I love hearing stories about Utah’s history – before everyone had cell phones that they used to binge-watch the latest Netflix Original Series. Before we spent long hours engaged in social media, while ignoring our loved ones that sit next to us (they’re also plugged into Facebook or Instagram). Life was simpler back in the 1930s, that’s for sure. It was also much harder. Take a look at these photos that were taken as part of a huge government project – the Farm Security Administration’s Resettlement program, which helped farmers during the Great Depression.
- Quilt Frames
Russell Lee/Photogrammar Every woman in Utah’s small towns knew how to quilt, and quilting frames were dragged out for all kinds of occasions: weddings, new babies, holidays and the approach of cold winter months.
- Community Mail Boxes
Russell Lee/Photogrammar If you were waiting for a package, you might ask your neighbor to pick it up for you.
- The Local Scissors Sharpener
Russell Lee/Photogrammar This guy would move from town to town, offering his services sharpening scissors and lawn mower blades.
- The Mercantile
Dorthea Lange/Photogrammar The place where you bought everything from groceries to fabric to hardware items.
- A Well
Dorthea Lange/Photogrammar Some towns didn’t have indoor plumbing for a very long time. Instead, they had a well where they got cool, clean drinking water. Hopefully.
- The Movie Theater
Dorthea Lange/Photogrammar This movie theater, in Escalante in 1936, was a place to escape the reality of the Depression and watch your favorite movie stars on the Big Screen.
- A Church
Dorthea Lange/Photogrammar Every Utah small town had at least one church.
- Tractors
Unknown Photographer/Photogrammar In 1940, this tractor in San Pete County was the latest technology. The majority of Utah’s small towns were rural and relied heavily on farming. Utah’s rural towns still have tractors - but they don’t usually look like this!
- A Cold Storage Room
Unknown Photographer/Photogrammar Canning was not only a way of life, it was a way to survive the winter. Every home had a room or cellar where the 500 or so quarts of preserved fruits and vegetables were kept.
- A Little Boy With An Air Rifle And A Cowboy Hat
Russell Lee/Photogrammar Does this remind you of the famous movie, “A Christmas Story?” Every little boy in Utah surely wanted an air rifle and a cowboy outfit for Christmas in the 1930s.
- Houses With Cellars
Russell Lee/Photogrammar Some Utahns still live in houses with cellars (mine has one!) But most have fully-finished basements with theater rooms, bedrooms and laundry facilities now.
- A Bustling Main Street
Russell Lee/Photogrammar Every small town had a Main Street, where you would shop for groceries and clothes, eat at the cafe and gather with your neighbors. This is the town of Brigham.
My grandmother grew up in Escalante in the 1930s. Do you have family members who grew up in the places photographed here? Tell us your stories – we’d love to hear them!
Russell Lee/Photogrammar
Every woman in Utah’s small towns knew how to quilt, and quilting frames were dragged out for all kinds of occasions: weddings, new babies, holidays and the approach of cold winter months.
If you were waiting for a package, you might ask your neighbor to pick it up for you.
This guy would move from town to town, offering his services sharpening scissors and lawn mower blades.
Dorthea Lange/Photogrammar
The place where you bought everything from groceries to fabric to hardware items.
Some towns didn’t have indoor plumbing for a very long time. Instead, they had a well where they got cool, clean drinking water. Hopefully.
This movie theater, in Escalante in 1936, was a place to escape the reality of the Depression and watch your favorite movie stars on the Big Screen.
Every Utah small town had at least one church.
Unknown Photographer/Photogrammar
In 1940, this tractor in San Pete County was the latest technology. The majority of Utah’s small towns were rural and relied heavily on farming. Utah’s rural towns still have tractors - but they don’t usually look like this!
Canning was not only a way of life, it was a way to survive the winter. Every home had a room or cellar where the 500 or so quarts of preserved fruits and vegetables were kept.
Does this remind you of the famous movie, “A Christmas Story?” Every little boy in Utah surely wanted an air rifle and a cowboy outfit for Christmas in the 1930s.
Some Utahns still live in houses with cellars (mine has one!) But most have fully-finished basements with theater rooms, bedrooms and laundry facilities now.
Every small town had a Main Street, where you would shop for groceries and clothes, eat at the cafe and gather with your neighbors. This is the town of Brigham.
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