100 years ago in North Idaho: A frigid night of 32 below zero left farmer ‘frozen stiff,’ fighting for his life

The region was in the grip of a brutal cold snap, and a Priest River farmer was one of its victims.

Jake Harmon, 76, was found “lying flat on the floor of his little house, his feet and legs frozen stiff.” A neighbor had come to check on Harmon after he noticed that no smoke was coming from his chimney. The neighbor and a friend transported Harmon to the Priest River hospital, where “there is scant hope of his recovery.”

Doctors believed he might have suffered a stroke and was unable to get up to keep his fire going.

The temperature in nearby Newport had dropped to 32 below zero that night.

Spokane hit 15 below zero, and plumbers were responding to dozens of reports of frozen pipes.

From the library beat: The book circulation of the Spokane Public Library in 1922 exceeded a half-million a year, and 42,000 people held library cards.

“This is another practical proof of the culture and intelligence of the citizens of Spokane,” said the Spokane Daily Chronicle said.

By comparison, today’s Spokane Public Library circulation regularly exceeds 1 million a year (print and electronic) and the cardholder count is above 125,000.

Also on this day

(From onthisday.com)

1950: Child star Shirley Temple announces her retirement at 22.

President Harry Truman proclaims state of emergency against “Communist imperialism.”

2009: Ben Bernanke, chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve, is named Time’s Person of the Year for rescuing the global economy from the Great Recession.