Justen G. "Jess" Oakley and Eli Fletcher carry the mail down snow-covered Main Street, Breckenridge, during the "Big Snow" event of 1898-1899. The men volunteered to ski over Boreas Pass to Como, where the Denver, South Park and Pacific (DSP&P) railway was stopped. Heavy snowstorms prevented trains from delivering mail, fresh food and other supplies. Quoted from handwritten text on the reverse: "US mail via snow shoe winter of the 78 day blockade".

Gough's house and secondary structures (outbuildings) in Breckenridge, Colorado, are almost buried under snow during the winter of the "Big Snow" of 1898-1899. Quoted from handwritten text on reverse: "Gough's house from the hill".

Snow almost reaches the second story of houses on the west side of North Main Street in Breckenridge during the "Big Snow" winter of 1898-1899. From left to right: Mr. Christy's house, Oren K. and Augusta Gaymon's house, and Mrs. James Tressler's house.

The Denver Hotel on the west side of snow-covered Main Street, Breckenridge, during the "Big Snow" event of 1898-1899. Snowfall totaled over 32 feet that winter; it was so deep it reached the hotel's second-floor balcony. The two-story wood frame building featured paired gables and a shared false-front with the words "DENVER HOTEL". The Post Office shares the hotel's covered portico. Next door is a false front building with signs announcing "Bankrupt Stock" in the storefront windows.

Ezra Stewart stands with other men on top of the rotary snow plow clearing the railroad tracks on its way into Breckenridge, Colorado, in April 1899, during the Big Snow event of 1898-1899. View of Bald Mountain in the background.

Plumes of smoke rise from the rotary snow plow and helper engines on the way to Boreas Pass, east of Breckenridge, Colorado. Because it was not self-propelled, the rotary snow plow required four to six railroad locomotives to push it through deep drifts of snow. Men stand on the side to watch the rotary throw snow from the tracks. Tenmile Range in the background. During the "Big Snow" event of 1898-1899.

George and Gertrude Engle stand in the entry of a snow tunnel across Main Street, Breckenridge, Colorado, during the winter of the "Big Snow" of 1898-1899. The stone front of Charles A. Finding's hardware store is in view behind them.

Looking north on snow-covered Main Street, Breckenridge, during the "Big Snow" winter of 1898-1899. False front and wood frame buildings line both sides of the street. Second from left is the Arlington Hotel, with its curvilinear false front and covered portico. Across the street is the two and a half story, front gabled Arcade Hotel, facing west. In the right background is Fireman's Hall with bell tower and adjacent hose drying tower.

Gold Run Flume frozen with icicles caused by an ice dam, during the "Big Snow" winter of 1898-1899. The wooden flume carried water over French Gulch for placer mining operations, connecting to the Gold Run Ditch at both ends. It was located in French Gulch between the towns of Breckenridge and Lincoln City. A woman stands below the flume and another woman sits on a log next to a young boy.

Snow cleared from the railroad tracks and spur that serviced the Kilton Gold Reduction Company ore sampler west of Breckenridge, Colorado, in the winter of the "Big Snow" of 1898-1899. Quoted from print on reverse: "RR yds Breckenridge 1899".

A woman wearing a hat and fur-collared coat stands at the end of a path cleared in the snow outside of George Watson's house in Breckenridge, Colorado. Looking east with Barney Ford Hill and Bald Mountain (Mount Baldy) in the background. Handwritten caption on the reverse: "Breckenridge Big Snow 1899".

A house in Breckenridge, Colorado, is covered in snow during the "Big Snow" winter of 1898-1899. Captioned on the reverse: "House in Breckenridge 1899".

Main Street, Breckenridge, buried under snow during the "Big Snow" event of 1898-1899. Snow tunnels were used to access businesses because heavy snowfall had reached the second story of most buildings. The upper half of R.C. McKillif's false-fronted Livery business is in view across the street. Two dogs and people stand outside on the snow-covered boardwalk. Quoted from text handwritten on the reverse: "Main Street February 5th 1899. Breckenridge Miner (Miner)".

Snowy landscape view of Breckenridge, Colorado, looking east toward the railroad tracks on Barney Ford Hill. Plumes of smoke are visible rising from the rotary snowplow railroad engines. Bald Mountain in the background. Handwritten on the reverse: "Last train out of Breckenridge beginning of the 78 day blockade Feb 5 at noon showing rotary 1899". During the "Big Snow" event of 1898-1899.

Two girls stand in the entrance of a snow tunnel during the winter of the "Big Snow" of 1898-1899. They wear berets and are dressed in wool coats with fur-trimmed capelet. Behind them is the Livery building on the east side of Main Street, Breckenridge. Handwritten on the reverse: "One of my best efforts".

A shoveled path in the deep snow leads to the back entrance of the Gough's house in Breckenridge, Colorado during the winter of the "Big Snow" event in 1898-1899.

A man stands on top of the snow where a tunnel has been dug to access the Boreas post office, on the Boreas Pass route to Breckenridge. A shovel leans against the tunnel entrance, above a sign is stuck in the snow with the words: "Post Office". Printed on the lower right corner of the photograph is: "50 ft. Tunnel to P.O." Handwritten on the reverse: "Top of Boreas Pass" and "Miner[?]". Photographer's stamp: "O. Westerman. Photographer, Breckenridge, - Colorado."

View looking through the wood-framed railroad snowshed on Boreas Pass, along the Boreas Pass route from Como to Breckenridge, Colorado. Handwritten on the reverse: "Snowshed - Boreas Pass" and stamped "O. Westerman, Photographer, Breckenridge, - Colorado."

Men and women stand in snowdrifts covering the sidewalk under the portico of the Denver Hotel on Main Street in Breckenridge, Colorado. During the "Big Snow" event of 1898-1899, heavy snowfall had reached the second story of most buildings, and tunnels dug through the snow were used to cross Main Street.

The rotary snow plow and several train engines are stopped in a deep drift of snow covering the railroad tracks on Barney Ford Hill, east of Breckenridge, Colorado, in April 1899. A well-dressed man stands on a rock overlooking the tracks, while shovelers dig out debris buried under snow that could damage the rotary's blades. View of snowy Tenmile Range in the background.