Dust Bowl during thirties... anyone live thru It ??

Been watching a two part program on the Dust Bowl during the thirties. I had heard about it but did not know the magnitude and length of time it ravished the west. Anyone have any first hand memories of the Dust Bowl ?

My mother lived through it. Had many stories to tell.I got to go through a little of it. When looking for a radio tower in west Texas.

Clear sunny day. Looked north and saw a big brown cloud. When it got to where I was. I had to turn on the headlights. Drove past the tower three times while looking for it. Tower was about a hundred feet from the road. Sand was blowing across the road like water. Never did get all the sand off of my truck.

Hi,few months ago watched a couple of parts of documentary's of the event. Now wish that I had viewed more closely. This is on the list of projects to get more knowledge about the history of the area. The lifestyle must of been horrible. Thanks for the reminder, more people with lot's of information will post, now that you have aroused our curosity. Thanks, Murray

I wasn't here during the '30's but was in Altus, Ok. back in early '60
and saw the same thing coming. Was in my used '51 Olds sedan,
parked in a driveway. Hit me from the side. Couldn't see the hood
ornament. Rocked the car like a baby crib. Even though the
windows were rolled up and the seals were ok, dust was all over the
inside. Lasted about 15 minutes and then all clear, like nothing
happened, other than the layer of dust all over everything.

Mark

For any interested, that documentary can be viewed
online too.

A really good book about The Dust Bowl era is "The
Dirty Thirties" by William H. Hull. It's a
compilation of short stories submitted by folks
who lived through it. Very interesting read.

Another excellent book is "The Worst Hard Times."

Larry

Little D, I lived in the Okla. Panhandle from 1980 to 1990 I spoke to and have heard many many First hand accounts of the Dirty Thirty's. My Wife's Dad folks were Driven out of their home in NE New Mexico and WERE in the mass Exodus to California, found the living tougher than from where they had come from So they Returned!
But the Dust Storms continued Well into the 80s just not to the severity, and areas covered when they hit. My wife tells of a dust storm that hit the Central Tx Panhandle area. Spring Break of 1977 that closed roads and Kept a whole bunch of College Kids on Campus 1 or 2 days more before they could go Home! It Ain't just the Dirty Thirty's when Dust storms hit. The Panhandle was in a major Drought, coupled with poor farming practices is what set the chain of events into motion that we call the Dirty Thirty's.
I personally was in an area Dust storm in the Lamar Colorado area in the spring of 1987. Was going Snow Sking @ the Copper Mt. 3 of us guys followed a Bulk trailer Semi into this Mess we could only, Barely make out the Frost white Mud Flaps on the Back of the trailer Nothing more forward! we followed about 15 ft off the back of the trailer at 30 mph! for 20 or so miles, Don't ever want to have to have to do that again!! Them we popped out of it as fast as we went into it!
The advent of better Summer Fallow Practices, leaving the majority of the last crop residue "On top" for the more arid High Plains area, Use of Big Sweep plows, and only using One-way disc plows only when absolutely necessary.
CRP was brought back into existence a Derivative of the old "Soil Bank Program" of the 50's to get these marginal cultivated lands out of production and back into Grass. Hope this helps!
Later,
John A.

The author of that book, Tim Egan, was one of the narrators in Ken Burns' documentary on the Dust Bowl. Egan's book is better than the documentary.

My Maternal Grandfather went through those years and it
shaped his life afterwards. He spent the rest of his years
looking for another Depression.
He figured it was normal to work too long, work too hard and
have too little left over to show for it. It's how he planned his
business and his life.
Somebody that worked hard and worked smart who got
ahead and did well. They were viewed with suspicion and
distaste as obviously they were some sort of cheats and
money worshiping sinners.
My Mother and siblings grew up in a poorly heated house
without enough food, ragged clothes, limited education, no
dental and very limited medical.
Worked his entire life and the only thing he ever had to show
for it was a small house that my Uncles bought him for
retirement . The most prosperous years for Grandfather and
Grandmother were on old age pension .
Some people in this world are an example. Other people in
this world are a warning.

We live around Lubbock Tx and we have had several days
were you could not see very far. The picture was last year it
lasted for 3 days.

Mother was 14 in 1930, needless to say it shaped
her life and opinions. She lived in south Sask. 20
miles from the ND. boarder.She spoke of clouds of
dust that would black out the sun, and years with
little or no crop. Never was able to feel secure in
knowing that the hard times were not just around
the corner, and could return most any day without
notice. Of coarse WW2 didn't help to easy her mind
any either. Bruce

I remember seeing a program years ago on public tv on the Dust Bowl. Very interesting. One cant imagine living through that for that long of a period with the depression happening in the country as well. I don't doubt most people would have imagined the world was coming to an end. I remember my grandpa talking about seeding oats in the 1930s (we are in Minnesota). He said there were times you couldn't even hardly see the gate to the field when he was going home. I remember him talking about Roosevelt. He said that was a president, he got us through some tough times. A lot of the people who lived through it knew what hard times were and what it is to go without, I don't think any one now days does. If the internet is down or your phone doesn't work for part of a day most people think the end is near lol. A lot is taken for granted which is lost on future generations, and that is a shame.

I'll second that.

They was more than just the dust to live with, too. Swarms of jackrabbits and grasshoppers and having to eat pickled thistle plants because that's all that would grow. I also found interesting the static electricity in the air from the dust. Would short out your car and you'd be stranded. Would also kill vegetation like an electric fencer burns weeds in the fence line. Say nothing of dust pneumonia. Lots of people died from that, too. Learning about this disaster really changed me as I look at some folk's farming practices even now.

My parents, & paternal grand parents lived through it. Dad was WWI vet and that was tough on him too. I came along in 36 and I always tell everybody I pretty much ended the depression. Probably started WWII though.

In one of them years 34, 35, or 36 dad told of the time his brother and him were plowing corn in the spring and two old timers stop by. Told them "boys might as well take them horses to the barn you are wasting your time". Dad said the corn that fall was only two foot high. Never pulled a wagon to the field. Had to cut limbs off the trees so cow could eat the leaves.

Sister and BIL lived in a rent house in Slaton when attending Tech. She talked about the storms too.

Mark

Pete, you are about my age, I came along in 37. My folks got married in 36, so they lived thru it. We lived on a rented farm, they had very little money, my Dad trapped during the winter. He gave up and went to CA in 37 to find a job, got enough money to have us join him. Stayed in CA until 39, came back to Kansas and stated farming again. Been here ever since.

I was born in 1934 and saw the dry years that lasted until the fall of 1943 for our area. I remember getting only 1 short crop of alfalfa some years. I walked bare foot along dirt roads with in and inch opr two of loose dirt and dust.

We had grasshoppers until the wet years started in 1943. They would eat anything green and then start on the cedar fence posts and cedar siding on the house.

Us kids really didn't realize that we were poor because everyone that we knew was in the same situation. Kids today miss the lessons on handling money and finances that we went through when we were kids.

Parental teaching was much better in those days; we were taught to think and work, also that we were free - but we still had to be responsible for our actions. Kids today are taught that they are free, but the responsibility part has been dropped from their lessons.

Another book on the Dust Bowl

R. Douglas Hurt (1981). "The Dust Bowl: An Agricultural and Social History" Nelson-Hall, Chicago. 214pp.

Dad was born in 31. He said that things were O.K. on the farm after the stock market crash of 29 untill the dust bowl hit a few years later. He said during that time you couldn't raise anything and it wasn't worth anything even if you did. He said things stayed not good till the U.S. got involved in WW2. During the dust bowl in particular, he said they burnt ear corn in the stove cause it wasn't worth selling to buy coal. They slept in the yard in the summer cause it was to hot to sleep in the house. They continued to farm with horses cause they couldn't afford to buy a tractor. They didn't get a tractor or get a better car till after the war was over. Their house didn't get painted for about 15 years and it needed it when things started to get tuff. If it wasn't for the chickens, milk cow, and the hogs they would of likely gone hungry alot. They were one of few that didn't lose their farm. About the only good thing that happened during those years was they got hooked on to electricity in 37. They couldn't afford to buy very many appliances but atleast they had lights in the house, an electric cream seperator, and a electric pump jack for the well. A few years later they got a refrigerator.