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The Great Depression of the 30sApparently there are few on here who know no more about the subject than what they read or from films they see. I suppose the definition of a "depression" probably means we aren't there yet and most of the pundits say we won't get there---that we will buy our way out of it before it happens. I was very young during the start of the depression, and I still am, but I do remember some things that I saw with my own eyes. At the time I assumed that those things were pretty normal. Without many details a few things I remember were interesting. "Tramps," as they were called were pretty numerous. Almost all of them pretty harmless--just wanted some food and a place to get in out of the rain or cold. I'm talking country now, not city. There were no soup kitchens in the country! Many set themselves up as "tenant" farmers. That is, they would raise, or help raise crops on a large farm and in return receive one-third, plus, of the crop, and a house in which to live. Most houses were four small cheaply built rooms with no bath, no electricity, and no running water usually. Depending upon the number of helpers in the family determined what and how much crop was raised. Then there were the CCC camps. The Civilian Conservation Corps was made up of young men 16-21 usually who were housed in barracks type buildings, were fed well with common food and were paid for their work--some of which they had to send home. It was a time of one bath a week in a wash tub usually, and two sets of rough clothes, and one better set, maybe. In the summers the baths were in the streams. Kerosene lamps provided most of the light until FDR started the REA, Rural Electrical program, and then many had one dim light per room. Heat was by fireplaces using wood or coal, and chopping wood and hauling coal was a full time job for someone. Hauling out ashes was also no fun. Vehicles, most didn't have one were difficult to keep running, especially in the winter. Batteries were poor quality and gasoline was also. If you drove 50 miles without having a flat tire--which you fixed yourself, you were lucky. There were no tires or spare parts later during WW2--you patched everything and drove 20-35MPH. Since everyone tried to raise food, most didn't starve but had little else. You kept and killed your own pigs for meat and raised all of your vegetables--canning and salting everything for the winter. I doubt we will get to this extreme this time but prices can not stay as high as they are or most will not be able to pay for what we now have. Let us stop the crooks next time before they ruin us a third or fourth time in our history. Fast "progress" at the expense of people isn't worth the effort! I suppose we will still go to Mars and the Moon again, and probably even fight another stupid war or two during this mess! dollaradayandnotfound's blog | login to post comments
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