The heaviest observed and accurately measured snowfall in more than a hundred years, across the plains plans states, hit on December 29, 1830. Many of the cities in the region had just experienced a growth spurt as a jumping off pint for westward travel. Farming was taking hold in the nations’ mid-section. Many immigrants from Europe had moved into the region and brought their farming techniques and strains of wheat that would lead to American becoming the nation’s breadbasket. The push was on to seize the land of Indigenous people and also send settlers on treks to the west coast that was not part of the United States, in places like California and Oregon. All that was stalled for a while as the massive snowstorm struck. Very heavy snow struck 36” was recorded in Kansas City and 30” in Peoria 30". it began the ”Winter of the Deep Snow" with more than 30" on ground in parts of Missouri and Illinois until mid-February. People began to re-think the move west as being too harsh. But the continue influx of refugees from the across the Atlantic continued to push people in search of more land and soon “the Winter of Deep Snow” was forgotten and the movement continued within a few years the great wagon train treks began with the opening of the Oregon Trail.

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