Fri 1. We drove to Eldora in the afternoon. Katharine bought me a new dress—or the goods for it. Daisey went down to Risse’s. Tell visited with John & Alice while we shopped. It seemed lonely around Will’s old place. They write they are getting settled in Carthage. Note at bottom: Paul Rohlson note due. Amt 126.78 Int 2.16.
Daisey was Tell’s sister. Three unmarried Boylan siblings—Will, Margaret Manora “Nora,” and Daisey had been living together in Eldora, but Will and Nora moved to Missouri earlier in the year. Eventually Daisey moved down to join them…but that’s yet to come.
Sat 2. Spent the day cleaning the house, canning beets, etc. Tell & I drove out to see the new bridge south west of town. We were surprised when Margery Lou and her husband and friend Jane Reigers came about 6 PM. We hurriedly got supper—they had driven since 4 AM and were planning on getting to Minneapolis some time tonight. Had Gerald & his family come down to see them.
1930 was a banner year for road work in Iowa. The Des Moines Register reported that the state spent about $35,000,000 on paving, graveling, grading, etc. and added 1,040 miles of paving. The project kept thousands employed. I’m guessing this bridge was somewhere on Highway 65, which runs through Hubbard. Here’s a map of Iowa roads published in October, 1930.
Sun 3. Hot! Hot! Hot! Gerald’s birthday & we had him & his family for dinner. Five of them, four of us & Aunt Daisey made the dinner party. We went to church this AM but there was none at night. Katharine went for a ride with Miss Newell, Gladys, Agnes, Lathe. The hottest night yet! We hear how the corn is suffering.
Mon 4. I went to the shop to work this AM instead of washing. Daisey canned 8 qts of beets. Katharine is sewing. Ruth practices some & works some. She says lots of funny things.
Ruth, the youngest (and my grandmother), was 16 at this time.
Tue 5. Did not work today because it is cloudy and rainy. We got a much needed rain last night. We are making Katharine a crocheted slumber robe. Bought 5 skeins of red and one of black. Ordered 3 more skeins—it takes lots of yarn. Katharine finished her dress and I almost finished Ruth’s checked coat.
I was interested to learn that at this time the term “slumber robe” may have referred to an afghan rather than a garment. Add that to the fact that what we think of as the “granny square” had a resurgence in 1930, I’m thinking that they may have been working on something like this.
Wed 6. We have had such hot days. Katharine, Daisey, Tell & I drove to Eldora this AM to see John & Alice before they go to Florida. I went to prayer meeting at night. Ruth felt too sick to go.
Thu 7. A long busy day! Ironing! Mending & Sewing. Mrs. Culver & Helen called in the evening. Daddy & Ruth, Gerald & Miriam & Jerry drove to Iowa Falls & Alden last nite. Gerald is interested in building a miniature golf course on the hill. Betty was down almost all day.
Fri 8. It is hot this AM. We cleaned the house in the forenoon and sewed in the PM. It was too hot to work at the office. Katharine & I cut out my birthday dress in the PM. Ruth & I went to see Lottie in the evening.
Sat 9. Another hot day! I worked at the office in the forenoon. In the PM Gerald, Mrs. J. Strother, the girls & I went to Eldora. In the evening we went down town. It looks as though Daisey would not go to Kate with us as we planned on next Tues. AM. Gerald is planning to put a miniature golf course on the hill.
Oh, my goodness! This week’s curiosity trail… It turns out that there was a huge miniature golf course craze in 1930. Something like 15,000 courses were built in a wide variety of locations. Here’s a story from Popular Science about the trend. It became such a big thing that by the fall, cities and towns were passing zoning regulations and assessing license fees to regulate their operations. And here are a few clippings from the Des Moines paper:
Sun 10. Went to church & SS. Took a ride in the PM with Gerald. We drove on the turning table to turn around where they were paving. Louis Reep preached at night.
Mon 11. Fifty one years old today. We went to Ames and Nevada—Dad, J.B. Strother, Katharine, Ruth & I—to look at the ‘Midget Golf Courses’. Thought we were going to Miriams but we will go tomorrow night for supper.
Tue 12. Betty’s birthday! Katharine, Mr. Talbes & I laid out the golf course on the hill today. It has really started in earnest. We all & Daisey went to Miriams for chicken supper this evening. Ruth & I went to see Culvers about a display for Hubbard Day.
Wed 13. We worked on the hill again today. We got pretty tired. However I managed to get some sewing done. Have a dress partly made. Ruth, Daisey & I went to prayer meeting at night.
Thu 14. I spent most of the day at the office so Dad could work on the golf course. It is some big job.
Fri 15. We have been having lovely weather tho’ we need some rain.
Sat 16. We drove to Eldora today.
Sun 17. Today we went to church and SS. It was a cloudy day but cleared up before we came home. We went to the Old Settler’s meeting—that is, Ruth Katharine & I took some of the girls who were to sing.
Tell’s parents, William Wesley Boylan and Susanna (Balmer) Boylan, settled in Hardin County in 1857 and were part of the 1882 organization formed as the Old Settlers’ Society of Hardin County.
Mon 18. Another wash day! Am always so glad when the washing is done. Daisey, Ruth, Katharine & I drove out to get some wild spurge. It is beautiful now. Mrs. Reece (Albert), Mrs. Bocke (Arthur), Mrs. Swallum, Irma & Mrs. Engleking were here to call. I am helping get the antique windows ready for Hubbard Day.
Tue 19. Katharine & I finished Betty’s birthday dress. It is very pretty. Fixed over one of Katharine’s for Ruth. We all did the ironing. In the afternoon Naomi Haas called. Katharine & I went to gather up some antiques and in the evening we fixed the labels for them.
Wed 20. It starts out cloudy this AM. We have so much to do. We are finishing up the golf course. Daisey and I went to prayer meeting.
Thu 21. We decorated our booth for Hubbard Day. It is covered with lavender & yellow crepe paper with thistles that exactly match for rosettes. It is filled with white wild spurge and yellow golden glow. Opened the golf course tonight.
Hubbard Day was an annual festival celebrating the town and its history. It currently takes place in June and lasts for several days. Here’s the 2022 program.
Fri 22. It is our first Hubbard Day. I played golf several times today. It is lots of fun. Today we have been married 30 years.
Sat 23. A lovely morning. We are finishing up a black and white suit for me which we have worked at at odd times. We are looking for John & Alice & perhaps John Sullivan today. Have baked some pies this morning. John, Alice & Donald Wilson—their driver & Ruth Beck were here for dinner. I gave the Ladies’ Aid $5.00 instead of helping.
Sun 24. A nice day but I am not feeling a bit well. Have spent several hours in bed. I went to SS but felt too bad to stay for church.
Mon 25. Have spent a good share of today in bed. Am feeling much better this PM. Took some of the antiques home.
Tue 26. Worked at the shop this AM. Have posted the books and filed the bills. Spent most of the afternoon in bed. Played golf awhile at night. We surely are having a long dry spell.
Wed 27. A big washing in the AM. I was pretty tired. In the PM we went to Eldora for Katharine to have some curls put in the back of her hair where it had grown quite long. Golf has brought in about 15.00 each night so far.
This would be about $245 in today’s money. They probably charged about 25-50 cents per person.
Thu 28. Sewing! Shield-sleeves etc. for Katharine. Daisey, Katharine & I did most of the ironing. We then went after some corn. Had almost given up getting any but we canned 27 ½ qts. I took the first off at 12 bells, the last at 3:30. Golf—19.70.
I’m guessing these were dress shields. Here’s a vintage package from this period, and instructions on how to make your own.
Fri 29. I slept pretty late this AM. Katharine & Daisey did the dishes. After a hurried dinner we sewed a bit & went down to Minna’s in the evening. We sorted several bags of scraps today—wools, quilt pieces, silk scraps, carpet rags etc. after which I cleaned the sleeping porch. Note at bottom: NM Cockerham’s note due.
Sat 30. We cleaned the house up this AM. Then we canned 15½ qts. tomatoes. Then a Steward Board meeting? It is terrible to have a preacher who does not pay his debts. In the evening Daisey & I played a game of golf.
Sun 31. A hot Sunday! It is Katharine’s last Sunday at home. We had Minna Reece here for dinner—just have the dishes done. We went to Eldora in the evening. Took Daisey. Then took John & Alice to the Parish Hall to hear the Piney Woods singers.
The Piney Woods Country Life School in Rankin County, Mississippi, was founded in 1909 by Laurence Clifton Jones to provide education to people in the rural black community. Here’s a fascinating history of the school. One of their sources of funds was revenue from touring singers. There were several groups including the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, an all-girl jazz band active from 1938 to 1948 that played the Apollo theatre in Harlem and toured Europe with the USO in 1945, and the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, whose style of singing influenced soul singers such as Ray Charles, James Brown, and Wilson Pickett. This particular group was probably the Cotton Blossom Singers, which was the name given to touring groups from the school; groups of the singers continue to perform in the present day. Here is a 1929 photo.
I hope you have enjoyed this installment of Emma’s journals! See you next week for September 1930.