On February 2, 1872, a beautiful winter day with several inches of freshly fallen snow turned ominous as birds flew low and cattle lowed restlessly, signaling a change in the weather. By that afternoon, a blizzard enveloped the countryside and lasted two days. That day, John Hanson, an immigrant from Sweden, left his home in Section 12 of Harrison Township to get a load of wood. After the storm subsided and he had not returned, neighbors began searching for him. His body was found at this site under the snow less than a mile from his home.