The People of Appalachia in the Great Depression

My great grandfather was a miner in Jenkins KY and when his wife left him with 9 kids they were living in a company house. It burnt down and they were forced to live in a tent in the winter. The heavy snow made the tent cave in and someone took pity on them and let them live in their chicken coop. My grandfather lived in Wise Va and had to quit school at age 9 and go to work in the coal mines to support his grandmother who was raising him. Kids know nothing about hardship today. They think a low battery on their cellphone is tragic.

I’m from West Virginia but I married and moved to Missouri and I’m crying watching this. I miss my people, they’re hard working, humble and the most giving people, even when they don’t have it to give they’ll do their best. My family worked the mines of West Virginia and got baptized in the river come summer when the water warmed. We’re survivors. I learned to plant food, mill grain, tend to chickens, make soap, knit and sew and put up food from a early age. I’ve been out pulling potatoes, getting carrots and beets in the ground, starting my fall seeds under grow lights and running my water bath canner and the smoker today in triple digit heat because it’s what I’ve always done. I don’t have a big city life but I have piece of mind and the ability to grow and raise our food. I’m Appalachia strong!

My father, who was born in 1920, was sent to Colorado with the CCC to plant trees in a national forest. He sent most of his pay home to his family, as he was one of 13 children. He told stories of missing school in the winter because he didn't have shoes to wear. Not many of us have any idea of that kind of poverty.

We’d all be a much happier people by working hard and having gratefulness. Thankful to the Lord. People have too much stuff now but have nothing.

This is my family history! My grandfather was a coal miner in Smith Kentucky. Family of 19 children. He only went to school until 4th grade. Had to work in the fields to feed the family until he was lucky enough to get the coal mining job! Tough people. Thank you for sharing the history. Folks now days can't hardly cook themselves a meal let alone grow their own food. I'm proud to be a coalminer's granddaughter!

My grandparents lived through the depression and never threw anything away because of that. They have both been gone since the late 80s and I live in their house and to this day I still find useful things in the garage like tools or what have u that I also use. The best part of being a kid is that even if u were poor, u never knew it.

These videos should be submitted to Public Broadcasting stations so we can all learn what life is/was like in the mountains. Thank you, Mr. Laws.

This really makes you realize how fortunate we are today and how soft we have become. Thank you for making this.

My mother, now ninety-five, grew up during the Great Depression in a small town in North Dakota. For sure, like many of her generation, she is of very tough stock and her steadfast attitude has always been one not to hold grudges but to carry a big stick. During the Great Depression my mother's father worked odd jobs while maintaining his tenure at the rail yards as an train engineer. During the summer "hobos," men chiefly who rode the boxcars looking for work, would arrive in town. He would greet them and tell them where they could go for an evening meal and bag lunch for the next day, provided they were willing to work all day for it. Where? . . . his house! Boy, those were different days. He never had a single problem with them. When the depression came on strong in 1930 he dug up every bit of his lawn right up to the curbs and added extra garden space to an already large garden. My mother remembers many long hard hours spent working this extended food patch and helping with the canning that came from the sweat of their brows. These hobos would come and work all day in the garden and then eat a sit-down meal at the picnic bench set up near the back door. When dinner was done they were to be on their way with a sack lunch for the next day. My grandmother oversaw all this charitable work with a cheerful smile and loaded 38 revolver in her apron pocket. During the depression all was not peaceful in her small town, however. Though it was a staunchly Christian town packed with churches the theft problem was huge, and chiefly accomplished by towns folk . . . and not the hobos. Whenever produce from the garden was canned, they had to have trusted neighbors keep an eye out on their place should they leave the house for even a short while. My mom said that if it was not nailed down it was soon gone. They stole more than food, however, as they stole whatever they could to sell for a few silver dimes. This was small town rural America in a time when most folks had strong Christian morals. It appears that even "good" folks would rather steal than go hungry and many were not prepared by any means nor willing to work by the sweat of the brow. Theft was easier . . . the default position of fallen man when pressed into a corner. Our now overtly pagan culture has moved light years into depravity from then. I shudder to imagine what will transpire when our dying economy hooked on the heroin of welfare comes crashing down. Sadly, that will be none too soon. You make an excellent observation about the rural folk of Appalachia, they knew how to live off of the land no matter the times, good or bad.

My granddad was a farmer when the depression hit and he lost it all. His first wife took their child and left him. He ended up joining the military which became his career and met my grandma...7 kids later they lasted just over 50yrs when they passed within 5 months of each other.

You pretty much explained our way of life back then and a lot of us still gardening and canning and dang sure hunting! I tell you something else they had back in the old days .... love ! Family friends and neighbors loved 1 another and because of that the rest fell in place! Great stuff buddy ! Salute

I’m the granddaughter of two coal miners. I know and love the people who raised me by the values of the Appalachian mountains. It’s not an easy life but the love and resourcefulness of the mountain people is not lost to me. I’ll be returning soon. Much love and god bless.

I really admire the way you tell your stories. Our local and national history is important. Please keep telling your stories ❤️❤️

When I was young, everyone in my family had a large garden. We all helped each other harvest and can; we traded what we'd put up for meat sometimes. All the women sewed and made everything from blankets to pot holders to clothes, which they either gave as gifts or sold. I was the fisher of the family; I'd always come home with at least 3 or 4 fish. All of the men in my family worked for the TVA. Later, when we entered WWII, all the men in my family volunteered and went to war. Others in my family actually worked in Oak Ridge on the bomb. I'm thankful I listened to my grandparents' stories so I have to them to share with my own children.

My grandparents were born in 1902 and 1904. Imagine the things they saw! Some things from the depression never left them. My gram always used her tea bags twice, she never threw a rubber band away, you couldn't rip wrapping paper- you just popped the tape. Pop was so mad when we came off the gold standard. I was just a kid then and I remember how mad he was. I wish they were still here, but somehow I'm glad they're not. They would be so disappointed. 🙏♥️🇱🇷

My dad was born in 1915 and my mom in 1933. Born at home. Mom's family had land and she told how her grandfather or great grandfather gave away some of his land to help people have some place to live during the depression. They didn't have much but the got by. Mamaw made really nice quilts out of floursack. And she was extremely good with a needle. They never borrowed money. It was considered sinful I think. You saved up and paid for it. You made it or did without. Papaw farmed and had chickens and milk cow (Bessy). He helped a neighbor slaughter pigs and was paid in hams and bacon that he smoked in the smokehouse himself. They also raised chickens and laying hens. The rooster was my mom's pet. She said she would ride it around the yard on the front of her little wheelbarrow and it would crow. And my mom's job was to churn butter and make cream and curdled milk. and her favorite chore was to fetch butter or milk from the creek house because her reward was to sample the cream! Some nights supper was soup beans with fatback or streaked meat (similar to bacon) and hot cornbread with cold curdled milk poured over it. With slice of raw onion and tomatoes if they were in season.

I am 70 years old and never experienced these times, but my parents did and being frugal stayed with them all of their lives, even when things got better. i learned some of this from them and have been called cheap by my wife and daughter.

Times got hard for my grandfather, he packed up the family and took off west. The only problem was the money ran out and he started robbing banks. Well needless to say that didn't work out so well. But he did become the boxing champion of San Quentin Prison 😜

My father was born during the great depression in the mountains of Kentucky. After his dad passed away, he had to go into an orphanage until my grandma remarried and they could financially support all seven children at home.

My Mother's family was from Alabama and lived through the Great Depression, although she said there was nothing great about it. They were so poor , they barely even noticed. My Grandfather killed himself due to the Depression. Grandma was a nurse and always had employment. She was basically a single mom with five kids, and all turned out ok. She had help from family, not financial, but love, moral support, and food.