History Brief: Daily Life in the 1930s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkAfjRolNCI ^ | n/a | n/a

[V K Lee]

In this video, the day to day life of American families during the Great Depression is discussed. How did families cope? How did families live?

[Grammy]

My mom was always embarrassed by the fact that the family rented her room out to a man and she had to sleep on the sofa. Being “poor” left a mark on her..... even though so many were at the time.

[Albion Wilde]

I love both those ladies — Hillbilly Kitchen and Aunt Clara. The one where Clara takes you on a tour of her house is so evocative of my eldest aunties back in the day.

[Albion Wilde]

[Albion Wilde]

The video said that the average salary for those who had work was $17 a week, but could be as low as $7 a week. My family was working class, but lived in rowhouses in a city, where costs were higher than in rural areas. When one grandmother and grandfather graduated from high school in the early 30s, he got a job for $16 a week, and she got a job for $17 a week. This was a source of some discomfort between them, back when it was always the husband-and-father's job to be the breadwinner.

By the time they had kids, he was more established at a better job. One time when the workers went on strike in the late 30s, he got temporary work digging graves alongside some urban Amish fellows, whom, he said, would fight and sling the shovels at one another. It both scared him and inspired him to get college education at night and become a manager, and eventually a vice president. The company looked out for family life, and their annual picnics and Christmas parties in the 50s for kids and grandkids were highlights.

[DeFault User]

I’ve checked census data from 1900 on to determine where my relatives were living (mom, dad, uncles and aunts born around the turn of the century). After they left home virtually all of them were living with other relatives or in rented rooms, no homes except for my aunt (b. 1889) who provided rooms for several of her younger siblings.

My mother rented a room from an older couple during the Depression. She remained friends with them and we would often visit them when I was a kid. The old fellow was quite unassuming, but wealthy (oil and cattle). He would give me a silver dollar each time we visited.

[V K Lee]

My great aunties, single (never married), lived with my great grandmother in their old family home.
Rural land, old farmhouse built by great grandfather
and his sons.
Ora, Maude, and Gertie were aunts’ names;
Vera being the name of their sister (mother’s mother). Great grandparents had a
rather large family. The three women lived there
until one by one they passed on. Ora was always
a favorite with the children. Always offering to play
with us, to teach us piano. She played the organ at the
town’s Methodist Church. Being involved, she was active
in Church,and in community; worked with the clerk’s office
during local elections. As she aged, her vision declined and she lost her ability to drive. Eventually Ora was the
only aunt remaining, and was placed in a nursing home.
Always ready to explore on a moment’s notice, we’d take
a few hours together and go shopping or explore local cemetery searching for a relative’s grave.

As children, we loved to visit the old house, walk the paths in the area, exploring the old house, and always saw a good, home cooked meal on the table before leaving.

The old farmhouse, now gone. Not long after moving to the nursing home, we had serious storms move through the area.
A lightening bolt struck the house and in just minutes,
completely destroyed.

[V K Lee]

Also saved was string, rubber bands. Not that many would
be found today, flour sacks were a favorite treasure as well.