Years ago, my father, Moses Townsend, always kept many sheep, and on a beautiful day in early May, 1893, when there was no such thing as a weather report, telephone, radio or television, he decided it would be a good day to take a few of the sheep with young lambs out of the sheds. The animals were happy to be out after their long winter stay in the barns, but within a few seconds, the weather changed abruptly. The sky grew dark and the wind began to howl and whistle, and of all things, it began to snow. My father could not believe his eyes, he hurriedly hitched the horses toi a sled with a rack on it, and hauled the lambs and sheep back into the barns. And none too soon, the snow was falling thick and fast and the wind was blowing it into great drifts, it seemed to cover the whole earth. My father then broke the four miles of road to Tyson (he never said plowed the road, but always broke the road). He fetched the Doctor from Tyson back home with him, to stay overnight as my mother was pregnant and expecting an addition to the family any day. The storm continued in force and on the following morning, the weather suddenly changed again. It became so warm and sunny that the snow melted rapidly, causing a freshet. On May 4, I was born during this historical record breaking blizzard and freshet of 1893.
My Grandmother Hayes and her daughter, Ellen, were coming down from the Hayes farm, where they lived, to help take care of the new baby and the other three small children, the oldest being only five years old. The Hayes farm was at the foot of Saltash Mountain not far from where we lived. There was a small stone bridge two or three feet wide, (I believe it is still there), crossing the usually small brook at the foot of the hill from our house. When Grandmother and Ellen arrived, the water had come up so fast, it was waist deep. The current was so strong, my father was afraid they would all be swept away. He carried Ellen across first, as she was the lightest, and then went back and carried Grandmother to safety.
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