Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Letter - February 23, 1930

2020.1.189 02231930.pdf

Dublin Core

Title

Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Letter - February 23, 1930

Subject

Old Mission Peninsula (Mich.)
Agriculture
Farmers
Crops and climate

Description

Carolyn Gay Taft (1873-1952), was the owner of a small cherry farm on Old Mission Peninsula in the early 1900’s. While she spent her summers on the Peninsula, her primary job as a teacher at the Illinois State School for the Deaf required hired hands to run the farm in her absence. These farmers, and their families, lived on the farm and sent frequent written reports to Ms. Taft. Most letters are written by the farmer’s wives, and provide a record of both agricultural and social history.

Creator

Ralph Kitchen, Joseph Kitchen, Essie Kitchen, Max Gilmore, Hazel Gilmore

Source

Collection donated to Peninsula Community Library by the surviving members of the Taft family.

Publisher

Peninsula Community Library

Date

1930-02-23

Contributor

Mary T Morgan

Rights

This document is protected by copyright law. Contact the Peninsula Community Library for permission to reproduce, display, or transmit this document.

Relation

None

Format

PDF

Language

English

Type

Document

Identifier

LHC 010

Coverage

Traverse City, Peninsula Township, Grand Traverse County, Michigan

Scripto

Transcription

Old Mission, Mich Feb. 23 1930

My dear Miss Taft:

We have had a big change in the weather since I last wrote to you. A week ag tonight it was 6 below zero and tonight our snow is nearly gone the fields & roads are bare. A week ago tomorrow they plowed our road out so we could get out I can hardly beleive there could be such a difference.

We haven't attended many parties this winter as a lot of the time we couldn't get out of here unless we took the team and I dread going out nights with horses. The neighbors understand but we were invited to all the parties until the last two I guess they knew there wasn't any use They don't get home until two and 3 o'clock in the morning. Its pretty hard to climb out in the cold at that hour of the morning.

Thanks for the opportunity of having a vacation. But we have felt that if there was any spare time we should try to keep the place partly up our orchards must have care at least proper spraying. Last of all we did quite a little work on our house after The Allen's and Roger helped Jos. to do all of your work up nicely. We were so afraid you would sell & we wouldn't have the house in shape. The carpenter destroyed some of my flowers. I can hardly wait until they come up to see what is left. I felt pretty blue when going over there to see hills of dirt on them & deep trenches dug but suppose I will have to get toughening into that some time. They put one window in so crooked that we will have to have the work done over. I felt pretty disgusted paying $1.00 an hour. Its so hard to depend on men like that money is what they are after.

Mr. Lardie told Jesse Christopher to not sell his cherries to any one yet that he would do as well as any one by him. We were well satisfied with Geo L. so why change. So many are always so glad to throw aside a good fellow in order to try a new one. Not me [I????] will try to stick.

Will attend to pressure guage the next time we go to T City.

Its past my bed time & I'm tired so must say good night & retire.

Your's with love Essie K.

P.S. Mr. Lardie doesn't handle seeds.

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  1. 2020.1.189 02231930.pdf