SEGMENT: TOWNS, TRANSPORTATION, & FAMILY ACTIVITIES
Bert Aikman>UIS Collection A's>UIS Collection, Segment 2
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- TOWNS
- Went to town for shopping about 1 per wk. Went to town in a horse-drawn wagon. Got a spring wagon when he was about 16. Usually went to town on Saturday. Grocers would "carry" (allow purchases on credit) farmers on books through the winter until they could pay after the harvest. No disgrace to need credit. Store keepers were as honest as farmer.
- FAMILY ACTIVITIES
- Went to Litchfield to see Barnum & Bailey, Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, & shows (movies?). "Dad would strain himself to get us kids to the show." Take care of horses & then have dinner in the shade, go to the show, & come home that night.
- TRANSPORTATION
- Took about 2hrs to get to Litchfield. Roads were all dirt, dusty in the summer, & muddy other times. Dust was sometimes 6 inches deep. Never saw an oiled road. Discusses his activities in getting roads oiled & how everyone wanted the road in front of their house done first. Bert helped get roads oiled by contacting farmers & letting people in Springfield know they needed their roads oiled. Started at Waggoner. Did get the whole township oiled. Just before roads were oiled the Ford [Model A?] was introduced. Describes a machine (scraper or drag) used to level out ruts in the road.
