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Archiver > IOWA > 2001-03 > 0983814176


From: Judy Landauer <>
Subject: Re: [IOWA]
Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2001 10:42:56 -0700
References: <00ba01c0a540$a53b70c0$2d0a2918@charterpipeline.com>
In-Reply-To: <00ba01c0a540$a53b70c0$2d0a2918@charterpipeline.com>


>Sandy in soggy,
>
>You brought up an interesting point about the counties in your
>e-mail to Clara. I thought I'd put this out to the list because I
>have been thinking about the distances that my gp and ggp could
>travel in the late 1800's. Especially in farm land. You mentioned
>the counties were small but a short distance for me is probably
>different than for my gp who didn't have a car. Well, I don't know
>when they got a car - they had one for sure circa 1927 because I saw
>a picture of it. But I don't know when they *first* got a car. The
>train was running thru most major cities by 1880, I believe but
>there were still many small cities that relied on horses. Some
>cities in Iowa didn't get a train station until 1996 or later. So
>my question, for anyone who knows is, how far was considered normal
>travel for those living in 1898? Did they often saddle up the buggy
>and go to a friends house for dinner 30 miles away? I know my
>family thinks nothing of traveling 30+ miles for evenings out.!
> My girlfriend drives 60 miles RT to work each day. When they went
>on vacation, where did Iowans go in the mid-1890's? Actually, I
>know alot about turn of the century vacation destinations in CA but
>what about IA?
>
>Deveron in drenched CA

Deveron: Here in Idaho there were a few wagon trail routes and if
you read the historical markers they say that the average miles/day
for a wagon was 15 if the travelling was good. They were going
through a combination of flat desert, around lava outcroppings and
down soft, wide river banks.

In western Oregon, elderly neighbors of ours related that as
children they would go to the coast to hunt for clams, etc. and what
was a three hour trip by car was a special weekend or more frro them.
This was around 1900. The farm I grew up on was at that time, a
stage stop between Salem, Oregon and Oregon City, OR, too. One fellow
my dad knew said he would drive freight wagons when he was around 12
or so back and forth between the two and stop at our farm for food.
Cars were around then, and there were always junkers sitting around
that a person could scavange parts from for repairs. Woman of the
town kept a large fire going that held a half a beef that was turning
on a spit and weary travellers could eat what they wanted at no
charge. There was also fresh cooked bread and other food to choose
from.
Judy
--
Richard & Judy Landauer
Judy's Greenhouse

869 E. 1200 N.
Shelley, ID 83274

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