Without the kind of modern winter weather equipment we take for granted nowadays, removing snow from city streets and sidewalks was a huge undertaking.
Here’s a look back at snow removal 100 years ago, so you can see how much work went into clearing cities after blizzards and other big winter storms.
Wagons removing snow after a storm in New York City (1908)
Clearing snow off the boardwalk in Atlantic City (1915)
Men clearing snow off Boardwalk, Atlantic City, N.J., on Easter Sunday; Steeplechase Pier in background.
Using shovels to load snow onto carts in Washington DC (c1909)
Quick city snow removal by motor truck (1917)
Cleaning off the streets in NYC after a blizzard (1899)
Carts bringing excess snow to the river… (1899)
Snow carts at the river after a blizzard, New York
… and dumping the snow into the water (1899)
ALSO SEE: So much snow! NYC overwhelmed during the Great Blizzard of 1888
An old-time open-front snow plow in NYC (c1910)
Highway snow removal 100 years ago (1925)
This man is using an old pusher plow and forward truck to remove snow from Massachusetts state highway.
Old truck clearing snow from New York City streets (1925)
A fleet of caterpillar and cletrac tractors with plows (1925)
Plow & caterpillar tractor removing snow in Rome, New York (1925)
Putting snow down a manhole into the sewer (1916)
Happy group planing snow when too deep and hard to plow (1925)
