How did life use to be?
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TexasBred
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Redgully
Well-known member
Could say the same for farming, ploughing, cropping and harvesting with tractors compared to horses, wow farming that much land would make you rich rich rich.....oh, the price of grain has dropped to equal everything out only it's much riskier now days if it goes bad.
Ky hills
Well-known member
I've often wondered what the folks that passed years ago would think if they could see how things are now.
farmerjan
Well-known member
I guess I have kept some of the "old ways" for some things. Wash dishes by hand, I do use the washing machine but hang everything out to dry. Grow a garden and can and freeze for future use as do many of you or your wives do
My grandmother was born in 1910, her mother in the 1880's. Gr grandmother lived to see me married. We would talk about some of the changes when I would go down to their house as a kid. Some things she liked but some she did not, like all of us with the different things that "progress" brought about.
People were much more "homebodies " in that they didn't travel long distances for daily jobs, and they didn't buy near so much on credit.... so not a "want it now and pay for it later", rather than "can I afford it now". It was hard backbreaking work, but there was a better sense of self satisfaction with a job that they did.
I find that I do try to do more for self sufficient living and not the "run to the store" a couple times a week. But I grew up with the idea of providing for myself and my families needs.
And life was not in the fast lane like today, because daily living took up a good part of their day.
I wish I could go back and live in those times for a bit....if nothing else, to appreciate today's modern conveniences.
My grandmother was born in 1910, her mother in the 1880's. Gr grandmother lived to see me married. We would talk about some of the changes when I would go down to their house as a kid. Some things she liked but some she did not, like all of us with the different things that "progress" brought about.
People were much more "homebodies " in that they didn't travel long distances for daily jobs, and they didn't buy near so much on credit.... so not a "want it now and pay for it later", rather than "can I afford it now". It was hard backbreaking work, but there was a better sense of self satisfaction with a job that they did.
I find that I do try to do more for self sufficient living and not the "run to the store" a couple times a week. But I grew up with the idea of providing for myself and my families needs.
And life was not in the fast lane like today, because daily living took up a good part of their day.
I wish I could go back and live in those times for a bit....if nothing else, to appreciate today's modern conveniences.
Good points. I still enjoy being a homebody and not living in the fast lane, but it's a club of very few these days.
BFE
Well-known member
Reminds me of a little old couple that I used to haul propane to. They had probably a 2-300 acre cattle farm, maybe row cropped another
1-200 acres. They were still at it in their early 90's. He told me one time "when we bought this farm, we knew we weren't buying any new cars or trucks." When the farm next door came up for sale, the old man bought it, didn't bat an eye through the whole sale. The last bidders had to have a confab to see how far they'd go, and when they came back out, Nelson just raised the bid as soon as the others did. He probably paid cash for it. No two bedroom apartments for those old folks!
1-200 acres. They were still at it in their early 90's. He told me one time "when we bought this farm, we knew we weren't buying any new cars or trucks." When the farm next door came up for sale, the old man bought it, didn't bat an eye through the whole sale. The last bidders had to have a confab to see how far they'd go, and when they came back out, Nelson just raised the bid as soon as the others did. He probably paid cash for it. No two bedroom apartments for those old folks!
MurraysMutts
Well-known member
Ky hills
Well-known member
My parents were older when I was born. One grandfather had passed by that time and the other was born in 1894 and passed in 1979 when I was 4 so I vaguely remember him. He was a tenant farmer for much of his life did a lot of work with horses and mules. My grandmothers were both born in 1903 and 1905. They both lived to see the turn of the century in 2000, but one passed that year and one a little over a year later. I grew up hearing them and other older family friends talking about how it was. I grow a garden, and use many of the same varieties of seeds and plants that my mother and grandmother used, then I have changed some varieties, but still plant yellow crook neck squash, cushaws, mustard greens, black seeded Simpson lettuce. I did did change the variety of beans from half runners to Roma 2 ( love the taste of half runners but dang them strings).
Was looking over some old county property maps the other night, and noticed that back then most of the cattle here were shorthorns. Ever stock farm was listed as Shorthorn breeders. I guess then in later years Herefords had the day for a while. Used to be most farms had a few cattle some sheep and hogs. People didn't go to town much. My grandmother would go to town and look at dresses to get a pattern then come home and make clothes. She worked the garden of a morning then came in and cooked. After my grandfather took ill with cancer and she had to take care of the stock, they said she soon got rid of the horses and mules.
Was looking over some old county property maps the other night, and noticed that back then most of the cattle here were shorthorns. Ever stock farm was listed as Shorthorn breeders. I guess then in later years Herefords had the day for a while. Used to be most farms had a few cattle some sheep and hogs. People didn't go to town much. My grandmother would go to town and look at dresses to get a pattern then come home and make clothes. She worked the garden of a morning then came in and cooked. After my grandfather took ill with cancer and she had to take care of the stock, they said she soon got rid of the horses and mules.
Mrcopier
Well-known member
Great stories thanks for sharing!
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
I believe it was GB said he was the first generation of his family not to pick cotton, so was I.
My parents were born in 1914 and were the babies in the families. My grandma that was born in 1880 and died in 1966 never believed we put a man in space. That was made up Hollywood movie's.
You would definitely appreciate today's washing machines, my grandma had a Maytag ran on a gasoline's engine. It sat on the back porch had foot start pedal on it. She also had a Ford Model A and I never saw her drive it, we walked to the store, church everywhere.
BFE
Well-known member
Shorthorns were everywhere around here too. Still a few herds around.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
My grandmother said they plowed the steep hills to grow corn to feed the horses they worked the corn with. She said if they had sold the horses it would have been much easier. But actually they kept chickens and sold eggs and also fed hogs and a milk cow.
I helped pick corn by hand when I was young. The horses pulled a wagon alongside and we threw the ears in the wagon. Tge horses responded to voice commands to move up and to stop.
I helped pick corn by hand when I was young. The horses pulled a wagon alongside and we threw the ears in the wagon. Tge horses responded to voice commands to move up and to stop.
I don't guess I can go way far back as to how to things use to be since I was born in 1961 but can relate to the movie Waltons mountain sort of.
Up until I was maybe 8 years old we didn't have indoor plumbing. Even though we lived in a small town that sprung up because of coal mining.
So we had three dug wells that we got our water from. Would heat water on the stove for bath water, remember keeping a pale of water on the kitchen counter for drinking water.
Did have natural gas to heat the house and to cook with. But nobody in the town of 400 or so people had indoor plumbing, no city water. Everybody had out house's. Did have electricity but nobody had a telephone of any kind back then. All the streets except for the highway was dirt. No street signs of any kind. No street lights.
We had a total of maybe 2 acres for gardening which about every home place had back then. We kept chickens, and hogs that we butchered every winter. We got most of our food from the garden and animals we butchered. Hunted deer as scareious as they were back then. Hunted rabbits, squirrels, quail, fished.
I remember an old man with a plow horse and sled that would go around to alot of home places and turn over people's garden spots. He would load his plow on the sled and move it from one home place to the next to keep from tearing up the old dirt city streets.
My Mother and sisters done alot of canning. I remember alot of the women making quilts sitting around the kitchen table using quilting frames from the ceiling. Back then when you bought feed from the feed store the feed sacks were made from cloth. My Mother made us kids ( 7 of us ) alot of clothes from thoes old feed sacks.
She done the washing in what they called a wringer washing machine and scrub board. Hand the clothes on a clothes line to dry.
She told me right after i was born that when she would pick cotton she would put me on the cotton sack and drag me along as she would go through the field picking cotton.
We had a black and white TV that on a good day if we were lucky we could tune in 2 maybe 3 channels to watch.
I think I was 7 or 8 years old when i watched the first man walk on the moon on that old TV, they had an old news man named Walter Conkright or something like that telling the whole story as it was happening live on TV that day.
I remember it was cold in the winter and hot in the summer in that old house we lived in.
Up until I was maybe 8 years old we didn't have indoor plumbing. Even though we lived in a small town that sprung up because of coal mining.
So we had three dug wells that we got our water from. Would heat water on the stove for bath water, remember keeping a pale of water on the kitchen counter for drinking water.
Did have natural gas to heat the house and to cook with. But nobody in the town of 400 or so people had indoor plumbing, no city water. Everybody had out house's. Did have electricity but nobody had a telephone of any kind back then. All the streets except for the highway was dirt. No street signs of any kind. No street lights.
We had a total of maybe 2 acres for gardening which about every home place had back then. We kept chickens, and hogs that we butchered every winter. We got most of our food from the garden and animals we butchered. Hunted deer as scareious as they were back then. Hunted rabbits, squirrels, quail, fished.
I remember an old man with a plow horse and sled that would go around to alot of home places and turn over people's garden spots. He would load his plow on the sled and move it from one home place to the next to keep from tearing up the old dirt city streets.
My Mother and sisters done alot of canning. I remember alot of the women making quilts sitting around the kitchen table using quilting frames from the ceiling. Back then when you bought feed from the feed store the feed sacks were made from cloth. My Mother made us kids ( 7 of us ) alot of clothes from thoes old feed sacks.
She done the washing in what they called a wringer washing machine and scrub board. Hand the clothes on a clothes line to dry.
She told me right after i was born that when she would pick cotton she would put me on the cotton sack and drag me along as she would go through the field picking cotton.
We had a black and white TV that on a good day if we were lucky we could tune in 2 maybe 3 channels to watch.
I think I was 7 or 8 years old when i watched the first man walk on the moon on that old TV, they had an old news man named Walter Conkright or something like that telling the whole story as it was happening live on TV that day.
I remember it was cold in the winter and hot in the summer in that old house we lived in.
They were alot of 50 and 60 model vehicles on the roads during that time. There was no such thing as a round baler up until the mid 70's where i grew up. Only square bales.
To me it was a hard life and I was just a kid. I can only imagine what it would have been like having to raise kids and take care of a family back then.
Gardening back then was something people counted on to help feed their families.
To me it was a hard life and I was just a kid. I can only imagine what it would have been like having to raise kids and take care of a family back then.
Gardening back then was something people counted on to help feed their families.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
I can relate to all of this but picking cotton. We grew tobacco instead. Share cropper for a lawyer.
You was my very close neighbor then. You forgot to mention you could walk to fish in about 5 minutes and shoot deer off a cliff.
greybeard
Well-known member
So can I (or most of it) except it was at my grandparent's home.
That pail of spring water sitting on the kitchen counter with an aluminum dipper in it I'll never forget. Best tasting water ever.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
I can actually remember the dipper being slightly frozen in the bucket some mornings
Ky hills
Well-known member
Several years ago we dug out a new pond in between two pretty steep hills. Took a long time to hit clay, there was soil in that bottom. We couldn't hardly believe that because in most cases we are just a few inches from clay and or rock. I figure that years ago they grew corn on the hills and over time the ground washed down into the bottom. We found an old horse drawn corn cutter in a barn.
