NRA Regulations to Apply According to Population
The National Recovery Administration (NRA) was established during the Great Depression era. One of it’s main duties was to regulate the working hours and the pay for towns both large and small. Since Gallatin, MO, was classified in the group of having less than...
Personal Memories of Jess Reynolds Describe the Great Depression
In an interview with Jess Reynolds of Gallatin, MO, on Sept. 29, 2003, and talking about the years 1928-35, Jess Reynolds said, “Dad raised tobacco for a year. There wasn’t any price support. At the tobacco harvest, Dad took the tobacco to Weston and only...
Noteworthy Mother-Son: Mary Edna and Rear Admiral Richard Cruzen
Many years before the “feminist” movement caught fire in America, a Gallatin lady was more than holding that banner high for Missouri females. Mary Edna Cruzen, demonstrating that dedication and intelligence were not restricted to males only, compiled an...
Relief Gardens Organized to Provide Food, Local Income
In 1934, the government established three types of relief gardens in an attempt to provide food for the needy. For some, the gardens provided income as well as providing food. The three types of gardens started at the local level where community projects were...
Water a Dire Need, Livestock Herds Liquidated in 1934
During the Depression it was very difficult to obtain water, both for the livestock and for household use. Many cisterns and wells that had produced plentifully in the normal years were now dry. For the many, these were their only source of water. Hardships caused by...
Memories, Photographs of the CCC at Gallatin, MO
John Shepard, a resident of the Lake Viking Health Care Center at Gallatin in June, 2004, remembers working in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the Great Depression. These workers played a large part in putting food on the family’s table in that era....
Personal Memories of Pearl Robinson About the Great Depression
Pearl Robinson, an 85-year old resident of Lake Viking Health Care, shared memories of the Great Depression during the week of Sept. 1, 2003. She recalls how her dad worked on the railroad as a section hand even though he had lung cancer. His brother stayed with them,...
Great Depression: Drought Heightens Need for Relief Gardens
In 1934, the government established three types of relief gardens to help feed the hungry people. The demand for these gardens were expected to exceed any year thus far with 60,000 gardens to be planted in the Missouri, including some in Daviess County. It was hoped...
Daviess Countians Consider ‘Townsend Plan’ for Old Age Pension
There was a lot of discussion and debate over some kind of pension for the older citizens of our nation. One of the biggest problems that stood in the way was the financial state of our government. On the positive side, a pension bill would give the elderly, who were...
1934: McDonald Tea Room Starts in the Great Depression
By 1934, the remains of an old building stood near the city square at Gallatin. Along the front of the building and at the edge of the street, a deep ditch was littered with junk and refuse. Behind were hen houses that were wrecks of buildings; the yard was littered...
Great Depression: Land Bank Loans in Daviess County, MO
By 1934, many Daviess County farmers were in debt “over their heads.” Thus, legislation needed to be passed. After a 17-month period, there were over $318,000 Land Bank Loans in Daviess County, MO. The Emergency Farm Mortgage Act was passed in an attempt...
Great Depression: Daviess County Hardest Hit in 1934
At a turtle’s pace the Great Depression continued to creep along for the worse. Then in 1934 crops underwent a drastic change for the worst. By midsummer, Daviess County was reported to be the hardest hit county in Northwest Missouri and there was less moisture...
Great Depression: Personal Memories of Rosalie Knott
On Sept. 8, 2003, Rosalie Knott, age 90, was living at the Lake Viking Health Care Center in Gallatin, MO. She shared a few of her memories of the Great Depression. During the Depression, there were three children in the family living on the family farm near Jameson,...
Great Depression: Grand River Township Buys Rock Crusher
In Daviess County, MO, the Grand River Township board contracted for the purchase of a rock crushing machine to be delivered whenever the new highway project turned out favorable. Within the past few days the cross country highway from No. 69 near Civil Bend east...
Great Depression: Personal Memories of Mary Burchett
When I started school, my shoes were simply gunny sacks I wore on my feet. In the wintertime, I often went barefooted because there weren’t enough gunny sacks to go around. Sometimes, I had to crawl under a haystack to get warm before I finished my long trip...
Great Depression: County Gets Additional $10,000 in 1934
In the third quarter of 1934, Daviess County residents were granted an additional $10,000 in relief funds. The funds were composed of three $2,500 payments, plus labor in payment of $2,500 in soybean seed which would complete the $10,000. The allotment would be...
1934: CCC Camp Organize, Operate at Gallatin, MO
The government established Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps to do such things as erosion control. Dockery Park was chosen to house the 250 workers in the Gallatin, MO, area. To get ready for the workers, a ‘mess house’ was erected, bath houses were...
Great Depression: Bad Report Card at Mid-year 1934
If a midyear report could have been issued in 1934, it would have several low scores. According to the Gallatin Democrat, some of the negative points for Missouri were: Missouri crop prospects were the lowest in 60 years. Cinch bugs and other insects had been the...
Great Depression: Gallatin Airport a CCC Project
In 1934 plans were being considered for the construction of an airport in Gallatin. The government’s allotment for the money under the Civil Works Administration (CWA) would pay for 80% of the labor costs and 20% of the cost of the materials. Materials included...
Visit the 1889 Squirrel Cage Jail, located 2 blocks west of the Daviess County Courthouse in Gallatin, MO. This historic relic is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as a visitors’ center — by appointment,
Trudi Burton, ph: 660.663.7342
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