Depression Date:  $1.00

                Stiles Café, Lyric movie and Thompkins 3-dip cone                 

                   I was a young farm girl of 16 when the banks closed in 1933. I remember my father storming into the house to tell my mother what had happened. After letting him blow off some steam, she said, ”Calm down dear, you know we will not go cold or hungry so we might as well make the best of it.”

                    We owned our own farm 8 miles sough of Lapeer, near Metamora. After he did a little more raving, Dad climbed into his old truck and went about the business of earning some ready cash to take care of his family of 12 people. He had a few dollars in his pocket and in a few weeks he saw them grow into a nice profit by trucking the neighboring farmers’ cattle to the Detroit stockyards – for a commission. In the summer and fall he trucked farm produce to the Eastern Market in Detroit. My 3 older brothers worked the farm, so things went pretty well.

                    We didn’t need a lot of money for entertainment in those days. I met my future husband in 1934 and I remember we could spend an enjoyable Sunday evening date for $1. First a nice hot roast beef sandwich at Stiles Café for 25 cents, coffee free, and then to the Lyric Theatre for 25 cents.

                    When we attended an occasional dance, the price was never more then 25 cents a person and usually a free lunch was served.

                    My boy friend didn’t have his own car but was lucky to have an older sister with a job and she was always willing to loan her car for “courting purposes.”

                    A popular treat for our family on a hot summer evening was to drive up to Thompkin’s Ice Cream Store in Lapeer for ice cream cones. They served the   largest triple dip cones for 5 cents that I can remember. They had about 20 flavors and we would still be licking on them by the time we got back home.

                    The pavement between Lapper and Oxford was completed in 1933 and I graduated from Metamora High School that year. Electricity was installed on the farm and what a thrill to have our first electric refrigerator – a gift from our grandfather.

                    My other earned some extra spending money that spring by serving midday meals to some of the road construction workers. They paid $1 each for a home cooked chicken or roast beef dinner. We thought that was a fabulous amount.

                   My boy friend was earning about $50 a month working on a farm and after graduating I earned $3 a week doing housework. By 1936 we had each saved $100 so decided to get married. The first few years were a little lean but we managed to make a go of it, but that is another story.

This is this week’s 2^nd winner in our “What the Depression Was Really Like” contest (see front page for other winner). Silva Teays and Gertie Brooks receive $10 each for their memories, and $10 extra for the photos.

The idea is to have some warm fun with nostalgia. And also to show, by contrast, that things aren’t really that bad today.

So far there have been dozens of entries and some of them could show up as winners in future weeks. More entries are welcome. No limit. 2 winners will be published each week. Just tell us what you remember best about the 1930’s. Or maybe it didn’t happen to you but is something an older relative told you. That’s OK; we’re interested. No more than 400 words; preferably much less.

If you request, we’ll withhold your name from publication. Photos can show anything from the 1930’s – dress, cars, farm equipment, etc. Photos aren’t necessary but they’re worth an extra $10 if published.

Send entries to The Depression Editor, Lapeer County Press, Lapeer, Mich 48446

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