Some of you may remember life in Washington before smart phones and the internet took over our lives. But what about life before most modern conveniences were around, before World War II changed everything, when our state was largely full of rural agricultural land? These photos offer a glimpse of life in the Evergreen State in the 1930s.

1. A child of a migratory worker in Yakima hangs out in the fields in 1936.
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These days, this would probably constitute quite a few safety violations!
2. Wheat brokers were a big part of Eastern Washington's economy back then.
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This one spent his days working in Whitman County.
3. The little town of Tenino actually does't look all that different than it did in the 1930s.
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This garage may even still be open.
4. This was Coulee City in 1939, about six years after the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam.
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This was a booming construction town back then.
5. Wheat farming in Whitman County looked a lot different 80 years ago.
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There were certainly a lot more mules involved.

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6. This was a good day for these Thurston County children -- the oldest saved up enough money to buy a bicycle.
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We wonder how much it cost him in 1939?
7. Here's a shot of the officers' quarters of Discovery Park in 1937.
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These buildings are all well-preserved and privately owned now.
8. Here's a laborer hard at work on a Walla Walla potato farm in 1936.
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That outfit couldn't have been too comfortable on a hot July day.
9. This unfinished hotel standing in downtown Yakima in the late 1930s was a sad testament to the effects of the Great Depression.
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Construction was abandoned after the economic collapse in 1929.
10. And we're not sure why this farmhouse in the Columbia Basin sat abandoned in 1939, but it was probably Great Depression related.
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Looking at these old photos, it’s interesting to see how far we’ve come. If you enjoy these blasts from the past, check out our collection of vintage photos as well.

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