SEGMENT: FAMILY BACKGROUND & NON-FARM WORK
Hal Ringland>UIS Collection N-R>UIS Collection N-R, Segment 14
| <-Previous Segment | Next Segment-> |
- FAMILY BACKGROUND
- [Narrator sound like he is reading from a script.] Discusses background of wife's family, the Fields, very early settlers of the Kilbourne, IL area. Leatha's great-grandfather was plantation & slave owner in TN before coming to IL. He owned several thousand acres near Kilbourne. Wife was given a few acres & Hal bought more acres for their farm. Mentions an old building in area that grandfather wanted to trade for. Hal mentions careers besides farming including mail carrier, justice of the peace, commissioner of highways, & Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation (ASC).
- NON-FARM WORK
- Discusses being a mail-carrier in rural area. First delivered on horseback & later with car. Now he does not do as much delivery in winter, allowing him to winter in FL. Worked from 1929 to 1972 as substitute mail-carrier. Mentions length of route done with horses was about 25 miles. Longer routes today & mail is much heavier today. Discusses using different horses on different days. "I was well fixed for horses." "I have a lot of respect for horses."
