We’re in full summer mode, so why not talk about snow. 200 years ago prominent Mariettan Nahum Ward was a frequent traveler in weather of all kinds. Nahum Ward was a successful business person and civic leader. Two cold weather travel adventures are chronicled in his personal letters, from Marietta College Special Collections – Ward papers. Spelling and punctuation are from the documents.

The first trip featured a serious accident and severe cold on a stagecoach going from Baltimore to Philadelphia, reported in a letter to his wife Sarah dated January 6, 1822. Edited excerpts:

“You have heard of our narrow escape from death on the road from Baltimore to Phil’d. It was on Spring hill 20 miles this side of Baltimore, after dark, with 7 heavy men inside the carriage and Col. Barker sitting with the driver that we were overset and smashed all in pieces…as quickly as the carriage tipped over I bolted thro’ the top and was on my feet.” Apparently, passengers righted the carriage and continued on. “All were more injured than myself – so I rode outside with the driver until daylight – it was one of the coldest nights this winter – I was frozen stiff. I took a bad cold and have been quite off kilter since…”

The second trip in January of 1840 was an incredible example of determination – or foolhardiness – to keep going in and dangerous conditions. Details are in excerpts (edited) from a letter to his son William dated January 10, 1840:

“I left home on December 27th and arrived in Washington D.C. last evening – 14 days of toil and fatigue thro’ snow drifts that would have appalled almost anyone, except an old traveler.” His trip began on the Northwestern Turnpike (today’s U. S. Route 50). “…at Clarksburg snow was falling as thick and fast as I ever saw it – I prevailed on the stagecoach driver to continue on all night. We made slow progress and at daylight were only 24 miles from Clarksburg & and our horses exhausted. With fresh horses finally reached Evansville at 2 pm Saturday – here in a dirty place I had to remain until Tuesday, when I set off in a sleigh. At the foot of a mountain, my driver a ‘white livered cowardly dog’ was afraid to go on – I took the reins (driver still with him) and went up the mountain in deep snow when my horses gave out. Went back down the mountain to an open cabin with a fire, “roasting on one side & freezing the other.” Through 2-4 feet of snow they finally arrived at “Houses in the Glades,” in present day Preston County WV. A week on the road, and he was only half way. More delays awaited. At Romney (WV) he had to wait 4 days because roads were closed. He finally made it to Washington nearly two weeks after leaving Marietta.

Why would Nahum Ward endure such effort and risk? There was no stated urgency in completing the trip. Maybe he didn’t expect bad weather or thought conditions would improve. Perhaps he was just stubborn, refusing to be thwarted by Mother Nature. This episode shows a different side of his personality. Nahum Ward’s obituary in 1860 described him as a “man of refined, cultured taste, and dignified, courtly manners.” Indeed, many of his accomplishments reflect benevolent intent. Definitely not the kind of guy who would call his driver a “white livered cowardly dog” – translation: a cowardly, worthless, contemptible person. And grab the reins from the driver and continue, risking both their lives. Yet we know that he was a determined risk-taker. Fortunately, he persevered in this situation and recorded every detail in his letters.