across the state, including Manitowoc County. The Manitowoc Herald News on February 23, 1922 featured the storm and the damage it left.
"Within the memory of the oldest inhabitant no so such storm which raged here yesterday and during the night and which swept the state in general has even been recorded. Traffic at a stand-still, wire communication entirely cut off, fire apparatus out of commission, city light and power plant incapacitated, basements flooded, were only a few outstanding features of an unprecedented situation brought out by a battle of the elements in what might justly be termed the unequalled freak storm of the century."
The rain, hail, and sleet storm was also paired with electrical flashes. Tree limbs broke from the weight of the ice, snapped telephone and telegraph wires, and cut electricity for much of the city. "Wires, tree tops, limbs, and whole sections of trees were a jumbled mass of wreckage in the streets. In many places whole blocks were cut off from traffic caused by the mass of wires that hung across the thoroughfares. And the worst feature of it all is that no one knew just where to begin the work of repair." The storm also included winds of 30 miles per hour and a brief blizzard.
Area schools were closed and the street cars were shutdown. It was reported that half of the street car power lines between Manitowoc and Two Rivers were down. Train service was also delayed and the Francis Creek depot even had reports of trains stalling.
Homes received damage from the ice storm too. The John Schwartz home, located at the corner of Manitowoc's 13th and Manilla Streets, had a telephone poll crash through the roof.
"Not a rural carrier out of the local office was able to make the route today and each one turned back to the office after having gone less than three miles. ... John Schreihart, veteran carrier on route 3, directly south of the city on South 10th Street , said that he counted 35 poles down in a distance of less than 2 miles."
"A man came in from Whitelaw on foot this morning and reported that practically every pole between the village and this city was down. ... North of Mishicot reports say that in a five mile stretch not a single poll was left standing."
The area of North 5th Street, Park Street, and State Street saw a massive destruction of beautiful elm trees that had been planted over 50 years earlier. Manitowoc was at the center of the ice storm and early damage estimates for the city matched those of the entire state of Wisconsin combined. Preliminary damage was estimated at $100,000. The J.A. Rummele Company had negatives of views of the storm damage that the public could purchase.