Ice Snaps Limbs on West 10th Street

This is the kind of winter day that kids love but parents hate. One of those winter storms where heavy wet snow blankets the trees, creating a picture-perfect moment. And then the temperature plummets, causing ice accumulate on the trees. The limbs start to sag under the weight of the mixture, until the pressure is too great and they snap off and crash to the ground, taking out power lines and cutting off telephone service. And the sidewalks become treacherous glossy paths where people take a header, sometimes breaking one of their own limbs in the process. 

The upside to a winter storm? No School! The little ones get to stay home all day and play on the Internet.

The postcard above of a winter street scene near downtown Erie, PA was taken on February 16, 1909. The old Central High School is on the left, and St. Peter Cathedral, at 230 West 10th St., is on the right. The photographer was standing on the north side of 10th Street between Peach and Sassafras, looking west on Tenth Street (probably near the current Verizon building). Central High School is now a parking lot. These neat old trees are gone, but others were planted in their places at various curbside spots near the church, the motel and the telephone company.

Enjoy more Erie, Pennsylvania history and photos at: Old Time Erie