My folks had electricity in the 1930's from "check records." It was usually $3.00 per month. Heating was provided by coal and it was purchased from various sources and was used to heat our home until the early 1960'sradio, telephone, letters and plain old communication between people , when we moved to Laurel. On the farm, water usually came from shallow or deep wells. No, there was no central air-conditioning.
Most news and information was obtained by newspaper, radio, telephone, letters, and plain old communication between people meeting at the town grocery, tavern, church functions, or family gatherings. The early 1950's T. V. started to play a bigger role in regional and national news.
Sunday was the one day of the week, as a general rule, where no-one worked. That day was reserved for church and family. One exception was gas stations. There was shopping on certain nights of the week and of course, Saturday was the big shopping day in larger communities like Marshalltown, Iowa. Smaller towns like Laurel had there own special shopping nights like a Wednesday. Generally, my dad and mom went to his parents for dinner and the day. Family would visit and cousins would play. My Grandpa (T. A. Laverty) would play the juice-harp and fiddle.
That was the norm at the time and continued until cousins on both sides of our family graduated from high school and slowly moved away. Also, after the older generations passed away the various family reunions, the Irish reunions, the Smith-Ferguson-Cooper reunions, and the various club summer picnics were events that, for some, have long been forgotten. They were family gatherings for some to never be rivaled again.
Years ago, new automobiles were introduced each fall for the forthcoming year. My dad had written two checks in September of 1936 in the of $100 and then a second one in the amount of $200. The later check was noted-"paid in full" and made payable to a Vana Bros. It is not sure where the dealership was located or if the amount was for the total purchase price or trade in amount. It is assumed it was for a Chevrolet as that was all my dad purchased throughout his lifetime.
Checks were also written in 1937 ($300) and in 1940 ($450) to Motor Inn Chevrolet Co. in Marshalltown, Iowa. Even if these checks were for the amounts of the cars or the difference with trade-in, it was a reasonable amount by today's standards. An old cancelled check also verifies that a driver's license cost $1.00 and the tax on an auto sold was $1.00 or so.
I don't believe my dad was very mechanically inclined with automobiles as several checks were written to various auto repair shops and dealerships for small amounts. It was always said that Uncle Tommy was the mechanic and my dad was the mathematician.
Gasoline, as a general rule on the farm at least, was stored in an elevated barrel or underground and brought up by a gravity type pump. Records and cancelled checks from Standard Oil would indicate a price of 10 cents to 15 cents per gallon. This was in the 1930's and didn't change much until the 1950's. Also, a check was written to a North Central Mutual Auto Assn. for $11.05 in 1937. Without the policy, it isn't known the exact type of coverage.
Shopping. It appears that during the 1930's, my folks were able to shop freely at most popular stores in Laurel and Marshalltown. (It should be noted that most major shopping was done in Marshalltown rather than Newton, their county seat, mainly because Marshalltown was closer-ten miles vs. twenty miles distance.
For men, cancelled checks show People's Clothing and Phillips Men's Store were frequented by my Dad. My mother, according to cancelled checks and on occasion, were given checks in her name signed by my dad. Such stores were Herman's Britnall & Britnall, and Younkers. Also, Gamble Stores, Montgomery Wards, Spurgeons"s and Mickel Furniture, where it is documented that their first furniture was bought when they were first married.
Other stores that were used were Willard's Children Shop, Stepan Drug, Coast to Coast, Piggley Wiggley grocery and Clifton grocery. All the above stores were inMarshalltown. And yes, even Nichol's & Green's shoe store, which was still in business into the 1990's. It should be noted that Willard's women clothing is still operating on Main Street in Marshalltown as of this re-write-2014. Younker's is now located at the Marshalltown Shopping Center south of downtown. Piggley Wiggley later became Fareway.
-------------to be continued.
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