As this month begins, Emma and Tell are in Wewoka, OK at the home of Tell’s brother Chris and his wife Lou.
Fri 1. We have worked a little on the bird bath. I mean Tell has. Lou & I played dominoes tonight. I won.
Sat 2. Tell & I worked outside on the porch today. He is very tired tonite. I am tired too. I have read some. The days slip by. We have been here over a week.
Sun 3. Dad & I went to SS and church today. Spent the PM writing letters.
Mon 4. Dad has been working on the porch which has turned into a room.
Tue 5. Dad is working on the porch. It is some job.
Wed 6. Dad went down town for letters. We got several. We think Buster & Margaret will be home next Sunday. We hope to start by the 15th.
Chris is in Joplin, MO, at the ranch of daughter Margaret and her husband Buster Sharp who are in South America. When they get home, the plan is for Chris to come back to Wewoka and for all of them to set out for Oregon.
Thu 7. Lou & I washed today and then I had a Permanent at “Lotties”—Wewoka. I sold her a pair of baby shoes which Lou had helped me make—for $1.00. The permanent was a “Realistic Croquinole” with a Eugene Machine. The fluid compound was in individual containers.
In March 1929 we took a look at how permanents were done, and in August 1932 we learned about the croquinole. If you want to dig a little deeper, here’s a patent filed in 1932 and granted in 1935 for the Eugene machine. And I found an ad in the Wewoka paper for Lottie’s beauty shop!
Fri 8. “Lottie” came after me to take the little shoes down to try them on her adopted baby. She combed my new permanent out. Lou’s radishes are up. Dad is working on the wiring now.
Sat 9. I started another pair of baby shoes. Stayed at home all day. Have helped Tell on the porch a little. Lou walked down town.
Sun 10. Tell & I went to SS and church today. We had a nice communion service. Had a good chicken dinner. Slept awhile in the PM. Wrote the children & Linnie. Milo Reed & his wife called. It has rained almost all day.
Mon 11. We have not heard yet as to whether the Sharps are at home. The porch room is about finished. Lou & I read “Mr. Chips” aloud this afternoon. We played dominoes in the evening. It has been rainy today. Have started to make two copies of the Family Tree.
Goodbye, Mr. Chips is a novella about the life of a British school teacher by James Hilton. First published as a newspaper supplement, it was published in book form in 1934 and became a huge success.
Tue 12. I got a nice letter from Mrs. Johnson today. She misses me. Mr. Reed took Tell & me in our car to see some Indian homes, an Indian church and the oil fields. It was all very interesting. We got one wheel off the culbert on a corner & it cost us $3.00 to get it out. Have not heard from Chris as to the Sharp’s arriving.
There was an extensive description of this excursion in a separate notebook. It was so interesting and rich in history and detail that I am working on putting it into a separate post, which I will share when it’s ready.
Wed 13. Chris did not get home today. We went to the bus & waited a full half hour. We got a letter tonight saying he would be home tomorrow & Margery called that they got there last night. We washed today and I am pretty tired. I finished up copying the Boylan Family Record. It has been a lovely day here.
There are several family documents that trace Tell’s family, the Boylans. I am happy to share them with anyone reading this who is interested, and hope to put them into another post at some point.
Thu 14. We made a cement step at the back door for Lou today. Tell polished his car and worked on the bird bath. I have not felt very well today. We went to the 6:15 bus to meet Chris but he didn’t come but phoned a little later that he was at Holdenville so Tell, Lou & I drove after him.
Fri 15. We have decided to start tomorrow so I will pack today. I went over and had my hair waved. Lou went to the garden club.
Apparently Louisa was quite active in the garden club. Here’s an account of a meeting she hosted in 1932.
Sat 16. We—Chris & Lou, Tell & I started on our trip to Oregon at about ten today. There had been a bad dust storm in the night and it was still windy but we came on any way. We ate our dinner in the Oklahoma State Capital Cafeteria. Stayed till about 2 PM. Came as far as Elk City, Okla and are in a cabin for the night.
Looking ahead at their route to Oregon, it looks like they were following Route 66, which was a very popular westward road at that time. Built/designated in 1926, Route 66 stretched from Illinois to California. Although we think of it now in terms of a tourist road, this fascinating article on the period from 1926 to 1945 outlines its importance in terms of economic development, national transportation, and mobilization for World War II.
Their first lunch stop, the State Capitol Cafeteria in Oklahoma City, was apparently a hotbed of political intrigue.
And Elk City, their first overnight stop, is now the home of the National Route 66 Museum.
Sun 17. We have travelled nearly all day. Left Elk City at 8 AM and arrived in Tucumcari about four—turned our watch back an hour. We are in a fine tourist camp—gas heat, stove, electric light, hot & cold water, etc. We ate dinner in Amarillo, Tex. We are now in New Mexico. Came through a lot of sandy country and through a bad dust storm.
Most of the iconic Route 66 lodgings that are still around were built after this period. I found some older images of motor courts that probably date back this far, including this one.
Mon 18. We drove from Tucumcari NM to Grants, NM—291 miles. Have seen some wonderful places today. The snow-capped Mount Taylor was in sight for a hundred miles I believe. The Spanish houses are picturesque. We ate dinner at Albuquerque, NM at about 2:30. Drove through a mountain pass and over a lot of dirt & gravelled roads.
Mount Taylor, a dormant stratovolcano, is sacred to many Native American pueblos. In the Diné tradition, it is Tsoodził, the blue bead mountain, marking the southern boundary of the traditional Navajo homeland.
Tue 19. We got up real early—left Grant, NM and drove as far as Flagstaff, Arizona, coming through the Petrified Forest Monument. We had quite some weather—rain, wind, dust & snow. We are in a cabin—thinking perhaps we can not get away for a day or so. It is pretty cold—ground is covered with snow.
More scenic beauty along the road!
Wed 20. We felt pretty blue when so much snow fell, and the pavement so icy, but after waiting till about ten AM we started out. It was pretty bad for a few miles but after that we had no trouble and we had a wonderful day to view a most wonderful sight “The Grand Canyon.” We were thrilled with the sight. Came back to Williams and are located for the night in a fine steam-heated cabin.
This Grand Canyon booklet, printed in 1933 and almost certainly from this visit, was in the family files.
Thu 21. We drove from Williams, Ariz to Blythe, Cal. via Wickenburg. Had a thrilling ride through the mountains. We drove through mountains for about ¾ hour.
Fri 22. The birds waked me up. We drove from Blythe, Cal to Altadena where Lou’s sister lives. We have had a wonderful day. Stopped to see Kitty Barnes in Pomona, and got turned around so we saw Whittier. Then stopped awhile in Alhambra. The ride through Riverside was like a fairyland. The orange and lemon groves, the palm trees, flowers were thrilling.
Sat 23. The birds woke me up this morning. We stayed here at Johnson’s. Had a wonderful sleep. We plan to go on this morning. Left Altadena about 9 or 10. Came via Bakersfield intending to go out of our way a few miles to see the flowers in bloom but did not. Ate dinner at George’s place, where Chris discovered his pocket book was missing. We tried to find Lester Mohler at Delano but he had gone home. We are in a camp at Tulare.
It’s hard to keep track of all the family members! It looks like the Johnsons were Chris’s wife Lou’s sister Martha and her husband.
Sun 24. Sunday night. Not much like Sunday—we drove from Tulare to Willows today. Have a nice camp. Tell & I went to church at a Christian church—Union service with ME. We are tired & sleepy. Our trip is pretty near over.
Mon 25. We drove from Willows, Cal to Grants Pass, Oregon today. Tell & I stayed over night with Gertie. We had a lovely visit but will go back later for a long one. Our car has been so satisfactory. Saw Gertie’s baby (5 years old) for the first time. Elizabeth and Margaret are lovely.
Gertie (Schieferstein) was Emma’s sister, who moved to Oregon sometime before 1930 with her husband and family. Elizabeth and Margaret were Gertie’s oldest daughters, who would have been about 18 and 19; there were 2 other children in addition to the baby she mentions.
Tue 26. We arrived safely in Salem about 4:15, having driven 2723 miles. Our half of expense was $48.38. Elizabeth teaches near here. Betty is having vacation so she is at home. She is so sweet & lovely.
Tell’s brother Berne, his wife Betty, and their daughter Elizabeth, who was the same age as her cousin Ruth, lived in Salem. Quite a road trip!
Wed 27. Today Lou & I did a washing. I am tired so rested awhile. Chris & Tell walked up to see Mt. Hood. I am so hoping an opportunity for work will open up for us very soon. We have not seen Berne yet. He will be at home tonight. Betty & I got some tickets on prizes when we went down town today. We have to match them up tomorrow night. Lou, Elizabeth, and I went to a movie, “Little Men,” tonight.
Little Men is a 1934 movie based on Louisa May Alcott’s sequel to “Little Women.”
Thu 28. Berne, Tell & Chris went on a business trip today. Will be in Portland. Elizabeth is teaching, Betty is not so well & has gone to bed. Lou & I have mooned around here—reading, writing, ironing etc. We got a letter from Kitty Barnes today.
Fri 29. Tell & Chris have gone with Berne on a trip. I have been busy with the work. Drove down after Betty this AM. She is staying at a Sorority house so we can have her room. It is a lovely morning. Drove after Elizabeth at 4 PM. She now will have a week’s vacation. Berne took Tell & Chris & me to a picture show.
Sat 30. A lovely day! We are going to see the Ocean today. A great day in my life! Saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time. Chris, Lou, Berne, Betty, Elizabeth, Tell & I took our dinner & drove to the coast. We rented a cabin for dinner and then spent the short afternoon getting agates, starfish, shells etc.
The Oregon coast! What a beautiful place for one’s first sight of the Pacific Ocean.
Sun 31. Dad & I went to Sunday School & church today. After dinner Berne took Chris & Lou, Tell & me for a long ride over the city. It is a wonderful little city. So many of the State Institutions are located here.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of Emma’s journals. See you next week for April 1935.