Emma #59: August 1932
Road trip to Missouri, hairstyles and hats, bad birthday news, and Ruth heads to Iowa Falls
Mon 1. Did the washing this morning. Did not hang it out until in the afternoon as it was raining. Dad has been at the farm.
Tue 2. Did the ironing today. Was glad to get it all done.
Wed 3. Have had a busy day today. Garnett, Frances, Gerald & Miriam called this evening. I went to prayer meeting.
Thu 4. Have cleaned upstairs today. Ruth Boeke & my Ruth had a party for Ruth Beck today. They went swimming in Pine Lake and then up to Margaret’s for a picnic supper. Bob Grooters came down this PM and stayed for supper.
Fri 5. Went to Eldora this PM. Found a suit for Tell. Stopped at Geralds a minute. Ruth Beck went home today. Ruth went to a slumber party at night.
Sat 6. Here we are in a cabin at Cameron, MO. We got five miles south of here & the car stopped. Found after we were hauled back to town that our car was out of gas. We are in a nice little double cottage. Have had our supper and have washed the dishes. It has rained practically all day & is still raining.
In the 1930s, as people began to do more traveling by car, many small tourist courts began to spring up along the highways. They were small stand-alone cottages with just enough room for a bed, bath, and perhaps a small kitchen. Here’s an image of some similar cabins of the era…I also found a story from the Cameron, MO newspaper about the building of some tourist cabins in June, 1930. Wonder if these were the ones they stayed at?
Running out of gas? In the 1930s many cars did not have gas gauges (I was interested to learn that VWs didn’t have them until 1961—instead they had a small reserve tank that you switched to when the main tank was empty).
Sun 7. Left John & Alice in KC about 8 AM. They will be there a week. We drove on to Carthage. Got here at 3:20 PM. Am not a bit well.
Tell’s unmarried siblings Nora, Daisey, and Will had moved to Carthage, MO over the past few years and were living together there.
Mon 8. We drove in the rain all day Saturday—nearly. A lovely day Sunday, & today it is cool & pleasant here. We have had a lovely breakfast, Nora has washed, & I have spent a lot of time in bed. I am quite weak.
Tue 9. It is another lovely day. Seems so cool and pleasant. Am just ready to go for a permanent. Have had a Crokinole & my hair bobbed. Suppose the girls will not like it. We went to Joplin today. Bought a grey straw hat for 50¢.
In the early 1900s, women began to cut (“bob”) their hair short. In the early 1930s, boyish bobs had given way to slightly longer styles, often including curls or waves. Here’s an interesting history of hairstyles and permanent waves in this period, including an explanation of the “crokinole” or “croquignole,” a technique that involved winding curlers from the end of the hair to the scalp (If you’re really curious, here’s a how-to video).
1930s hat styles were dominated by the cloche, or slouch hat, popularized by Greta Garbo.
Wed 10. A lovely morning! Think we are going to Neosho for a picnic.
Thu 11. We went to Neosho yesterday. Saw the lovely big spring in the park. Ate our dinner & visited an antique shop. Word has come that Emil Gildemeister has attached our property. Not a very lovely thing to know on one’s birthday.
Big Spring Park in Neosho, MO is now part of the National Park Service’s Ozark National Scenic Riverways.
Attachment is a legal proceeding that seizes property based on a plaintiff’s claim that they are owed money. It is an interim step that requires a hearing before the property is transferred. Emil Gildemeister was listed as a farmer in Hardin County in the 1930 census—so many of these Depression-era legal proceedings involved friends, family, and neighbors.
Fri 12. Dad & I went up to the college to hear Miss Boeye talk. She is teaching in Ep. League Institute. We (Daisey & I) have washed & ironed today. We are going on a picnic this evening.
Margaret Boeye was a tremendously active volunteer, with service to Red Cross, Girl Scouts, and a huge number of other church and community organizations. She was recognized in 2000 by the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame.
Sat 13. We are at Camp Victory in a nice little Tourist camp. It is about 14 mi from KC. The cabin is nice. Has water, toilet, shower, etc. It seems cool down here tho’ we were afraid it might be hot. We got some egg sandwiches and coffee & had a 5¢ musk melon which made our supper. We will get up early and get to KC before the heavy traffic. Stopped to see Thelma but she had transferred this Spring to Flanders ND.
Muskmelon is a type of fruit that includes several varieties including canteloupe and honeydew.
Sun 14. We got up this AM and drove to KC Turner Hotel for John & Alice. They were not up yet. We got our breakfast—waited till about 9:30 & started for Carthage. Ate dinner at about 2 PM. In the evening Tell & I took Daisey & went to church in the park. Had a nice service. Will be glad to start for home.
Mon 15. It is getting hot. Chris & Lou & Elaine got here about 11 AM from the north. We had dinner at Margaret Manora’s. I cleaned the chicken. John, Alice, Daddy & Daisey went to Joplin. Got the car fixed. They came home on the street car. Chris stayed all night in Joplin.
The Missouri segment of the famous Route 66 was completed in 1931, and passes through Carthage and Joplin. There are still a lot of Route 66-related attractions in the area.
Joplin is mentioned in “[Get Your Kicks On] Route 66”, written by Bobby Troup and performed by Nat King Cole.
Tue 16. We started from Carthage about 12 noon today. Chris, Elaine & Lou were there for dinner. We drove through KC about 4:30 PM. Had a nice trip home.
Wed 17. We—John, Alice, Dad & I got home from Carthage today. We stayed in a little cottage at Excelsior Springs last night. Ate our meals on the way.
Here’s a map of the trip—Hubbard to Carthage and back, with a jaunt back up to KC to get John and Alice. Total distance on today’s roads would be almost 1200 miles.
Thu 18. It is so cold in the house today. We have been busy. Dad has gone to Eldora, Katharine has been sewing & I have been sleeping.
Fri 19. I canned a few tomatoes today. In the PM Mrs. Mohler, Garnett, Katharine, Ruth & I went to Iowa Falls.
Sat 20. It has been a cool day. Have been making over a dress for Ruth.
Sun 21. Today we went to church & SS. Estella Grooters came down last night & Bob drove Peterson’s car down today. We went out to the farm for some cream and in the evening we drove to Roland. Went through their beautiful church but failed to find the Boyds. Bob drove the old Ford home.
Mon 22. Worked. Canned tomatoes. Our 32nd wedding anniversary.
Tue 23. The corn was ready yesterday, they said. We will can today. Have canned about 32 qts.
Wed 24. Have been busy today. Went to Eldora with Culvers today. Got some beans to can.
Thu 25. Canned succotash & went to Eldora.
Fri 26. We took Ruth’s things to Iowa Falls yesterday PM.
With Ruth, the youngest, leaving home, Emma and Tell are now empty-nesters!
Sat 27. We kept busy at the sewing today. Had a heavy rain in the evening.
Sun 28. We had all of Geralds in today as it was the girls’ last Sunday. Donald & Estella Grooters dropped in so we had eleven for dinner. We practiced at the church in the PM.
Katherine is heading back to teach in Shaker Heights, and Ruth’s off to Iowa Falls.
Mon 29. Have sewed all day, fixing things for the girls. Katharine goes on Wed & Ruth goes tomorrow. Dad & I went to choir practice in the evening. Mollie Wickam died today.
Tue 30. Ruth started to Iowa Falls this AM. She will stay at Grooters, take music of Mr. Thalman & French & English at Ellsworth. Garnett Mohler took her up. Katharine went along. Katharine bought a coat today.
More on all of this to come. J. William Thalman and his wife opened the Iowa Falls Conservatory of Music in 1925. Ellsworth (now Ellsworth Community College) was a well-regarded junior college, also in Iowa Falls.
Wed 31. Helen Culver took her mother, Katharine and me to Eldora today. Kay got her driver’s license. I got some new shoes. Finished Katharine’s orchid dress and the elephant. Katharine called Ruth this evening to say goodbye.
Iowa passed its first driver license law in 1931 and conducted its first driver examination in 1932.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of Emma’s journals. See you next week for September 1932.