Nebraska’s history is full of tales of heroism and bravery. The pioneers who braved the untamed prairie land to turn it into a lovely, productive home faced innumerable hardships. One of the deadliest and most destructive hardships was beyond anyone’s control: the Great Blizzard of 1888. But there is one story that embodies the pioneer spirit perfectly. Minnie Freeman was a schoolteacher who saved the lives of 13 pupils in an act of extreme courage.

The Great Blizzard of 1888 is also known as The Schoolchildren's Blizzard because it struck with almost no warning in the middle of the day on January 12th. Children were snowed in at schoolhouses across a large portion of the country, but the Great Plains were hit particularly hard.
Nebraska State Historical Society
Most of the teachers and children who attempted to leave their schools and make it home to safety died in the blizzard. Visibility was reduced almost to zero, the temperature was painfully cold, and the wind was brutally strong.
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Near Ord, Nebraska, a 19-year-old schoolteacher named Minnie Freeman was trapped in a one-room schoolhouse with her 13 pupils. The raging wind blew the door off of its hinges and tore off the roof of the small building. Because the day had begun with unseasonably warm temperatures, no one was equipped with heavy coats or other warm winter gear.
Pawnee County History
Minnie knew that she and the children could not survive the night in the roofless one-room schoolhouse. She decided to brave the elements and lead the children through the perilous conditions in hopes of saving their lives. They waited for an opening in the storm and then set out for the nearest home three-quarters of a mile away. The children all clung to each other as they moved as swiftly as possible from one sheltered area to the next.
Nebraska State Capitol
The above mural in the state capitol building depicts Minnie leading the children through the blizzard.

Minnie kept the children close and safe by tying them all together with twine from her desk. She was able to lead them through the harsh conditions to her host family’s home, and every one of them survived with minimal injuries.

Minnie’s bravery was immortalized in a song called “Thirteen Were Saved,” in which she was called “Nebraska’s Fearless Maid.” She was a shy woman and did not appreciate all the fuss made over the story, but her bravery made national news and she became something of a folk hero.

Interested in more Nebraska history and trivia? Check out these five little-known facts about the Cornhusker State.

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