Experiencing The Great Blizzard Of ’78

Experiencing The Great Blizzard Of ’78

by Wesley, Biz and Mark Reed – Feb. 6, 2023

It has been FORTY-FIVE YEARS … yet for some of us who experienced “The Great Blizzard” the memories are indelible. Our recollection of the weekend of February 4th and 5th, 1978 was that it was tranquil with normal winter temperatures. On that Sunday many of us were enjoying the last of skating on nearby Pillings Pond. Looking back, it seems a little strange, that everyone was talking about the “MOTHER OF ALL WINTER STORMS” headed our way. Remarkable indeed, especially considering the limitations in science and forecasting technology as we know it today – but the weather people were right – and everyone knew it was coming.

Long before we were in the business of selling reclaimed granite The Reed Boys did “snow work” to supplement income as did many landscapers and general contractors. In fact, the very roots of our company were laid down “doing snow” as far back as 1962. Our Dad encouraged “entrepreneurial endeavors” for his boys and at every opportunity when it snowed, we’d grab our shovels and head out around the neighborhood to find work – and very successful we were in drumming up business! In fact, many of our snow customers – were added to our paper routes.

Soon Dad purchased a snowblower – which we used … and it helped build our growing business. At around the same time, we started getting requests to cut lawns and do “landscaping” tasks. By the early 70s we had a truck – and we were on our way so to speak … and so it all began. By the early 2000s our little neighborhood company, Reed Bros. Enterprises, had morphed into “The Reed Corporation” and then to today’s Olde New England Granite.

By 1978, we had quite a list of snow customers, and we took the business of storm preparation very seriously. So in the early morning of Monday, February 6th we were in full alert mode. The radio was saying that snow was already falling heavily on the South Shore of Boston … and moving in our direction. Shortly after noon, as we recall, Biz and I headed out to the Army-Navy store in Wakefield to get some stuff we needed. We both have a vivid memory of walking out of the store and trying to make our way to our truck – the heavy snow whipped up by gale force winds – was blinding but we made it to the truck and home. The great blizzard had reached our area. Throughout the evening the storm raged on. At some point we thought we should venture out “to take the curse off” at a few of our accounts … but large tree limbs that had fallen were blocking our trucks. With chain saws in the raging blizzard, we finally cleared a pathway out but very soon we were driven back because of the blinding snow, and extremely dangerous driving conditions. All the while the storm was causing death, destruction, and wreaking havoc along the coast … we would later learn – reports were sketchy … but we were all consumed with our own “crises.”

Late on Tuesday the 7th when the storm had subsided, we finally got out to start clearing snow for our customers in earnest. With a used truck, a first-generation little Ford Bronco, a borrowed TWO WHEEL DRIVE vintage farm tractor, a station wagon towing a trailer for our snowblower and a band of hearty shovelers we started off in a caravan around town. What a sight we were! And it “took a village.”

Working through the night on Tuesday and all day and night on Wednesday. Biz and Wes had by then released the troops so they could go get some rest. Upon waking up in our trucks from little naps to see the sun rise on a very cold Thursday morning, the still long road ahead to completion was a sobering thought. The roads in Lynnfield remained closed for all non-essential traffic. Route 128 and other main roads were closed. Mark recalls that a large “grade-all” machine had to be brought in finally to scrape the main roads that had become a “washboard” with packed snow.

No one was going ANYWHERE. We still had THREE full days ahead … it was quite a drill for us. Yet snowbound people were still partying. We recall pulling our group into neighborhoods where residents were on the street drinking champagne and assorted adult-beverages … having a grand old time … but alas we could have none of that. Our celebration for a job well done would not come until the last driveway was done – late on Saturday.

It was a different time and place – some of our customers would wait (most of them) patiently for FIVE days to have their snow cleared – Imagine! At the end of our list we added new customers, many of whom we’d keep for decades later. As we said in our earlier blog, the Blizzard of ’78 put us on the map. Residents in town now knew who to call for dependable service, and people who knew how to get the job done.

Looking back, some of the takeaways from the experience were … the importance of preparedness, always have a backup plan, surround yourself with dependable people … and lastly and most importantly, communicate with your customers – all of which have put us in good stead in later years of our business.

A final note on communication – it certainly helped having our Mother, Edith, – on the front lines, so to speak, answering the phone, and relaying messages to us by 2-way radio. The family matriarch played a very key role in calming the waters answering the oft heard lament “will the boys be coming soon?” … all the while helping establish the identity we have today.