Animals On The Farm

This photo is from 1939

It is of my uncle and great uncle with two beautiful horses.  These horses were not for riding or other recreational purposes.

They were used to pull farm equipment such as plows.  Horses and mules were also used to pull wagons.  Most farmers could not afford tractors. They were strapped for cash in the 1930's due to the depression

Farmers had to make sure they generated enough income from crops and livestock to provide for their families and be able to feed the animals as well.

Horses ran on oats which the farmers could grow and harvest. Tractors ran on gasoline which cost them money.

Eventually when tractors and other machinery became more affordable and more commonplace, they found that they could grow rows of crops closer together with machinery rather than with horses and mules. Thus they had more crops to sell...which equalled more income. (win/win)

Since the tractors used gasoline, most farms had their own gasoline tanks and pumps installed for convenience and lower cost per gallon.

Here's a photo of two of my uncles around 1930.

The family had a small herd of cattle to provide meat for themselves and they could sell meat to friends. This included veal and beef. Farmers butchered their own animals for meat.

And milk cows had to be milked twice a day by hand.

Another photo from the 30's.
This one is of my father (right) and his best friend. As you can see they are goofing off with the hogs (pigs). 

Most of the pig was used in cooking for such dishes as soups, ham, hog jowls, and even pickled pigs feet. Not much of a pig went to waste.

And last, but not least, here is a photo from 1934 of my grandfather.  He had immigrated to Western Pennsylvania from Serbia in 1902, worked in a steel mill, and bought this farm in 1925.

He is with one of their goats and their border collie.

The goats were important to the farm because they were used to control vegetation and clear brush. Goats are very agile and cause very little disturbance to the soil. Today many cities rent goats to clear parks, roadsides, vacant lots, etc.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the photos and a little history of how my family lived and survived during the 1930's.

I'm sure a lot of you out there have similar stories about your families as well.

People worked so hard during this era. Immigrants went through so much hardship but kept pushing on in a quest to make a better life for themselves and their families.

I never got to know my grandfather because he died in 1937 at the age of 56 from cancer. But, it was because of him that I am here today.

Until next time.........