Tue 1. I slept until almost ten this AM. Got up and did the ironing. Katharine washed a lot of things & cleaned some with naphtha. Katharine stayed with the kiddies while Miriam & I went to Eldora.
Emma and Miriam were visiting Gerald (Emma’s son and Miriam’s husband) in jail, where he was serving a 30-day sentence for drunkenness. Katharine was home for the summer from her teaching position in Ohio.
Wed 2. Nearly tired myself out cleaning the weeds out of my strawberry patch. Katharine tried to mow but it was too much of a job. We went to Radcliffe & Eldora in the PM. Alice is looking for 8 people to spend a fun day. Her leg looks very bad. Went to prayer meeting at night. K went horse backing.
Tell’s brother John and his wife Alice were in a car accident in April 1930 in which she broke her kneecap.
Thu 3. I worked around in and out while Katharine made me a new dress. She gave me the goods. We got a pattern yesterday. Ruth decided to stay in Stratford till tomorrow so we did not go after her.
Ruth was away at Vacation Bible School. I was interested to find that sleep-away summer camps had become very popular by this time, and that many organizations, including church groups, offered them.
Fri 4. Ruth disappointed us by not coming home. She decided to stay till tomorrow. Katharine sewed almost all day. We had Miriam and the children here for dinner & supper. We drove over to see Gerald in the PM. Daddy & I took a drive out to the new road.
In August 1929 Emma mentioned that a highway was being built by their farm—more details are in that entry.
Sat 5. Katharine & I went to Iowa Falls in the forenoon. I picked the raspberries & Katharine sewed in the PM. Ruth got home on the 5 o’clock. She had a nice time in her Vacation Bible school. Note on bottom: E. A. Campbell note due.
Sun 6. I had eleven in my SS class this AM. We had a little chicken for dinner then drove to Eldora to see Gerald. We took Miriam but left the children at home. We went church—then had some ice cream before going to bed.
Mon 7. It is wash day. We had a good sized one. Afterwards I picked about 4 qts of raspberries.
Yum!
Tue 8. I got up early and we got most of the ironing done. We—Ruth, Katharine & I—started to Des Moines about ten AM. Did some shopping. Got home about 7. Then I drove Miriam to Eldora to see Gerald.
Wed 9. Another busy day—Chris & Lou got here about noon. We did not have things very ready but we got them done finally. We drove to Eldora in the evening. Alice has a bad poisoning on her legs. It has been there since July 1.
Christian Boylan, Tell’s brother, and his wife Louisa (nee Gellhorn) were living in Wewoka, OK, where he was the bookkeeper for an oil lease. More on that in future entries!
Thu 10. Missionary Society today. It is terribly hot. About 60 horses dead in the locality near Webster City due to the intense heat. Fifteen men were overcome on the highway they are building. Just Miriam & Mrs. Van Patter came to the Missionary Society. Afterwards Miriam & Ruth went to Eldora to see Gerald.
This story tells of the high temperatures and deaths across the state. Temperatures were over 100 for several days. I found an account of a movie theater in Sioux City that was “cooled by a refrigeration system” that allowed people to bring cots and sleep there overnight.
Fri 11. Another hot day. Katharine is sewing—She has been making me a pretty dress.
Sat 12. Katharine has made her two pretty silk slips today. It is not quite so hot but still very warm.
Sun 13. We—the girls & I—went to church & SS then we all went to Eldora with Miriam. Alice has been poisoned for two weeks. Her legs & arms look bad. Saw Chris & Lou today. Gerald will be home Tuesday. Nora came home with us today. She will read a Missionary play this evening.
Mon 14. The Tilton-Guthrie Show pitched their tent on our corner. Suppose we will have a busy time for a week. The girls & I went to Cedar Falls for repairs today. Stopped in Eldora for supper. Will came home with us to pick beans. Katharine & Gladys went to Radcliffe for some canvasses we did not get. I sold Alice the hat I bought for $1.00. Note on bottom: AW Reece note due.
This same traveling show came through in July 1929. I found it fascinating to look through this issue of Billboard Magazine from 1930 to see how lively the vaudeville scene was at this time. And I found this newspaper ad for a show in another Iowa town, just a couple weeks later than this one.
Tue 15. I had to go to the shop this AM. We picked & canned 29 pts of beans today. We got terribly tired. Miriam went to Eldora after Gerald. He was glad to get home. Mrs. Hornung called today. Said Swallums were moving to Iowa Falls.
Wed 16. Washday! I went to prayer meeting but as there was none I called on Mrs. Rowley.
Thu 17. Ironing & sewing. We are swamped all the time.
Fri 18. We moved a bed to the sleeping porch today—it is so hot. Katharine does not feel well. She has a bad cold sore on her lip. The children Betty, Margaret, & Jerry were here for supper.
Gerald and Miriam’s 3 kids, aged about 7, 5, and 2.
Sat 19. I guess the thing that has impressed me most today was Peggy’s speech in the car on the way down town. “They’ve just got to give us the car—no matter what!” Of course she had heard it. That car—with not one cent of the $500 paid—with over $100 due for repairs—the car that nearly killed a man—and that led to a 30-day jail sentence. But a car, no matter what!! Rev Rowley’s new boy arrived today.
$500 in 1930 would be over $8000 today.
Sun 20. We had a family dinner today—Chris & Lou, John & Alice, Will, Daisey, & Nora, Tell & I, Katharine, Ruth, Gerald, Miriam, Betty, and Peggy. This week Father would have been 100 years old. John is 75. Ruth read Mother Boylan’s psalm—the first one.
Here is Psalm 1:
Mon 21. Chris stayed here last night. It has been so hot & dry—98° in the shade yesterday PM at 5 PM. A cool wind last nite. Today Ruth is typewriting and Katharine & I are finishing her brown silk coat.
A 1930’s-era typewriter.
Tue 22. I did the washing today – We also sewed some.
Wed 23. We sewed today. Katharine is making her some new silk dresses. Went to call on Mrs. Rowley but they did not let me in. Did the ironing with the girls’ help.
Thu 24. Mrs. Culver & I & Helen & Katharine went to Iowa City today. Visited the Amana colonies & the lake. Got some chinkapins. Came home through the Tama Indian reservation. Chris & Lou were here. We went to call on Mina Herald who was at Strothers.
Wow, so much history in this one entry!
The Amana Colonies were German villages founded by Lutheran Pietists in 1855; the residents lived in a communal society until 1932, when the Great Depression led them to form a for-profit corporation. Today this site is a heritage tourism location.Chinkapins, also known as yellow chestnut oaks, are a large-growing shade tree.
The Meskwaki Nation—the Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa—is Iowa’s only federally recognized Indian tribe. Their settlement in Tama, Iowa (which is technically not a reservation but a sovereign nation, since they purchased the property rather than having it set aside by the government) is an active tribal community.
Fri 25. Chris went to Eldora. Lou has been here all day.
Sat 26. Lou & Chris are here. We drove to Eldora. Tell & I ate supper with Wills—Chris & Lou with Johns. We drove to Steamboat & visited the Cemetery. It is a pretty place. Note on bottom: Wm Otto note due.
Sun 27. This has been such a blistering hot day. Chris & Lou are here. A cool breeze came up about 9:30 PM for which we were thankful. I went to church & SS in the AM. We had a watermelon & drove out to the farm in the PM. Gerald was away all afternoon which caused us great anxiety.
Mon 28. A big washing today. Chris is here. Lou went to Eldora, Chris came over to stay all night. Lou went to Steamboat with her brother in the evening—both came over in the afternoon. Katharine went to Iowa Falls with the Culvers.
Tue 29. Such a busy day! We did the ironing and cleaning. Put up the two beds I bought from the folks, so we could keep the whole bunch over night. We sent Katharine over for John & Alice. Had a chicken supper. Ruth went to a shower for Irene Hiserodt Knight who was married last Sat. She took a dish-mop doll “Matilda May.” She was dressed in a tea towel, wash rag, clothes pins, safety pins, snaps for eyes, button nose, needles for mouth.
This sounds adorable! I looked for images but couldn’t find anything nearly as elaborate.
Wed 30. The folks left for the new home this AM before 6—Will & Nora go to Carthage. Daisey decided to stay here. Ruth went to a dinner party at Vera Dillon Swanger’s for Irene. Minna came over awhile in the PM. Tell, Ruth & I went to prayer-meeting. It is much cooler the last few days.
Tell’s unmarried sister Nora and brother Will moved to Carthage, MO, where she took a job teaching music.
Thu 31. Katharine & Ruth went to Iowa Falls where Ruth took her lesson this PM. We all went up in the evening to see the Byrd pictures at the movies. It is wonderful to know what Byrd and his men accomplished. Saw Mrs. Johnson a minute after the show. The folks got to Carthage about 10:20 this AM.
With Byrd at the South Pole is a 1930 documentary film about Richard Byrd and his first expedition to the Antarctic. It won the award for best cinematography at the 3rd Academy Awards. Here’s the trailer for the film.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of Emma’s journals! See you next week for August 1930.