Plowing the Tug Hill 1939

A film made by the Walter truck company and the Frink snow plow company. It was narrated much later, but prior to 1983, probably the late 70s.

[@arneservatius1982]

I’m an old timer in Michigan. I rode on steam engines. Dodge Power wagon was simple. Heavy duty clutch and ass kicking transmission. Better machine then today and any farmer could overhaul or rebuild with an Eighth grade education. Back then they taught school. 8 grades were better then 12 today and we spent $50/pupil 🤗🇺🇸🇨🇦

[@TwoStacks217]

My Grandpa gave me a 1945 Dodge power wagon as my first vehicle it still had the wooden bed in it

[@nedkent5239]

Schools didn’t have parents suing them all the time because their kid got hurt messing around back then…

[@johnnyobigcatdaddy]

Although I did most of my growing up near Dayton, OH., because when my Dad retired form the military, he didn't want to go back to Upstate N.Y. due to the severe winters, and cost of living compared to here. I can remember a few times, sitting with my Aunt Verna on her sofa, her on one end, me on the other, drinking coffee at 4:30 am. having good conversations, watching the snowplows going up and down the road she lived on, in the country side of Williamstown, N.Y. in Oswego county! I sure miss those days, I tell ya!

[@dmflynn962]

Thanks for the info. I grew up in a suburb, and the town was really superb at plowing, but I barely remember seeing 2 walters, even though the town had about 6.

[@alcoc420]

Thanks. I posted it because I thought people might like it. Then, I found out somebody else posted it, too.

[@jambocoo]

Really neat seeing how it was done back in the day, and those guys did it well, thanks for sharing.

[@olddave4833]

I grew up in Delphi and remember most of the town going out and shoveling in front of the plow to help out during WW2 and later

[@bengardiner1652]

I was at the long gone Frink Plant in Clayton back in 1989. The subject of this video came up and the Frink folks said it was edited in a studio in Toronto and the voice over done by their Toronto Service Manager and it was largely ad lib on his part. As I recall his name was Don Kohler and his narration really made the film. He was a natural.

[@dmflynn962]

Thank you for the info. I like the folksy voice and informal information. He sounds like the guy from the motel 6 commercials.

[@johnnyobigcatdaddy]

@@dmflynn962 I really miss the old sound of radio, there were some great voices in days of old, like Paul Harvey for one!

[@oldblueaccord2629]

I watch this every year in the winter time. Love it!

[@stevefowler2112]

I'm a Florida boy but wifey is from Rome NY and her family had/has a hunting camp on Tug Hill and I've been up there several times in the winter...I think they get the highest level of snowfall in the U.S. east of the Rockies. There were times their would be 8 to 12 inches of standing snow in Rome and 40 minutes later on Tug Hill there'd be 6 feet plus. It's a fun place to drink and raise hell...lots of bars around Osceola.

[@andyginterblues2961]

The Flat Rock Inn in Barnes Corners is the place to go. They have snowmobile races there year round. Grass drags and watercross in the summer.

[@stevefowler2112]

@@andyginterblues2961 Not sure if they ever took me there or not but I remember the Osceola Hotel and the Milk Factory...we rode sleds up to the Osceola Hotel one winter night, I had never driven one before but had done a lot of dirt bike riding so it wasn't too much different...I at least kept up...the place was packed with sleds in the parking lot. It was quite a site for a Florida boy...we had a blast and were three sheets to the wind riding back to camp.

[@andyginterblues2961]

Gotta have that antifreeze if you're sledding! I knew hardcore sledders up there that would take 60 mile sled runs, in any kind of weather, at night, etc. they used routes that they had used before. Only thing that scares me about night sledding is the chance that you'll run into a barbed wire fence in the dark and get decapitated. It happens.

[@stevefowler2112]

@@andyginterblues2961 Yes my brother-in-law whose old sled I used told me about that...he grew up around there and we kept to groomed trails and the roads...lol...his sled would do 100 mph on the roads...I didn't feel comfortable going over 55 or 60 on mine with my wife on the back...like I said it was my first time...discretion is the better part of valor as they say. Had a great time...loved going up there in the winter, especially when I was a little younger.

[@DrDonut]

Osceola hotel everyday Tuesday

[@FrogandFlangeVideo]

Awesome film. James.

[@dedogster]

Having driven through that part of New York State in the winter, and see the amount of snow , I am amazed at the work thease early plowe drivers did! Fantastic! Thanks for posting!

[@albertolucca8187]

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[@mariogunner2641]

@Alberto Lucca Instablaster =)

[@albertolucca8187]

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[@albertolucca8187]

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[@mariogunner2641]

@Alberto Lucca Glad I could help :)

[@allenjohnson7686]

Living in the UK we are lucky to get any snow in winter now. I'm from up north so we do get more from 2009-2014 we got good winters with snow and drifts then it stopped for a few years. It did hit -18c in 2010 in my garden that's the coldest iv had in the UK but in Italy skiing, i was near mont blanc and it was -37c and a gale blowing so no idea what the windchill was but it got through 4 underlayers and a windproof ski jacket! I love snow! If i did move to the USA i would head to the New England area or lake effect snow areas :)

[@MrDjh66]

My friend had 2 of those in his yard in the 70s and 80s in forestport off of north lake road

[@blackdoggxxx]

I think my real dad was "charlie"! lol Thanks for posting this! ~DOGG

[@andyginterblues2961]

I have heard that the record snowfall in New York state was the winter of 1956 (?) when twelve feet of snow buried Oswego county. One of my mom's ex husbands was sent there with the army, and showed me photos that he had taken. the snowbanks on the roadside, after the plows came through, were as high as the crosstrees on the electric poles. My family had a farm in the Tug Hill valley, near Glenfield, and I happened to be there during the blizzard of '77, (on vacation from college.) It snowed continuously for probably an entire week. When it was done, over six feet had accumulated. We were snowed in, and had no snow machine. The army came by snowmobile, and gave us some C-rats, luckily, we had enough wood in the woodshed to keep warm. Every day, I would go and shovel a path from the farmhouse to my car, which was entirely buried. After what seemed like forever, one day, I heard a plow coming up Pine Grove road. I ran out on snowshoes, and waved and yelled until the driver saw me, I had to direct him to come around and plow out near where my car was, so that I could get it out. The snow was so deep that conventional plows were useless. Plows mounted on halftrack vehicles that were used to clear the runway at Wheeler- Sack airfield on Camp Drum were pressed into service, the plow that rescued me and my family was one of these. There were stories of cars that were buried in snow being run over and flattened by these huge snowplows. Everyone who could get out went to the town barn in Lowville where we were put in vans and given shovels. For weeks, we shoveled people out who were trapped in their houses, we shoveled off roofs, many barn roofs had collapsed, killing the cattle. My sister still lives in Lowville, she told me that around five years ago, they got five feet. The snowfall in Lewis county is no joke.

[@donnebes9421]

AndyGinterBlues I spent many nights in lowville back when I hauled utility poles for niagra mohawk. That whole area was a cold snowy place to be.

[@donvoll2580]

Good day Boy that was some snow. Alot more than we get here in Ontario. Thanks

[@todlindley8101]

Half Shafts and Diffs would be gettin some stress !!, but may be they made em good enough !

[@herbertstiles5066]

My Wife's parents were living their then.

[@r3ndur]

very therapeutic🤣, i learned a a lot

[@dketcham-sparky]

I know how hard it was because I did it with a 1947 Walter Snow Fighter..

[@dmflynn962]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing.

[@erbewayne6868]

Looks like the Kewanaw along lake Superior in UP of Michigan similar temps.

[@brucenothstein2909]

i love it i live in this area of NY

[@andyginterblues2961]

Where? My family was Twin Maples Farm, near Glenfield.

[@todlindley8101]

YES !!! Men WERE PROUND OF THEIR WORK BACK THEN !! BUT NOW !! NOBODY GIVES SFA

[@alsehl3609]

How thin the men are! 28 degrees below and they aren't wearing bulky clothing! Hardy people!

[@gsfbffxpdhhdf7043]

My lil honda 1000cc can plow that 😃

[@marcodevries4481]

Looks cool but sure is the wrong equipment. Caterpillar tracks required.

[@g.r.4853]

Cat tracks may have had the traction but they sure took a long time to clear the roads. When we got snowed in and the county brought out the dozers they had to push the snow off the road to the side, usually several feet. Their forward travel was like an mile an hour.

[@29maward]

Is Charlie still living?

[@kennethbredow3098]

Too funny!!!

[@richardcarper8566]

Why the stupid music?