Community Benefits of the New Deal
Background Info/ Historical Story:
“There were quite a lot of cattle left in the country but nothing at all for them to eat. The major companies in the east were glutted with western cattle, and the railroad got so they would not carry anymore cattle without a substantial down payment for freight. That was when Roosevelt and the New Deal had to step in and take the cattle off the farmer's hands. A calf brought $8.00, a two year old $12.00 and a full grown cow or steer $20.00 which was the limit. We had to trail them to Baker. About eight of us threw in together for the drive. I had close to 100 a head, counting the calves. I had been 10 years building up the herd. We sure were a sad and heavy hearted group of men, knowing that the end of our cattle business was at hand. As we rode along slowly behind them, hardly anyone spoke. The same ache was in our hearts, and some of us felt like crying . I know I did. The cattle were sorted over, after a fashion, in the Baker stockyards and the "culls" were driven up west on Sandstone Creek and shot. It sure made my heart bleed when I remembered all the hungry people I saw in France and also as a child in Minneapolis. We must give Roosevelt credit, though, for bringing the country through the Depression. Had it not been for the W.P.A. and farm and seed loans it's hard to tell what would have happened. As it was, it was "chaos next to ruination." It sure showed up in Baker, as we were then living in town as I was awarded the Webster-Baker mail contract for four years.”- O’Fallon Flashbacks, Ing Norman
“Mother worked at the Sewing Room during the depression after President Roosevelt started the Works Program Administration (WPA). They sent their garments to other towns to be given away and we received garments from another area. I feel that Roosevelt was the greatest president we have had because of this. He created work for people to make a living. Five of my brothers were in C.C. C. Camps at different times to help support the family, besides the clothing we received from the Sewing Room (everybody in town had the same dress), we got the greenest fresh pears, prunes, navy beans, dried milk, cracked wheat cereal and corn meal. The green pears were put under the bed to ripen. We "kids" ate many a green pear unknown to Mother until she went to can them. She always had a garden and canned food for the winter. She would also bake 12 loaves of bread and 2 pans of cinnamon rolls at a time.”- O’Fallon Flashbacks, Iona Wells (Baker, Montana resident) talking about her mother June Wells
Collections Spotlight:
- Article from Fallon County Times detailing Tom Colleran’s call for young men to join the Civilian Conservation Corps. Tom Colleran was a Montana Relief Commission worker in Jordan and Baker, Montana from 1934 until 1948 - Fallon County Times Thu, Mar 21, 1940
Photos, Maps, etc:
- 1937-W.P.A. Days-Sewing Room Group - WPA.png