Rembering the Great Depression leaves a bitter taste. Those days will forever be a memory, which will never 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 and shaking his fist at 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.
"Migrant land worker's wife and children," 1936 by Dorothea Lange was credited by John Seinbeck with influencing his novel of the depression, "The Grapes of Wrath."
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Bank lines. After banks were closed, no one allowed to withdraw funds, nor enter safe deposit boxes.
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.
