Passingbye Loc: Reidsville NC

Grandmother on my mom's side told me when my uncle was four and mom not long born, my grandpa was commissioned by a government official and Texas cattle ranch owner's to thin herd's, open huge trenches with a bull dozer to bury them. Grandmother said, grandpa and his brother were almost crying when they came home at night's, because there was no meat in their own house and we're warned if they were caught going back after any of the dead beef they'd be arrested. Grandmother said, one night grandpa came home after hunting with some kind of cleaned and plucked bird about the size of a chicken, she prepared it and roasted it. She asked my grandfather, what was that bird we ate last night? You don't want to know, she nagged him, what was it?! It was Owl, I was shooting at an opossum but the owl dropped from the tree. 😂 I had to ask her, What did it taste like? Stringy gammy chicken but when your kid's are hungry you do what you must to feed them. She said, one night grandpa's brother came home drunk with a whole cows hind leg quarter skinned, he cut from a cow he and grandpa killed and buried close to the top of the dirt. Grandpa had a fit saying you're gonna get us arrested!! Uncle told grandmother go cook it and we'll eat the evidence.

bknecht Loc: Northeast pa

That’s pretty funny PB. I do recall my grandfather mentioning chewing tar as a gum substitute and eating opossum, groundhogs or whatever protein they were able to obtain. Never ate possum but did try groundhogs…once.

Passingbye Loc: Reidsville NC

This story happened during and just after the Great depression and the beginning of World war I and two so it had to be tough for my grandpa to kill healthy cattle and have no food at home. In those days wages were awful maybe few dollars for a day's work. The first road from Wichita Falls to Lake Kickapoo was built by my grandfather and his brothers with pickaxes a little Dynamite a rented dump truck.

Bcmech1 Loc: Clinton Wisconsin

I remember my dad talking about that. He grew up in Northern Wisconsin, far north, shortly after the depression then president Roosevelt started the WPA work program to help poor people out. My dad worked in the U.P. of Michigan in logging camps. He mostly did lumberjack work, but occasionally he would work on the logging roads as well.
He told us about one late fall, they were sitting around the campfire at night, drinking coffee and bs-ing when dad got to go into the woods to pee. On his way back he found a bull snake that was pretty stiff from the cold, but dad could tell it was alive. Dad straightened it out and put it in his pants leg and went back to the fire. As the snake warmed up by the fire, it slithered out of dad's pants leg. He said you would have thought the devil himself had just shown up the way the other guys fled the campfire.

Just so you know, bull snakes are harmless, except to mice.

J in Cleveland Loc: Cleveland, Ohio

Great story!
Well my parents weren’t born till well after the depression. My grandfather wasn’t born till ‘32 but he’ll tell you the depression lasted till the beginning of WWII (New Deal did nothing to save economy the war brought us back). He lived in the city and toast with lard was his main meal till the war started. After WWII started they ate good because they had work for everyone for the war efforts. Sad but true that war has always been great for our economy.

hueey Loc: Lake Fork Tx

Mom and dad were raised in Wyoming during the depression. Dad and his brothers would hunt from the front porch and shoot antelope and sage chickens for the family to eat.
Moms father was an engineer working for the railroad and the family had a huge garden and also hunted for their food
Dad and all uncles joined and served our country during WWII
As a side note Dad could field dress and skin antelope, deer, and elk in a very short time.
The family would cut up their game together as my grandmother would fry the liver and heart for their supper.
I have to 30 Remington my great granddad had and the family used to hunt with.

Fishing Fool Loc: redding, ca

Never heard of that from parents or grandparents government slaughtering cattle. We had lots of beef, chickens, pork and wild game. My parents were given gas rationing cards and got extra as farmers. My grandfather had 4000 bee hives and the govenrment had him storing honey for them during the war following the depression.

Mauwehu Loc: Norwalk Ct

Love your posts!
There was a local diner during the depression where homeless would come in asking for a meal. The owner would give out soup. If the homeless person was thankful and ate the soup without complaining he would then ask—what else would you like?
Maybe humble pie for dessert?

harleypiker Loc: WA

My Dad's family grew up on a self-sufficient farm in MN in the 30s. He said they hardly noticed the depression because they only needed to go into town occasionally to pick up staples like salt or sugar, etc.

Graywulff Loc: Cortez,Co.

Tar was ok for a few minutes but the petroleum made me sick after awhile….

hueey Loc: Lake Fork Tx

It’s amazing thinking back and recalling the stories our loved ones shared with us about this tough time.
It’s very interesting learning the struggles and how they were overcome.
Great topic

MuskyJohn Loc: Benton Harbor, MI

Cool stories!!!! All of them!
My Great Grandpa had a small fruit farm and lost his "real" job as a cabinet maker. They bartered fruit to get by.
And my Grandpa, as a young man played accordion in bars to help the family out.
He also fished to put protein on the table.
I still have Great Grandpa's chair. I am currently reupholstering it now with cowhide.
An iconic piece of family furniture probably from the 1800's.

Thanks for all the stories!!!
So much that those folks had to do back then to raise a family.
But they were sharp. They fixed things. Stuff that isn't as common today.
Great thread!!!

Omaryam2 Loc: Wi

My dad told of walking the tracks in Racine WI with a bucket and picking up coal that had fallen off the passing trains.

Foodfisher Loc: SO. Cal coast

That was the us kids job. Clickity clack was the get to work call.

MuskyJohn Loc: Benton Harbor, MI

My Grandpa also told me that people (he called them bums) would hang out near the canals of Benton Harbor, MI under bridges drinking the alcohol from "Sterno" cans. They would squeeze the alcohol out of the wading inside the can. He was always there fishing for food for the family.
That was probably late during prohibition or early Great Depression. I'm saying that because of my Grandpa's age.
Crazy times.
Thanks for the stories.