Chicago Blizzard 1967 Radio Reports Part IV (South Suburbs)

This is the final of four clips of a broadcast from the 1967 Chicago blizzard. This is mainly from WTAS, for the south suburbs of Chicago. The broadcast came from WCGO and WTAS studios in Chicago Heights Illinois and radio nostalgia south suburban Chicago areas. The audio was originally recorded on a reel-to-reel by a Crete resident. The reel and recorder were later auctioned off when the resident had passed on and we have been lucky to obtain it. The video was done with stills of roughly half actual pictures from that blizzard (Chicago Tribune's "Big Snow", January, 1967) and half random pictures not necessarily from the blizzard, but there for filler, hopefully to make this all so not boring. This clip also includes text from the Chicago Tribune's January, 1967 "Big Snow" article. It may not all completely jive, but we tried our best for it to. Sorry if the video is boring, but at least the audio portion is genuinely from that time. Please enjoy!

[@berylwhite2983]

That is back when radio stations really were part of the community! They belong to people not corporations. An excellent video

[@boonshit]

Very true! Thanks for the kind words!

[@mfpasse1925]

I was a kid in 67. The blizzard was fun. They dug tunnels in the snow so we could get out. We stayed home and played. But a few months later, the 67 tornado outbreak scared me terribly.

[@dieselfarmer82]

By Golly this has been a real treat to listen to in all four parts, thank you for posting and a job well done on the picture show.

[@terryb0241]

Awesome job on the vids

[@jerroldkazynski5480]

I had gotten to High School that day, but so many problems made the school send us home. I had to walk the mile, but as a Senior that year, I was used to getting out & about on foot. Four-lane Grand Avenue thru eastern Franklin Park was down to almost a single lane dodging several snowed-in abandoned vehicles. Fun times for teenagers!

[@boonshit]

Yes! That do sound like it would have been a blast especially for the younger people! Thanks for sharing your story!

[@Taralatishabrown]

I remembered the 2011 Blizzard omg...

[@boonshit]

Same here! i made and posted these videos just a few days before that one happened. Got to stay home from work that day!

[@DevSodDribble]

I was 4 when the Blizard of 78 happened here in the Northeast (Southern NH) and I have no memory. But I love old newspaper and radio recordings about events like that.

[@boonshit]

Wow! You and me are around the same age. i was four during the Chicago blizzard of '79. i love the old news about these things also which made me want to make these videos!

[@007ndc]

I was 3 during the Blizzard of 1967 and don't remember it but I certainly remember the 1979 blizzard and the one during the holidays 1983-4 where it got down to -60 wind chill. Yikes

[@boonshit]

I wasn't born until the mid '70's but got ahold of these reel tapes in the '80's. I do remember the '79 and '83 ones!

[@eyesley]

I was two years old. I remember my parents talking about how warm it was before the blizzard. My mom and I got to the A&P in time in the city but it was hard for her with me and groceries on the way back as the snow came down fast.. My mom said we barely got back to the apartment. My dad walked like forever back to our apartment & he had to leave his car. Brings back great memories of the stories I heard from family.

[@gRosh08]

Again, thanks for sharing.

[@boonshit]

No problem! It was fun to make these videos!

[@johnkennedy9327]

I was there for this storm. I was in high school in Kankakee. Next day my dad and liked a mile to National Tea Grocer dragging a sled to get some groceries.

[@boonshit]

What an adventure that must have been!

[@RogerFarrell-oc5pe]

I walked 4 blocks to school, school never closed. There was only 3 of us in class so after an hour they sent us home. I got my dad A frame ladder from the garage, blipped it in the front yard and jumped in the snow the rest of the day. Those were times when no bicycle needed be locked.

[@boonshit]

Great story Rodger! Hope you had a fun rest of the day off school that day! Thanks for sharing!

[@jimmyb1559]

I was 10 years old and lived in Chicago at the time. I’ll never forget looking out my bedroom window that morning and not being able to see the hedges that outlined the backyard because they were buried in snow. Then all my brothers and sisters announcing school was closed!! A late Christmas present! Oh happy day. We got dressed and played outside all day building snow forts and playing war with snowballs. I remember going home and my mom made hot chocolate and then dinner like only she could. There were 10 kids in my family and even my dad got stuck at home which was rare. Blessed memories. Thank you mom and dad. Love and miss you.

[@boonshit]

Thanks for the story! Always love to hear what that day was like for those who was there!

[@ramencurry6672]

I’ve cooked barbecue meats in a bbq smoker during heavy snow fall. It’s actually possible and not difficult. That way if you’re trapped in the snow at home, it can be little more festive with the food.

[@brewcrew5854]

todays kids would have never get off couch ... as long as tablet/phone batteries dont die

[@brianarbenz1329]

What a calamitous month -- Our mother's best friend had just died unexpectedly in Evanston, then this weather disaster, and deaths of the Apollo 1 astronauts. So much pain.

[@boonshit]

Damn what an unfortunate time. Sorry to hear of the unfortunate news of that time. Hope that things are better for you nowadays friend!

[@brianarbenz1329]

@@boonshit Thanks for your concern. Those losses will always be with me, but I long ago got back on my feet emotionally.

[@altfactor]

The Chicago blizzard and the Apollo 1 fire both took place on January 27, 1967. The blizzard led the network evening TV news programs that evening (6:30 P.M. EST/5:30 P.M. CST), but about two hours later, news of the Apollo 1 tragedy hit the news wires (BTW, the fire inside the command module, where the three astronauts were undergoing a countdown rehearsal, broke out at 6:31 EST/5:31 CST. As a result, the storm completely dropped off the news cycle outside of the Chicago area.

[@brianarbenz7206]

@@altfactor I remember that horrible night. It was so tragic it seemed unreal.

[@brianarbenz1329]

@@altfactor I still remember the Apollo 1 bulletin. Like it happened tonight.

[@MrMenefrego1]

I was seven during The Blizzard of '67, which was a blessing for us children and a curse for adults. My brother and I made a bundle shoveling, although our poor father nearly had a heart attack doing the very same.

[@boonshit]

Sorry about Your Dad back then! Yes it seem like kids would have loved it!

[@MrMenefrego1]

@@boonshit You are such a kind man, what a nice change of pace that is!

[@boonshit]

@@MrMenefrego1 Lol Thanks Good Sir! i'm some kind of freak lol. Did these blizzard videos about twelve years ago. It was a fun project! Glad Ya dug 'em!

[@dale5898]

I was in junior high in Lombard Illinois. I still remember how much fun it was jumping out of the upstairs windows of the house into the deep deep drifts between the houses.

[@boonshit]

That must have been a fun day! Thanks for sharing!

[@dale5898]

Thank you for your hard work! It was fun to reminisce.

[@boonshit]

@@dale5898 My pleasure Good Sir! It was actually a fun project!

[@cztardust]

a great piece of local history. thankyou for posting this.

[@mikejames7116]

There's nothing boring about this man. If you can lend a hand, fellas…it so organic!

[@boonshit]

@cztardust Thank you for enjoying it! These clips were really a joy to put together!

[@cztardust]

Talk of the 67 Blizzard and then witnessing the 79 blizzard, I joined the Civil Defense in our community and was a long time member until FEMA started screwing it up and we lost many of our senior members who contributed so much to our mission. I have to say, we all really put in our personal best to help people during times of emergency and had little support we had from our local governments. I say this not for myself, but all the volunteer members that were very rarely ever aknowleged.

[@adape0884frank]

How interesting and if you have anymore please upload some more I love to watch these kinds of videos especially of Chicago.

[@Nunofurdambiznez]

What part of this is "boring"? Found the entire 4-part series absolutely fascinating!!

[@boonshit]

Thank You Adape! i don't have anything else like this for now but if i come across something like this in the future i'd be happy to post it and hopefully make another video of it!

[@boonshit]

@mrkrzt Thank you! It was fun putting this all together! It sounds like you had a good time in the '67 blizzard i'm guessing? Well anyway i'm glad it was able to help bring you back to a fun place!

[@Godzie1]

It took a few weeks for things to go back to normal... I was in 5th grade at that time in Bateman school on the Northwest side and we had 2 weeks off school. (but we didn't mind) :) We loved it! But the snow was still on the ground a month w/high drifts!

[@elwoodblues6663]

Went to school at Cleveland

[@wmbrown6]

New York City had its own blizzard that year, on Feb. 7.

[@glen6945]

ITS WINTER FOLKS

[@norm2264]

Too bad they didn't have Lightfoot foot for a mayor at the time she'd clean up that blizzard 🤣

[@thomasmascaro8355]

A BUNCH OF MY FRIENDS AND MYSELF HAD TO GET ON THE ROOF OF OLYMPIA LANES BOWLING ALLEY.IT WAS CAVING IN.17 YEARS OLD EWE GOT 5 BUCKS APIECE .CHICAGO HGHTS .NICE TIME.

[@terryb0241]

Any vids on the 79 blizzard?

[@boonshit]

Not exactly sure Marsman but i think it warmed up agin within two weeks or so after the blizzard so i don't think it was around for too long.

[@boonshit]

@nickarcher03 Did you mean the announcement about the announcer becoming boring? i wanted to warn people about that, not to mention that they'd be seeing a lot of text on this clip. i've been listening to this thing for many years and i actually find the announcer hilarious because he's boring! i'm glad you found a laugh here too! Thanks!

[@nickarcher03]

LOL @ the announcement at the beginning.

[@marsman231]

How long did it take before all the snow in the blizzard of 67 was gone?

[@altfactor]

1970! LOL! 😆

[@patrickclifford3120]

Hurricane Irma 2017 50 years later