The thirties were very stressful times in this part of the country. (Northeast Oklahoma) The great depression was in full bloom and in the mid thirties we had the worst drought and the hottest temperatures on record here. Those were the ‘dust bowl’ times but we only got some dust in the air from western Oklahoma.

There was almost no off the farm jobs and what there was, paid about one dollar a day. Most farmers raised substance crops such as gardens, hay and corn. Some also raised cash crops such as wheat, cattle and hogs. Cured pork was our main meat the year round.


Corn was used in many ways. We ate it as roasting ears or fed it to the horses which was ‘farm power’. We fed it to the chickens which furnished us with some meat and lots of eggs for the table and to sell for cash which bought groceries and clothes.

Everyone had a milk cow or two and they were fed corn and hay through the winter. Milk was a very important part of our diet. The cream was skimmed off, some of it was used for butter and the surplus was taken to town and sold to bring in a few dollars of much needed cash.