We live down south & I was just saying to a friend who grew up here....I don’t know how they did it back in the day. It’s almost beyond imagining.
As much as I love the south, the heat and humidity in the summer is stifling. As often as I visited Albany growing up (and lived there for a short time) I never got use to it. When I lived in Los Angeles, it was great. I didn’t even have an air conditioner, but I didn’t live in the valley which requires one.
Before AC was developed there were swamp coolers... I guess before those it was a trip to the river or lake.., people managed.