Schoolchildren's Blizzard | Into the Swirling White | 2
Against The Odds
Audible
4.7 • 7.9K Ratings
🗓️ 3 February 2026
⏱️ 41 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On January 12th, 1888, residents of the Dakota Territory and Nebraska woke to an unseasonably warm day. Farmers took advantage of the mild weather to tend to chores and children headed off to school in light jackets. But longtime residents like Sioux tribe member Charley Stabler recognized signs that a major blizzard was coming. As the storm hit, schoolteachers faced agonizing decisions over how to keep their students safe.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | A listener note, against the odds uses dramatizations that are based on true events. |
| 0:05.5 | Some elements, including dialogue, may be invented, but everything is based on research. |
| 0:10.2 | This series contains depictions of violence and death involving children, and may not be suitable for everyone. |
| 0:28.6 | Maria Albrecht opens the kitchen door of her farmhouse and steps out onto her porch. She peers up at the vast sky above the Midwestern prairie, taking in a deep breath. |
| 0:34.6 | It's January 12, 1888, near the town of Freeman in the Dakota Territory. |
| 0:42.0 | At this time of year, she'd expect icy winds to be blowing across the plains, but the air is quite warm. |
| 0:48.3 | It must be 40 degrees warmer than yesterday, but there's something unsettling about it. |
| 0:54.3 | The sky disturbs her most of all. |
| 0:57.1 | Along the western horizon, clouds are gathering. |
| 1:00.3 | They roll and twist in the sky, almost as if they're alive. |
| 1:05.1 | A shiver shoots down her spine. |
| 1:07.7 | She hollers towards the barn where her husband is working. |
| 1:11.2 | Johan, come inside. Now! |
| 1:15.0 | She heads inside. Back in her kitchen, she finds her sons, 13-year-old Johann Jr., and 9-year-old |
| 1:21.9 | Peter, finishing their breakfasts of sausages and cornbread. Maria looks at each of them. |
| 1:27.6 | You're not going to school today. |
| 1:29.2 | I don't like this weather. |
| 1:31.3 | Johann Jr. protests. |
| 1:33.4 | But Mom, Mr. Cotton promised us a special lesson. |
| 1:36.9 | We're going to do an experiment with magnets. |
| 1:39.7 | You are not going to school today. |
| 1:41.7 | But we have to. |
... |
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