SOUP LINES   Hungry men in line for free soup.  One rolling  tobacco with the paper in his mouth to finish for a cigarette, it appears.
WPA workers
President Franklin Roosevelt
and New Deal cartoon
Chicago Unemployed workers
Rembering the Great Depression leaves a bitter taste.  Those  days will forever be a memory, which will not be forgotten.

The stock market crash  was the beginning in time for poverty in our States,  Many gentlemen were forced into poverty, which was a totally new act of life for them.  Many of them committed suicide, because  it left no hope.  They had lost everything financially. Lost my maternal Grandfather due to this,through a nervous breakdown.   He had lost everything, even their home, purchased l901 with cash.


Our family was fortunate in that we owned a farm, which was passed on to my Father by his Father.  We had land on which to grow food,  and livestock, until the Drought which killed most of the animals. A rendering truck was a familiar sight.  We hunted for rabbits, squirrels, birds, or anything alive during winter months and hung them frozen  to survive.

We had many visitors to the farm of men with ragged clothing seeking work and food.   My father hired a few; however, not for long as situations worsened.  The hired hands slept on the porch during the summer months. 

Surprisingly, do not recall anyone performing illegal acts, such as theft.   In our situation, or the neighbors, or by word of  mouth.

Do remember  the gold recall.  A $l0,000 fine for U.S. citizens not turning in gold certificates or coins.   And, recall the banks closing.  My paternal  grandfather never did business with banks again after that, he was not even allowed to enter his safe deposit box.  Federal law that banks could not allow him to or withdraw funds of his.  As a child can still visualize him cursing the bank, as he walked by.

Dad stated that people who had a mortgage on their homes and property, which was newer, were allowed to pay it off in monthly installments.  Those with low balances were foreclosed. 

Our farm located in the midwest where we lived. 






AMERICA IN 30's
THE DUST BOWL
EXPLAINING GREAT DEPRESSION
THE POOR HARDEST HIT
THE NEW DEAL
HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION
Street scene mid/late 30's
Copyright© Sturdy 2009
PHOTOGRAPHS OF
THE GREAT DEPRESSION
GOLD RECALL IN U.S.A.
l933 - l934
(LAW STILL ON THE BOOKS IN 2007)
Click for Mount Dora, Florida Forecast
THE GREAT DEPRESSION
STOCK MARKET CRASH
OCTOBER 29, 1929
Migrate mother, pea picking plant. 1936 Photo by Dorthy Lange
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Bank lines.  After banks were closed, no one allowed to withdraw funds, nor enter safe deposit boxes.
                         Unemployed workers
           1929                                                2008
July 15, 2008
Matters seem to get worse, instead of better.  Stock Market Crash l0/29/29, The Great Depression l929/l939, Drought l934/l939, and then WWII  1941/l945.

PERSONAL MEMORIES
AND SURVIVAL
TIMELINE  THE GREAT DEPRESSION  1929 - 1939