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Green Acres: 1937

September 1937. "Cabin of Steve Flanders, cut-over farmer near Northome, Koochiching County, Minnesota." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

September 1937. "Cabin of Steve Flanders, cut-over farmer near Northome, Koochiching County, Minnesota." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

 

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That old patched up rowboat

must have brought fish home for dinner from Bartlett Lake.

Opal Only Lived to Age 25

Opal Irene Flanders
1924–1950
BIRTH 15 JUL 1924 • Rollag, Minnesota, USA
DEATH 12 APR 1950 • Bemidji, Minnesota, USA

Where's Steve?

He must be plowing the back 40 on the ol' Hoyt-Clagwell

Worked 70 hours Last Week

According to the 1940 US Census, Steve was 59 at the time of this photograph. He had worked 52 weeks in the past year and 70 hours in the week before the census enumeration. His wife Lottie was 53, Richard was 27, Leonard was 15, Opal was 12 and Ilene 10. I'm guessing that we see Opal and Ilene.

Steve owned his farm and valued his home at $150. Not an easy life to say the least.

How they kept warm

At this point in time, many homeowners actually used newspaper to insulate their homes--a guy I used to work with was fascinated as he pulled old insulation/newspapers out of his 1930s era home in suburban Minneapolis. You will also hear stories of not heating the 2nd story of a home (frost on the blankets, yes), and even today, owners of older homes will put bales of straw around the base of their homes to avoid pipes freezing in the basement. I am guessing these guys did about the same.

Radio Antenna?

That single glass insulator attached to the roof peak is more likely a one wire telephone, ground being used for the return part of the circuit.

It does not appear that they have electric service. Telephone was likely dry cell battery powered.

The birch trees in the background are about a decade old, the 200 foot white pine virgin forest having clearcut.

What is the older girl's uniform -- CCC?

Northolm Northome weather today? A balmy high of 27 F.

Lace Curtain

... Belgian? Dutch?

Tough Pioneer Stock

Thin wood tar paper shack for a home in a place that nearly every winter gets down to 35-40 below zero!

What's the R value of tarpaper?

Looks like it could be mighty cold in that cabin in February.

Ned's Grandpa?

Hens love roosters, geese love ganders: Everyone else loves Ned Flanders!

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