Tue 1. This was surely an April Fool day. Snow covered the ground but is was almost gone by noon. I went to Bogardus for Aid this PM. Had a group of young people at my home in the evening.
This got me curious about the origins of April Fool’s Day. Here’s an interesting article about that—it goes back to at least the Middle Ages.
Wed 2. A lovely morning. Heard from Katharine. She got into Washington Sat. AM. Hope she has a fine time.
Thu 3. Daddy & I went to Cedar Falls in the truck today. Saw a car burn up on the road. After I got home I went to the club at Minna Reece’s.
Fri 4. Worked at the shop this AM. Mrs. Johnson came down in PM to go over the program a final time for the Dist. Convention. She brought Betty & another little fellow with her—brought me some plants & grapes & beans.
Sat 5. It has been windy today and so dusty. I have worked out doors a good while. Am tired. Daddy, Ruth & I drove out to the farm and then to a place north of Point Pleasant where the Woods Road Gang is working. Gardens are being plowed. Tulips are up. Spring is on.
Sun 6. A quiet Sunday at home. Betty has a “breaking out” which Dr. B calls scarlatina, so they are quarantined with Gerald down here.
Scarlatina, also called scarlet fever, is a streptococcus infection. It affects a small number of people who have strep throat, and produces a rash and other symptoms.
Mon 7. Washday! Am tired tonight. Worked a long while at the shop. So much to do every where. A letter from Katharine says she does not have to take the exams. She got back from Washington Friday AM. Has hives. Dad is at a school board meeting.
Tue 8. Did some ironing this forenoon, then planted some garden. Planted potatoes, peas, beets, parsnips, carrots, lettuce, radishes.
Wed 9. Finished my ironing. Cleaned up my house, then went to the farm with Daddy. Practiced a demonstration then went to call on Mrs. Andrews. She is very sick.
Thu 10. It has been intensely warm to day with no rain for some time. Our pot luck missionary society seemed almost a failure as to numbers & money—60 to 70 invited, 13 there. Dad had to leave & go to a Bank meeting.
The period of drought that was the start of the Dust Bowl began about this time. Here’s a story about the impact of that and the Great Depression on Iowa. Over the next few years we’ll see how it affected Emma & Tell.
Fri 11. It is warm today. I worked at the office this morning and have finished writing a paper on the unemployment situation for the Social Service League next Monday. It is a busy time. Gerald did not get home last night. Daddy & I did not sleep much. Have been so tired today.
Unemployment increased from 3.2% to 8.7% between 1929 and 1930 (and it kept on rising until 1933).1
Sat 12. Alice & John were hurt in an automobile accident. John lost his memory, Alice broke her knee cap—is now in the hospital. We went over to see them in the evening.
Tell’s brother John, a retired Postal Inspector, and his wife Alice were retired and living in Eldora. I found this information about them in a 1938 genealogy document about her side of the family.
Sun 13. Another fine Sunday. We went to church & SS today, also church at night. Drove over to Eldora to see the folks. Alice is still in the hospital—they will have a siege of it. We stopped in the timber a few minutes. I got some blood root.
At this time much of the timbered land in Iowa was in private hands (and this is still true today). Farmers used woodlots as a source of raw materials for construction, fences, repair, and fuel. This the flower of the bloodroot plant.
Mon 14. Spent a good share of the morning working on a speech for this PM. It was on Unemployment before Social Service League. Worked out doors for awhile.
The Social Service League was the forerunner of today’s United Way.
Tue 15. Had a wonderful rain today. We needed it. Could not clean the church. Washed this PM. Dad & Gerald went to Jewell. Ruth went to a party at Dorothy Wilkutts.
Wed 16. Rained all day. Could not hang out my clothes as the few I hung out got wetter. Went to the church this evening. Heard Mrs. Greef talk. It was Iowa History Week. Wrote to Charlie & also to Linnie today. (Family letter)
Thu 17. Have worked out doors this PM—set out some shrubbery & moved some plants.
Fri 18. Planted some ageratum seeds today in a box. Gerald helped me clean out the pool. We planted the privet hedge. I laid down the limbs last Fall. Had eleven starts. Hope they all grow.
Sat 19. A cold rainy day. I had hoped to work outside but couldn’t. I have some strawberry plants to set out.
Sun 20. A cold rainy Easter Sunday! Daddy & I drove to Eldora to see Alice & John. We spent an hour or two with them. Alice is in the hospital but is much improved. We went to the Easter service at night.
Mon 21. Got both the washing & ironing done today. It is windy & rather cold and disagreeable. We went to the Drake Glee Club concert. There were 32 young men in it but they had a very small crowd. Gerald went to practice the play—The Boiled Owl. Made nearly 3 lbs butter today.
Drake University is in Des Moines, IA. In a 1926-27 catalog, I found a description of the Men’s Glee Club, right above the description of the Girls’ Glee Club.
As far as I can guess, this refers to a play based on a story by Laurence Housman. It also turns out that the term “boiled as an owl” is slang for being extremely drunk.
Tue 22. The sun is shining this AM. We are having Mr. Strother finish the chicken house to put a mother pig in when we get her.
Wed 23. We went over to Eldora this PM. I got my hair fixed. My permanent is so poor that she wants me to come back & have it done again. Am so grieved over Gerald’s misdoings.
Thu 24. Am on the W.U.Con on my way to convention at Lohrville. It is a beautiful morning. Had a good convention this PM & evening.
I think this was probably a special train that ran to Lohrville to carry delegates from the region to the convention. What I can’t figure out is where they met! The 2020 population of Lohrville was 381.
Fri 25. The morning session of convention was good. We had 121 delegates, 150 at banquet. Got home at 5:10. Talked with Mrs. Bowman on train. She was a Strohs(?) girl. Too tired to go to the entertainment.
Sat 26. Set out my strawberry bed this AM. Went to the field and got some cowslip. Mrs. Byam & Dr. B went along. Went to the timber and got some wild flowers. Mrs. Byam, Culver, Shade went along.
Sun 27. We went to Eldora today to see Alice. She is still in hospital. Went to church & SS this AM. Rev Kamphoefner preached.
I was able to find information on Reverend Charles Kamphoefner, a Methodist Episcopal minister in Iowa. The most interesting reference was his appointment as the counsel for the church in a highly publicized 1924 lawsuit in which a minister’s wife sued another woman for $25,000 for alienation of affection.
Mon 28. Filled my pool & put the fish in today. Had the Steward’s Board meet here tonight in honor of D.E. Byam’s birthday. We served ice cream & cake & coffee.
Tue 29. Drove a young lady to see some of the county board members. Went to the school board banquet at 6:30. Menu—Fruit cocktail, Ham, Mashed potatoes on green pimentos topped with cheese, asparagus in timbal cases, Salad of lettuce, tomato & cucumber, grape ice, Pieplant shortcake & coffee.
Pieplant is another name for rhubarb. Here’s a recipe for shortcake with rhubarb sauce.
Wed 30. Mowed the lawn today. Went to prayer meeting at night—3 men & 2 women there.
I hope you enjoyed this installment of Emma’s journals. See you next week for May 1930.
https://www.thebalance.com/unemployment-rate-by-year-3305506