Early twentieth century life 3

Ruth Inez McClure Wilcox and Ivo Harry Wilcox. I think this was prior to 1950.

Courtesy of Google Images

When the women and girls wanted to curl their hair they placed the curling iron in the top of the lamp chimney to heat. If anyone owned an ice box they saved the water from the melted ice to wash their hair. The ammonia in it made the water soft. Also our houses had eave spout under the edge of the roof to catch the soft rain water. If we didn’t have a cistern for the water to run into it was caught in a rain barrel.

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Hog butchering time. Courtesy of Google Images

When butchering time came, everything but the squeal was saved.

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Courtesy of Google Images

The hog head was cut up and the meat used for mince meat, head cheese, and sausage.  All the scraps of lean meat were saved when the shoulders and hams were trimmed and ground into sausage. 

The fat was cut into pieces to be rendered into lard. The cracklings from that were made into lye soap. The sides were smoked for bacon and the hams and shoulders were smoked too.

Mama didn’t have an egg beater. She would put the egg whites on a platter and beat them with a table fork. Her cakes were so good and when the church had a food sale they really sold. For the frosting she used the same recipe that her other ____ and aunts used. It was one cup of sugar and five tablespoons of water. Beat two egg whites until they stand in peaks. Boil sugar and water until it spins a thread.  Add egg whites and flavoring and beat constantly until cool. Then spread over the cake.

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Not actually Mom. Courtesy of Google Images.

Mama was always good to go when a neighbor was sick. I remember she kept a long white apron starched and ironed and when she went she took it with her. Mr. Hogan was real sick and Mama went to help them. Ione Fairchild spent the night with me. 

All the girls had their hair bobbed but my folks wouldn’t let me have mine cut. Well, Ione and I decided that would be a good time since Mamma was gone so Ione cut it. For some reason Mama was very unhappy when she saw me.

 She finished it up the best she could so I could go to school. From then on, I got to keep it cut. I don’t know why Papa and Walter didn’t know what we were doing but they didn’t.

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Courtesy of Google Images

I will never forget the first week in November in 1918. The word came that World War I had ended. People in town and from the country met in Blue Mound. They built a bonfire and burned the Kaiser. We took hold of hands and we marched around the fire and yelled and sang. Later we learned that it was a false report but Nov.ll, it was official.

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Courtesy of Google Images

I remember the old opera house in Blue Mound. Graduation exercises were held there. Also, the silent movies. Adeline Casida would play the piano during the movie. The writing was on the screen. Adeline married Lee Laughlin who was in my class and they live in California.

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Courtesy of Google Images

Back then the electricity came on at dark and was turned off at midnight. At 11:45 they would blink the lights to let people know that they would soon be in the dark. The electricity was on of a Wed morning for anyone who wanted to iron. Most people owned an electric iron but no electric washers or other appliances.

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When we lived on the farm we needed Kerosene or coal oil as we called it.. We used it in our lamps and lanterns and a kerosene cookstove we used in hot weather. 

We would take a 5 gal. can to the store and they would fill it. If the cap was gone off of the spout the clerk would push an Irish potato on the spout to keep the kerosene from spilling.

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Courtesy of Google Images

Papa had some calves in the same yard as our clothesline. Mamma had made me a a pretty white voile dress and I wore it to Sunday School just once and it was washed and on the line. One of those calves chewed one sleeve so it had to be replaced. When I went to the store to get material for a sleeve, my cousin Kate Corey was working there.  When I told her what happened she really laughed. I didn’t think it was very funny but she did.

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Courtesy of Google Images

In 1917 Aunt Kate and Uncle Nick and Lavone decided to move to Calif for Aunt Kate’s health.  We wanted to see them before they moved but we didn’t own a car. Aunt Ina and Uncle Al owned a model T so their son Lewis who was 18 took us. His brother Lyle, 11, and the four of us. Lewis started up a steep hill but the gas tank was about empty and it wouldn’t make it. He let it roll back down then backed up the hill. As soon as we found a filling station we had the tank filled. 

Note: I have heard this story from several other sources as well. Apparently the Model T did not have a fuel pump. The tank was high enough but a certain angle would uncover the tank outlet in the forward floor of the tank. Driving in reverse cured that until you could go downhill again or drive on level ground.It was time to buy more gas.

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Courtesy of Google Images

I remember back when I was in grade school. Mrs. Mooney died with small pox. The family had to dress her for burial and it was a private funeral. We had small pox vaccinations but everyone was advised to get it again. It was in the winter and cold. We were at Dr. Kennedy’s office to get our vaccinations. The place was jammed. I thought they are just running them through like a bunch of cattle. I almost fainted but got outside in the fresh air. It wasn’t the vaccination but the thought of so many that bothered me, I guess.

Note: Everyone had to get a smallpox vaccination when I was a child. They made a circular scar that never went away It was always on the upper left arm so that it would not be missed. It was so common that it was abbreviated on physical exams. VSULA. That means vaccination scar upper left arm.


In the summer time for several years the Chautauqua would come to town. It was held in a large tent with a variety of programs. There would be lectures, plays, and musical programs in the afternoon and evening. We could only afford one ticket so we took turns. 

Note: This Chautauqua appears to be centered in Boulder and it very far reaching. There was definitely a traveling show and the two links here do a pretty good job of explaining it. I cannot recall knowing about it before typing this manuscript.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chautauqua   
http://www.ciweb.org/#3

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