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The Year 1932
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The Rolfe Arrow — April 22, 1976
I was looking in the Des Moines Public Library last week for some information that involved 1932. The headlines of the Des Moines Registers for that year were forceful reminders of the great depression. When I got home I looked in the World Book under "Depression." The depression of the 30’s was truly the "great depression." "It lasted almost twice as long as any other depression or panic in the nation’s history. At its darkest point the level of economic activity was depressed twice as much as the darkest point of any other depression. Neighbors were losing their farms and the hired men were complaining about low wages or no wages. Nobody felt secure as even the farmers lucky enough not to have a mortgage were being drained financially. Dad wasn’t a large cattle feeder but he had bought two cars of heifers for 11¢. He fed them through two crops of corn, much longer than he really wanted to because it just seemed that the price had to get better. When he sold them they were butter ball fat and the price was under 5¢. Here are a few excerpts from the Arrow for the year 1932. 1-7-32 Salaries and wages cut by Board of Supervisors. Deputy Treas. from $110 to $100; Deputy Sheriff from $100 to $90 per month. E. Eikenberry was advertising 18 lbs. of sugar 95¢. 1-14-32 State Savings Bank of Rolfe showed $147,000 in demand deposits and $227,000 in time deposits. No Iowa Highway Commission construction in Pocahontas County for the year. 1-21-32 N. Lurie store under chain and padlock by arrangement with creditors. Admission to the High School play was 15, 20, & 35¢. 1-28-32 Hauck’s advertised men’s work shirts for 39, 50 and 65¢. Van Camp’s pork and beans at 7¢ per can. 2-11-32 The price of hogs has been between $3 and $4 compared with $7.24 average per cwt. 1909-1913. They were $3.25 in Rolfe Saturday. Some farmers in the county are offering their married men $30-$35 per month and extras. The farm index of prices received dropped from an average of 141 in 1926 to 67 in December 1931. 3-3-32 Bred sows advertised for sale @ $15. Another ad by Olerichs for purebreds @ $30-$35, or "will trade for heifers." 3-10-32 Charity ball nets $21 for South Dakota drouth sufferers. 13 plate batteries were $5.24 & old battery at A.A. Firkins. Boys’ new spring suits at Peterson’s Clothes Shop were $5.75. 3-17-32 Citizens’ Reconstruction Organization set up to fight depression. Hauck’s new spring print yard goods @ 12½¢ per yard. 4-7-32 Purebred dairy heifers adv. from $45 to $50. The great new V-8 Ford was introduced - a roadster at $460 factory price, the four-door sedan at $590, or you could buy a 4 cylinder for $50 less. More next week. More About 1932 The Rolfe Arrow — April 29, 1976
Last week we reviewed some of the events of the "Great Depression" of the 30’s. Here are a few more items from the Arrow for 1932. 4-7-32 Due to uncertain price conditions, International Harvester is offering a price guarantee on the purchase of implements. If prices do not reach certain levels (45¢ for corn) by the time payment is due, the customer will receive a credit equal to the difference. The ad by Brogotti Implement. 5-5-32 Rolfe committee reports 250 articles of clothing distributed to the needy of the community. A 32x6 truck tire was $26.50 at Rolfe Auto Co. 6-2-32 The Red Cross shipped in 150 bags of flour to be distributed to the needy of Garfield, Des Moines and Clinton Townships. It would have cost $1 for a 49 lb. bag in Hauck’s store. 6-9-32 The state Savings Bank fails. Deposits had dropped from $780,000 in 1926 to $382,000 in 1932. 6-16-32 The Havelock and Plover banks are on the waiver plan. (Promises by depositors to leave their funds in for 3 years.) 6-23-32 Rolfe business men arranging for a local clearing house - to cash checks and furnish safe deposit boxes. M. & J.R. Hakes making cash payments for produce. Lizard Lake Resort dances were 75¢ per couple. 7-21-32 Rolfe to have free movies on Wednesday evenings. A 2 week excursion from Rolfe to Chicago and return on the C&NW Railway is $16.40, kids ½ fare. Tilton and Guthrie tent show prices were adults 25¢, kids 10¢. 9-15-32 Farmers of the county met to express their opinions to Congressman Gilchrist. People were called to the meeting by special messengers because so many phones had been removed. R.G. Hunter advertised Maytag’s finest clothes washer at $26. (There really was a cheaper one.) 9-29-32 Assembly room of the Courthouse filled and the lobby crowded by farmers demanding tax reduction. (The County had cut taxes 46% over the previous 4 years.) 11-3-32 County Treasurer postponed the annual delinquent tax sales from early December to Jan. 2 by popular demand. Men’s Wolverine work shoes $1.98 per pair at Peterson’s Clothes Shop. But maybe 1933 was a little better. The Christmas Treat and Promotion Committee had a surplus which was turned over to the "Bum" committee - and the delinquent tax sale was again postponed - until Feb. 6.
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