This Is What Life in North Dakota Looked Like in 1935

[Vollmer]

It was a simpler time in North Dakota back in the late 1930s. It was also a time of hardships due to harsh droughts. We can only imagine what life was like back then, but photography preserves a window into what it was like to live back then. Take a trip back in time with these amazing rare photographs.
1. “Farmers in town Saturday afternoon, Williston, North Dakota”

Russell Lee/yale.edu


2. “Railroad station, Fargo, North Dakota”

Arthur Rothstein/yale.edu


3. “Mrs. Olie Thompson ready to drive home from the spring with barrels full of water. Williams County, North Dakota”

Russell Lee/yale.edu


4. “Six-man football, Wildrose, Williams County, North Dakota. High schools have fallen off so much in attendance that many smaller towns play with six men instead of eleven”

Russell Lee/yale.edu


5. “The Frank Weeks family living on farm near Williston, North Dakota”

Russell Lee/yale.edu




6. “Two men eating breakfast in cafe, Granville, North Dakota”

Russell Lee/yale.edu


7. “Education in rural school. Williams County, North Dakota”

Russell Lee/yale.edu


8. “Used tires. Minot, North Dakota”

Russell Lee/yale.edu


9. “Family of Olaf Fugelberg, farmer. Williams County, North Dakota”

Russell Lee/yale.edu


10. “General store. Rawson, McKenzie County, North Dakota”

Russell Lee/yale.edu




Does your family have any stories from the past, or any vintage photographs of North Dakota?

 

[Davey Crockett]

Both my Mom and Dad were born in 1920 and the memories of tough times were never forgotten and often talked about. We don't know how nice we have it, we think we do but in all reality we don't have a clue. I have some old pics to share but they are on another computer, I'll share a few later.

 

[svnmag]

Good pics!

 

[dean nelson]

I find it funny that if you buy your ham and then eggs as a side dish its 15 cents cheaper then ordering the "ham and eggs". Assuming a guy would get more food for ordering the two together. Cool pics would fun to see them from all over the state.

 

[SDMF]

I find it funny that if you buy your ham and then eggs as a side dish its 15 cents cheaper then ordering the "ham and eggs". Assuming a guy would get more food for ordering the two together. Cool pics would fun to see them from all over the state.

Who orders ham and eggs when a T-Bone is the same price?

 

[tikkalover]

It is neat to see how things were back the. I like the $5.70 price for a round trip ticket from Fargo to Minneapolis.

 

[NDwalleyes]

Great pictures!

If you guys have not yet had a chance to go to the new Heritage Center in Bismarck, I highly suggest it. It is Smithsonian quality. If you enjoy ND history and geology plan on spending at least 4 hours. I got kicked out at closing time.

 

[Trapper62]

Well things have come full circle in regards to Picture #4, I think there are close to 15 schools now playing 6 man football in ND!

 

[Fishmission]

Love that Granville picture Took a lot of work to earn enough to eat in this place back then

 

[SDMF]

It is neat to see how things were back the. I like the $5.70 price for a round trip ticket from Fargo to Minneapolis.

It's actually WAY cheaper to make that trip now in your own car. Any of the high mileage hybrids can make that 'roun-trip for ~$25. It's a heck of a lot easier to earn $25 today than it was to earn $5.70 back then.

 

[Davey Crockett]

Life didn't magically get better in the 40s either. My Mom had quit school after 6th grade to go work for a neighbor to help feed their family, Her Dad (I have a hard time even calling him my grandpa) turned his back and walked away from his wife and little kids and my Mom was the oldest so she worked and trapped for many years to help feed the family.
My Dad had made it through the 8th grade till his dad passed away then he farmed, trapped and sold wood, Keep in mind back then almost everyone in the hills heated with firewood and a man was measured by how hard and long he could swing an ax . Mom and Dad were both fairly well educated considering the few years they went to school, When they met and got married in the 40s for once they finally had two nickles to rub together but you couldn't buy much with them because of the war rations.
On their honey moon to either Brandon or Winnipeg I forget, Dad had the trunk full of old used tires and a patch kit and several more tied to the top of the car because you couldn't buy new tires without ration stamps. I'm not exactly sure how the ration stamps were issued but you had to have them to be able to buy certain things, Tires and Rifle shells were two things that my dad talked about that were hard to get. They made it just fine and never complained ever but when friends and relatives sat around talking about all the modern day events the conversation usually ended up talking about those days and say how good life was compared to back then. MY kids and grand kids ears perk up when they hear about what my parents went through and they agree that we really are living in some very good times no matter how tough some people think we have it.

 

[Lou63]

my dad was born in 1935 in northwest Kansas in a sod house.

Grandma said they were worried they were going to smother him because they kept him covered with every blanket they owned to keep the dust away from him. Most of the babies born in that area died of dust pneumonia at that time.

Before Grandma passed I had purchased a cassette recorder and a bunch of tapes and she put the stories from her life down on cassette tape. I need to get them transferred to digital files.

 

[dean nelson]

Who orders ham and eggs when a T-Bone is the same price?

Yeah and I'm not sure if I want to know what the generic pork and beef were!

 

[Brian Renville]

my dad was born in 1935 in northwest Kansas in a sod house.

Grandma said they were worried they were going to smother him because they kept him covered with every blanket they owned to keep the dust away from him. Most of the babies born in that area died of dust pneumonia at that time.

Before Grandma passed I had purchased a cassette recorder and a bunch of tapes and she put the stories from her life down on cassette tape. I need to get them transferred to digital files.

That's awesome! Stories like that are priceless.

 

[Bed Wetter]

There's a story behind why I use "Slim Blundt" as a pseudonym on this site and it goes back to "the dirty thirties". That's a story for another time.

Grandma was an educated woman, having completed the 8th grade. She was a scool teacher by 17 and got to school early to get the coal stove going early enough to warm the one-room schoolhouse. Later she played piano in a big band and met grandpa who played the fiddle. Both are long gone now.

My other grandparents are still around and have slowed down a lot but still as charming as ever. In the presence of greatness with that pair. Come spring, I'll bring the kids out to the ranch to find deer sheds and grandpa is going to show us the teepee rings in the pasture.

 

[JayKay]

my dad was born in 1935 in northwest Kansas in a sod house.

Grandma said they were worried they were going to smother him because they kept him covered with every blanket they owned to keep the dust away from him. Most of the babies born in that area died of dust pneumonia at that time.

Before Grandma passed I had purchased a cassette recorder and a bunch of tapes and she put the stories from her life down on cassette tape. I need to get them transferred to digital files.

I recommend that you do this now, before they get lost. There really is no reason not to. Not to be fatalistic, but one day you'll be gone, and future generations won't have the connection to this past, unless you make the small effort to preserve this piece of history. Kudos to you.

 

[NDSportsman]

10 cents for a hamburger? I'd be way fatter then I already am!

 

[bigv]

Life may be better now or at least easier. But...people were much better then. I'm finding I like people less and less. But get a chance to talk to an old timer and it's very rewarding. No entitlement in those days.

 

[wildeyes]

My grandma use to show me coupons for tires, gas that you had to use to buy those items back in the 30s. Her son my father had 4 brothers and they would get farmed out to grandma's cousin so that they had a place to work, eat. My dad to this day doesn't spend money on anything that isn't needed. WE have no idea how tough it could be.

 

[Davey Crockett]

They didn't take many pictures of game and fish back then, The little guy is my dad with his older brother. My Grandpa shot a bear on the farm, No pic but it did happen . My dad shot a lynx and had a rug made out of it no good pics other than a couple family pictures that you can see it hanging on the wall. I bet that old truck had good traction, Another think my mom tells about is the first car they had didn't have enough power to make it up one of the hills on their way home so they had to stop and turn around and back all the way up it every time.