Snowplow Alley! History of snowplows in Maine!

A featured video of the Cole Land Transportation Museum, details the history of snowplowing in Maine with interviews of former Coles Express drivers and and old snowplow footage.
Taken from the Cole Museum video archives, it is also available for sale on DVD with a 28 minute tour of the museum. You can visit www.colemuseum.org for more information. Video is copyright of the Cole Land Transportation Museum and is used here by permission.
Narrated by Lowell Kjenstad, curator and trusted friend of the museum.

[@robertreisner6119]

In Alaska we started Snow plowing around 1923. I started plowing in 1984 and my customers think that I am one of the best two snowplowers. My neighbor also started plowing in the same year and the two of us are called The Snow Kings.

[@richardclintonjonesjones1807]

When I plowed snow for VDOT I considered myself mighty lucky that my plow truck had a nice warm cab. Those guys that plowed so long ago weren't that lucky they often plowed many feet of snow while setting on open cab dozers and graders and their trucks had no heat either. My hat is off to all of them. They truly earned their pay

[@Turbo231]

For sure they did, and often did their own repairs!

[@shanepersons383]

Big hats off to these folks! Its pert near 2020 and we are still useing V-plows! And wings!! On blades n loaders! Here in Idaho!! 👍👍👍

[@signman1122]

I am so very impressed and honored to be able to watch this video. My father (God rest his Soul) owned a garbage company in northern Minnesota for 40 years, starting in the 20's when His Father ran a HUGE team of horses with a plow for the MN Highway Dept. to clear the rural Hwys of snow outside of anoka, north of St. Paul. Then when my father took over the company, he started using garbage trucks equipped with snow plows for the rural area's. He would deliver the mail, plow their roads and pick up their garbage all at the same time. He bought plows from What I believe is These hard working folks in Main, because I remember grampa telling us the stories about waiting for months for this fancy new snow plow to come from Maine. He said they were the best in the world, and HE KNEW SNOW! My Grandfather owes his existence to a team of draft horses that ran plows in the winter and sickles for the weeds on the side of the same hwys in the summer. (Oh, and what's a 'HEATER'? my gramps would say, he never ever had one in his truck or team in those cold Minnesota winters) My gramps started with those two horses, my dad took it over in 1946 with a pick up truck a plow and a shovel. He retired in 2005 and sold his Garbage/Rubbish Company with 45 trucks and a 10 acre recycling center for 4.5 MILLION Dollars. Just some history for who ever is interested. Thank you for taking the time to read my families history. God Bless America! Tommy in Minnesota

[@savagedabs8536]

Hey Tommy does your dad need an adopted child from Maine? I'm up for adoption I'll just need 2 of the 4.5 million.

[@Maine307]

They understood why they did what they did. And they understood earning their pay. Dang good video ! thank you for uploading it for us to share.I drive by the place at least twice a week. My kid school went on a field trip there as well.

[@Turbo231]

Yes, a great place of Maine History! I worked there 8 years.

[@josephvanwie6706]

That's when men were men. The people of today do not know what hard work is. We owe it to these men to make sure their history is never forgotten. Not only to honor their memory but to remind us where we come from when the going gets tough. The future will require it from us also and it will be our turn for the next generations hopes of survival. These men carried us on their backs and it was a great burden accomplished through love.

[@DowneasterProductions]

joseph Van Wie have you seen Maine people there I toughest people I know because I one of them

[@andrewr4220]

@Rene Drew No it doesnt not.

[@bobg.9585]

@@andrewr4220 You will change your mind on your last day, then you will know the truth !!!

[@digginz8603]

Make sure to reproduce or it will be forgotten

[@samhouston9809]

On jobsites nowadays safety is the main concern so much that it is hard to work or get things done.

[@barttimmerman6077]

Great video, as someone else said 'when men were men'.

[@ellenfaulkner9106]

Don Pelkey (Pelletier) Caribou, ME used to tell the store 'bout the first municipal plow rig. A Walter with a V plow and how one of the first bad storms they busted the rear end, They had to send a man down to Bangor for a new ring and pinion. While they waited he organized getting a tarp and a pile of wood, draped the canvas tarp over the truck and built a fire to thaw everything and keep it decent for working. Don had worked in the woods back in the day of Lombards and knew a thing or 2 about workin outside in the cold. Love the land museum and God bless the Cole family. good people.

[@mpccenturion]

In 75, , my Dad and brother went 3'rds on a 1948 Cat D4 bulldozer. i plowed the snow - up to the Powerlines into the 80's. We haven't gotten snow like that in 30 yrs. But we will! Look back at the 40's

[@R.U.1.2.]

Rolling snow down, and no Nobel Prize? The genius that invented this needed some kind of recognition, medical I should think.

[@justadoginmaine]

Tougher generation. Today, nobody would do what they had to. Excellent video.

[@glenn3197]

Your absolutely right

[@scottdryden159]

Yeah right "men were men and so were the women.."

@@scottdryden159 And sheep were scared!!!

[@TheMuskokaman]

Great Video as a Guy who plows for a living much like my Father did I really appreciate this!

[@agreavette6450]

I live in northern Ontario and I remember in 1948 the snow was so deep the army had to come and dig our town out! My dad was just back from the war and they used dynamite to clear some of the deepest parts. They were a different type of men back then they were all helping each other, like they were family.

[@jedimasterjoe5386]

Ontario is shit compare to man

[@9trees]

@@jedimasterjoe5386 Peckerhead!

[@phillipgarrow2297]

We don't know how good we have it now. I plow snow with a 8 ft 6 inch meyer snowplow and never get cold

[@trulysurprised-bk7cy]

My dad told stories of candles and lanterns on the floorboards, and like they said, pumping the jacks kept them warm.

[@gerrybuck4]

Often wondered where the snow plow came from. Guess we owe a great deal of thanks to the inventors of Maine. We had some pretty good snow falls in Wisconsin when I was a boy, we lived out in the middle of nowhere, and had a drive that was nearly a half mile, never had to plow it, County did it. Mom always kept a big pot of coffee going, and dad always bought a bunch of donuts. They even plowed a turn around. Us kids loved it, they made some huge mounds and we slid down them.

[@MikeBrown-ii3pt]

I'm sure that you know-some of the biggest and baddest plow trucks ever produced were, and still are built in your home state. Oshkosh! Military trucks too.

[@user-hx9hc7il1j]

د قاعه له ط

[@paulmarciello9136]

Awesome video, what a long way plows have come

[@AddictedtoProjects]

Fascinating stuff for sure! Looks like the snow does indeed test man and machinery to the limit, and we should be grateful for the quiet heated cabs we have these days. No such creature comforts for the old school boys! ;)

[@waveranger4974]

This is a great tribute to some intrepid men just trying to earn a living. My grandpa Paul Cookenmaster drove snowplow in the “Thumb” of Michigan in the 1930’s. Thanks grandpa

[@sheikowi]

Good for you! Amazing how most other historical societies/museums cry and b+tch about the number of visitors and amount of interest; yet only make their items and information available passively. You're a fine model of learning and service.

[@granskare]

In Upper Peninsula of Michigan they also had a lot of snow...on the Keeweenaw Peninsular they have a tall pole which showed the record snow fall of about 33 feet. I saw a foto of a snowplow buried up to the top of the cab...the driver had died in that truck....yeah, everybody who lived up nort' did get a lot of snow so I sympathy with Mainers,..thanks for the video.

[@mrbluenun]

I have just found my heaven, this site! I find it amazing that the so called new ploughs are not really new at all. The actual ploughs now are the same as when the first were invested, they are just nicer places to work and live when one is in there all day. And the have possibly more versatile engine configurations but not always. Often the driver of a mediocre plough can be a brilliant driver and make the plough seem great until a new driver starts on the same plough. Thanks for the upload

[@70stunes71]

Grandfather had a steam engine with a plow kit for it. 1890s early nineteen hundreds.

[@nhrrman]

Great video, loved it. Very informative, I need to get to that Coles museum!

[@trulysurprised-bk7cy]

Its a really awesome place

[@shanesmaineshop]

We can still get the big storms I have a video on my channel showing plowing in a big storm just a few years ago. thanks for the video.

[@CaseyRuest]

i went to the Cole Land Transportation Museum my freshman yea in 05-06 i believe.. very man interesting things to see there. had a blast thats for sure.

[@Turbo231]

Yeah, it's pretty awesome. I've given hundreds of tours but still find it interesting.

[@grumpy1311]

Great history!! Folks were made of A different cut of cloth then .

[@bproudd]

We still run the oshkosh snowblowers and plows in west Virginia. Lol built circa 1950

[@mobilewintercamp7515]

When I see town signs in upper New England saying founded at some date in the 1500s I wonder who came across the ocean from Europe and saw there first winter there and decided to stay. They must’ve been desperate to arrive and stick it out with horses, no plows , snow throwers or snowmobiles 😊❤️🇺🇸☃️❄️🛷⛺️🌄

[@Ajaces]

Very informative, I didn't know there was a snow roller it used to be pacted with.

[@Scoot8428]

this was an awsome video full of great info thanks for posting it

[@dallasdavis3246]

been to coles museum and it is a very cool place well worth the time going

[@Turbo231]

It is a super cool place.

[@theresaedwards5819]

I plow snow for the state I really this video. Thanks for sharing

[@breann801]

Very well done we had a Sargent Plow here in Groton VT on a International Tractor. The tractor is long gone but still have the V plow nice to know some of the history .

[@207Love]

Very cool video!

[@Turbo231]

Yes, that is actually the Cletrac Snowplow, it spent the end of its life in Northport before being donated to the museum. Similar to the T-40 except bigger.

[@MikeBrown-ii3pt]

Cletrac was originally founded in Cleveland, Ohio by the same man that founded White Motor Co. If I'm not mistaken, it eventually became a subsidiary of General Motors. Oliver was also involved with Cletrac at some point.

[@richardclintonjonesjones1807]

Back in those days their were real men I had the privilege of working with some of them at VDOT. They told me stories of their experiences. 2 men would stand on the back of a dump truck when the roads got slick with ice and they would shovel cinders from the railroad onto the roads for many miles to prevent them from being slick. These guys got paid about 25 cents per hour for shoveling cinders All day and night to keep our roads safe in the freezing cold

[@Turbo231]

That is a throw back!

[@richardclintonjonesjones1807]

Back in the earliest days of what was then called the Virginia department of highways when you needed to load a dump truck with stone you backed up to the stone pile and loaded it with your shovel. Thank goodness their 1950,.s. Trucks were smaller. Their road boss stood on top of the pile and counted each shovel full he knew exactly how many shovel fulls it took to load the truck if the man tried to take a short break the boss would say if your sick go home and don't come back. They couldn't do that they had families to feed so they kept shoveling. See how easy we have it in today's world

[@robc.5745]

There were some tough people back in the day,And as they say necessity is the mother of invention.

[@richardclintonjonesjones1807]

I heard some of the old time snow pushers talk of one winter back in the 1960,s that some of the snow drifts in Virginia we're as tall as telephone poles and had to be plowed with open cab bulldozers. I hope we never see that

[@Turbo231]

Plowing was different than it was in yesteryear in Maine. Now they plow constantly as it’s snowing.

[@richardclintonjonesjones1807]

That's what we did before I retired from VDOT we plowed 12 hours straight years ago they waited till the snow piled up

[@ringbolt9]

great vid

[@richardclintonjonesjones1807]

I hope everyone in Virginia remembers the sacrifice these ole time snow pushers gave. For very little pay they spent many long hours away from their families working holidays and nights in the freezing cold winters of virginia

[@Turbo231]

You should make the trip up to the museum this summer!

[@richardclintonjonesjones1807]

I'd like to see the museum one day after you plow snow and slip and slide on black ice for 32 years plowing kinda gets in your blood. Never thought I'd actually miss it

[@markstengel7680]

Very nice🚜🇺🇸🎅🎄👍

[@jeffleblanc8850]

I remember the old snow plows in New Brunswick Canada they were some wild looking plows whitch is fairly close to New Brunswick my mom had dual citizenship and lived in Bangor main for a while but I remember th plows had a hard time getting threw the snow in the winter we go so much and. Agree the snow would be as high as the telephone lines

[@toddjacobs3988]

Very cool video, awsome ...

[@jameswoodcock7902]

we used to have an old allischalmers model m crawler large 4 cyl eng this had an old baker snow plow and the only thing hydraulic on that thing was the lift cylinders for the blade turning the blade one way or the other reqired to pull pins and move the bade one way or the other manuly and the blade was heavy but that thing would really push the snow

[@RJ1999x]

Allis Chalmers 👍

[@Zethor666]

Historické stroje....treba uchovať!!!!

[@oogdog90]

Back in the day, I drove a tractor-trailer and hauled lumber. Anyway, I recall that way down east on Rte. 1 near Lincolnville, ME one of these beasts with the V and wings (looked like the T-40) sat abandoned. Always wanted to stop and look at it but never did.

[@BlackMtnPowersports]

if i could go back to the 40's and 50's.......

[@ditchtheorgan988]

Respect

[@markmcc78]

Awesome stuff, enjoy the winter!

[@donreed7018]

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: The Old Somerset Railroad, A Lifeline For Northern Mainers, by Walter MacDougall; Down East Books (2000).

[@stevehorne10000]

I would go with my dad on a Austin Western grader with rear wheel steer and front wheel drive and double wings back in the 60's

[@trulysurprised-bk7cy]

Awesome grader !!!

[@OwnedByJesus]

4 gallons per mile...WOW, and I complain when my truck gets around 12 in the winter. LOL

[@jameswoodcock7902]

the ac we had wighed about ten thousand pounds oh and we pulled plenty of people out of the snow we live just on the east side of the devide in helena montana so we also were known for plenty of snow 12 feet in some areas

[@sunray8136]

Forerunners were so damn tough and enduring

[@reddirtfarm7704]

as a snow mobile rider I hate snow plow's!!!but like the video! !

[@Turbo231]

@freightlinerfld1229 The video is in 2 channel stereo...aka music and sounds play on one side, narration on the other.

[@NeilLB7]

INDOT has new Freightliner Tandem snowplows with stainless steel bodies, high horsepower diesel engines, AM/FM stereos, etc. This past week we got 12" of snow and it got down to below 0F. They gave up and went home...leaving people on I-70 stranded to fend for themselves. The State Police begged them to do something and they said they didn't have the equipment nor the manpower to help. So our local county highway department was on the Interstate spreading sand and plowing...doing what they could. And these guys on this video had it 100 times worse.

[@lookingfromuk4731]

NeilLB7 they need to dismiss these girlies asap.

[@Joelontugs]

You think it blew ppls mind the first time they saw a V plow lol

[@Turbo231]

No doubt...new equipment and new concepts.

[@josephthibeault4843]

I have seen a few of there in action

[@Justin-Outdoors]

Your tractor makes 4 miles to the gallon? Mine makes 4 gallons to the mile

[@801floflo]

Does anyone have any information about the Western Patent Adjustable Snow Plow and Road Maker made in Guilford Maine.

[@matthewmaccaughey5016]

a yuh!

[@kevintitus5290]

That seemed like former late actor John Forsythes voice in Narration?

[@Turbo231]

Kevin Titus Museum curator Lowell Kjenstad.

[@AntonSander]

Lol, that one got negative miles per gallon :O

[@chris6200]

Anton Sander there is no such thing it got it got 0.25 mpg

[@chodelee1049]

How much snow do you guys get in Maine. Its been pretty bad in MN..

[@SpcPoole]

I have 45 inch on the ground at my house right now.

[@chodelee1049]

Andrew Poole nice man, yeah last year was insane how much snow we had, this is has been really dry... up by the Canadian border we have quite a bit.

[@gsfbffxpdhhdf7043]

Aic

[@lisabennett510]

.

[@0100110101001011]

this guys brain is half frozen