I Remember When - Shootout on Friday

The Hubbards

I remember when in 1930 Doc was employed at the Seattle railroad and he had gotten sick from the forest fires by the train running through them with the air filled with fire, smoke and ashes. The doctor said that I needed to get him away because he was asthmatic or he would die.

Our two older daughters stayed in Seattle so they could finish high school. On our journey, we were among the first to stop in Fruitland, and the landowner was so very kind to us.  He let us live in a large building where there were dozens of apple boxes.  We used them to make partitions and had three bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen with a stove in it.  We turned the apple boxes one way to make cupboards in the big room, the other way to make cupboards for our bedrooms, and were so comfortable it was like we were back on the ranch. 

Hubbard Family and dog

We scrubbed and cleaned the rooms and made beds on the floor and were comfortable.  We all worked in the peas.  Doc took the boys with him and taught them which peas were ready for picking, and I took the girls with me.  We were soon picking enough to make it worthwhile. There were two lawyers and one doctor that became very good friends to us and they were very helpful in so many ways.  

 The potatoes were coming, and I used to take a fork and dig around the plants and get a potato once in a while.  So we had peas and potatoes.  We had plenty of meat and a well balanced diet, and Doc got better than he had been for a long time.  It was worth living the way we lived to see him breathe and live as we needed him to do. 

Written by J. Hubbard as a snapshot of the great depression.

She was my great Aunt.

Linking to My Home Town Shootout.