This photograph captures the aftermath of a powerful ice storm that struck Bolivar, Missouri in January of 1949.
Taken just a block away from the Bolivar Public Square, the photo vividly shows the damage caused by the storm. Trees and power lines are heavily coated in ice, bending under the weight of the freezing precipitation.
This photo showing the aftermath of a January 1949 ice storm in Bolivar, Missouri, was taken a block away from the city’s public square. Frank A. Martin is in the photograph with his home is in the background.
Frank A. Martin is pictured in the foreground, braving the icy conditions as he stands near his home, which is visible in the background. The icy storm created hazardous conditions across Bolivar, causing widespread power outages and making travel dangerous as the storm left a thick layer of ice on roadways.
The photograph serves as a reminder of the raw power of nature, documenting both the beauty and destruction caused by the ice storm in Bolivar. This photograph was taken by Springfield reporter Betty Love and published in the Daily News on Jan. 12, 1949.
This image is part of a much larger collection of historically rich photographs from the News-Leader’s photo archive. Each week, the Springfield-Greene County Library will tap into this vast collection and present an interesting image “from the darkroom” and share its history. This image is presented in partnership between the Springfield-Greene County Library District and the Springfield News-Leader. For more historical images of the Ozarks, visit: thelibrary.org/fromthedarkroom.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: From the Darkroom: Aftermath of a 1949 ice storm in Bolivar, Missouri
