Emma #82: July 1934
Summer on the farm, cars, skinny-dipping, threshing, and a 1904 family portrait
Sun 1. A nice day! Robert came down and we went to church in our own front room. Gerald took the children to Point Pleasant SS. In the evening we wanted to go but a horse got sick & we had no car to go in.
They used a two-horse cart for local transportation, but at this point had to borrow a car to go anyplace farther away. I’m sure this must have been frustrating for someone who enjoyed getting out in the world as much as Emma seemed to.
Mon 2. A lovely wash day! I did a big one. Miriam is sick & I have Mrs. Clingerman for dinner—also all her family.
Tue 3. It began to rain today. We needed it badly. Gerald has no car today. Bob came down & stayed all nite. Wants to take us to Iowa Falls for dinner.
Wed 4. More & more rain! We celebrated by killing some young chicken & making ice cream. Bob & Ruth went to Iowa Falls. Katharine made her a dress. Katharine sent for a catalog describing old money. Dad & Robert went to town for the mail and some groceries.
I found this 1934 catalog of coins of the world; there were probably other similar ones for both paper money and coins.
Thu 5. We ironed some with sad irons! They are rightly named. Ruth finished her dress today. Gerald had to go to the Falls today—so bought an Essex.
The June 1933 post talks about sadirons. And Gerald wrecked an earlier Essex automobile in November 1930. I found several listings for late-1920s Essex vehicles in newspaper ads in the $25-60 range.
Fri 6. It has rained all week. Cold today & cloudy—I pulled a lot of weeds. We cleaned up our apartment. Bob came down and wants us to go to Iowa Falls, then to Ft. Dodge to look for a car tomorrow. Gerald’s car is off so don’t know what we can do.
Sat 7. Today we all & Robert went to Ft. Dodge & bought a Franklin car. It is surely lovely. We drove our car & took our dinner—ate in the park. Got home safely.
I was trying to figure out how they could afford this, but it seems like the money from the farm loan that was approved last month must have come through. The Franklin Automobile Company made lightweight (mostly wood-framed with aluminum) air-cooled vehicles until declaring bankruptcy in 1934. Here’s an interesting video from the Franklin Auto Museum in Tucson, AZ with a history of the company and their cars.
Sun 8. John & Alice came over and went with us to Radcliffe. We took our car. Heard Gypsy Smith in the morning and afternoon. John & Alice staid for lunch.
Mon 9. This was washday. It was raining this AM but we got through. In the evening we went to Whitten. Had a flat tire. Started planting the 15 acres to corn for fodder.
Tue 10. We got the ironing all done—Katharine & Ruth did it. Dad plowed the corn. I pulled a lot of weeds. The town cow had a new calf. We will let Jerry milk her.
Bought Miriam’s geese for $5 today. We traded for a cow today. Got a nice cow & $2 to boot.
Jerry would have been six years old. Here’s a kid-friendly video on milking a cow.
Wed 11. We finished planting the north seven acres today. Gerald & Brighton plowed it after Dad & I took the oats off. Then Dad planted the corn. It rained some today. The pigs were sucking cows today.
Every day I learn something new! Apparently pigs sucking on cows’ udders is quite common.
Thu 12. Ruth & Katharine went to town (Hubbard)—took Gladys, Miss Newell, Agnes, Garnette, Ruth & Miss N. to a show in Iowa Falls at night. Gerald & Miriam went to look at JB’s calf.
Fri 13. Bob came today. We all went to the picnic grounds north of here for supper. Peggy had the tooth ache. After supper we took Bob to Iowa Falls. It stormed quite badly—we had some hail. We all were in Eldora this PM. Dad went to a committee meeting to find out about the Frazier bill & its effect on the farm.
The Frazier-Lemke Farm Bankruptcy Act, passed in June 1934, restricted the ability of banks to repossess farms and delayed the foreclosure process. It was ruled unconstitutional within a year, but was revised and renewed several times until it expired in 1949.
Sat 14. Katharine made me a lovely white silk slip today. I pulled weeds in the AM. In the afternoon Katharine, Ruth and I went to the creek to bathe ala nude—“More Fun.”
The “bathe ala nude” reference sent me off on a tangent…a search on “skinny-dipping 1934” turned up references to the Pre-Code Hollywood period in American cinema—before they started enforcing the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines. During this time, many movies contained “immoral” and “scandalous” content. Here’s a fun compilation of some pre-code Hollywood excerpts. I also found this story about a sequence that was censored from the movie “Tarzan and His Mate.” Here’s a link to that video (adults only).
Sun 15. We went to church this AM in K’s car—also to SS. Not many there! We all went in Dad’s class. Mrs. Wardle asked us for dinner. After we came home Bob, Chet Corsan and Bernice Clark came down, brought ice & made sherbet. Ruth went home with them to go to League & then to Baptist Assembly.
Mon 16. We had a bad storm last night—the worst we have ever had. The wind broke several panes of glass letting the rain beat in on our clothes, rugs, etc. It blew the chicken house off its foundation, broke trees down etc. We have washed today—curtains, rugs etc. We went to Eldora to pay the vet. Went to Hubbard to get Dad’s watch. It looks stormy again tonight.
Tue 17. We surely have had a time cleaning up after the storm. We did not get the ironing done but we cleaned a pig that got killed on the highway. It did not taste good. Robert, Stella & Mr. Peterson drove down for awhile. Robert staid all night.
Wed 18. Robert, Ruth, Dad, Katharine and I went to Iowa Falls this morning. We bought a few groceries & came home for dinner. Gerald has caused us a lot of sorrow this week. Only conversion will save him. We went to prayermeeting. Mrs. Robertson led. Walter Smith was converted.
Thu 19. This has been a terrifically hot day. Bob hiked down this PM. Katharine & I have made panties. Ruth is working on a hooked rug. Gerald broke his car. Pete took him to Iowa Falls today. How I wish he would change!
Fri 20. It has been so hot for several days. Mrs. Mohler, Garnette, DeLoss & Edith Robertson were out for awhile in the evening. We talked about picking.
Sat 21. Gerald, Miriam, Katharine, Ruth & I went to Iowa Falls today and I got a permanent. I am so happy. I have needed one so long. Had some trouble with the car.
Sun 22. Quite an eventful day. We went to SS & church. Rollie Van Patter conducted SS and Ora preached. Afterwards we went to Daggett’s to help celebrate Grandfather’s birthday. We had a lovely time. Saw the Thomases, Roberts, Daggetts and Oh what a dinner! Stopped at Johns awhile on the way home.
Mon 23. After washing this PM we went to Gladys Hough’s to return the iron. Took Miriam & the kiddies.
Tue 24. Katharine & I ironed. Ruth gave her lessons. We went to Eldora and got the groceries as we are to have threshers tomorrow. Miriam asked about renting a farm. We saw John and Alice. It has been very hot.
Threshing is the process of separating grain from plant stalks. This page has a nice video from Iowa Public Television on the excitement of steam-powered threshing machines and crew arriving, and the involvement of men, women, and children in the process.
Wed 25. We had threshers for dinner today. Got about 290 bushels of oats, which is as good as the average. Dad, Ruth & I went to prayermeeting. Walt Smith led. He has started to SS & church.
Thu 26. The heat was broken today. We picked the geese this PM. Got two pounds of feathers. In the evening DeLoss, Lester, Garnette, Charles & Edith Robertson came out for a picnic supper.
In case you’re interested in the art of plucking goose feathers, here’s a how-to article.
Fri 27. Miriam & Gerald moved the brooder house today. I do not know where my chickens will roost. Miriam has lost nearly 100 I suppose. No late chickens after this. Ruth was sick yesterday. Has spent most of today lying down. I canned 4 qts apples. Katharine is finishing her luncheon set.
Sat 28. A cool day! We went out to weed the watermelon patch this AM. Katharine & Ruth cleaned the rooms. Swebkes had a horse die this evening. Katharine, Ruth, little Jerry & I walked up to see it & take a lantern before it died. We had the telephone connected today.
Watermelon!
Sun 29. Another cool day! We went to SS & church this morning. Ora preached. I was elected delegate to the ME Conf. Ruth went to Clear Lake. Donald came after her this AM.
Mon 30. Have not been a bit well today. Was not able to wash. Have been so weak. Felt pretty sore when Miriam began giving my sweet corn away without asking. “I could spit!” A nice cool day! Dad is cultivating the 15 acres.
Tue 31. A letter came from Linnie asking us to spend a few days with her. Dad is raring to go. We are having a lot of trouble with the car.
Emma’s sister Linnie was living in South Dakota, about 250 miles east/north of Hubbard.
Special Feature: 4th of July 1904
This picture is from a family reunion in 1904, 30 years before this month’s journal was written. Tell’s parents, William Wesley Boylan and Susanna Balmer Boylan, are in the center. Emma and Tell are in the center of the front row, with Gerald in the cradle in front of them. All of Tell’s siblings are there, and some additional family members. Happy to provide a more detailed listing for anyone who’s interested…just send me a note!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of Emma’s journals. See you next week for August 1934.