I love hearing stories about Utah's history - before everyone had cell phones that they used to binge-watch the latest Netflix Original Series. Before we spent long hours engaged in social media, while ignoring our loved ones that sit next to us (they're also plugged into Facebook or Instagram). Life was simpler back in the 1930s, that's for sure. It was also much harder. Take a look at these photos that were taken as part of a huge government project - the Farm Security Administration's Resettlement program, which helped farmers during the Great Depression.
1. Quilt Frames
Every woman in Utah's small towns knew how to quilt, and quilting frames were dragged out for all kinds of occasions: weddings, new babies, holidays and the approach of cold winter months.
2. Community Mail Boxes
If you were waiting for a package, you might ask your neighbor to pick it up for you.
3. The Local Scissors Sharpener
This guy would move from town to town, offering his services sharpening scissors and lawn mower blades.
4. The Mercantile
The place where you bought everything from groceries to fabric to hardware items.
5. A Well
Some towns didn't have indoor plumbing for a very long time. Instead, they had a well where they got cool, clean drinking water. Hopefully.
6. The Movie Theater
This movie theater, in Escalante in 1936, was a place to escape the reality of the Depression and watch your favorite movie stars on the Big Screen.
7. A Church
Every Utah small town had at least one church.
8. Tractors
In 1940, this tractor in San Pete County was the latest technology. The majority of Utah's small towns were rural and relied heavily on farming. Utah's rural towns still have tractors - but they don't usually look like this!
9. A Cold Storage Room
Canning was not only a way of life, it was a way to survive the winter. Every home had a room or cellar where the 500 or so quarts of preserved fruits and vegetables were kept.
10. A Little Boy With An Air Rifle And A Cowboy Hat
Does this remind you of the famous movie, "A Christmas Story?" Every little boy in Utah surely wanted an air rifle and a cowboy outfit for Christmas in the 1930s.
11. Houses With Cellars
Some Utahns still live in houses with cellars (mine has one!) But most have fully-finished basements with theater rooms, bedrooms and laundry facilities now.
12. A Bustling Main Street
Every small town had a Main Street, where you would shop for groceries and clothes, eat at the cafe and gather with your neighbors. This is the town of Brigham.
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My grandmother grew up in Escalante in the 1930s. Do you have family members who grew up in the places photographed here? Tell us your stories - we'd love to hear them!
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