What was Oklahoma like in the 1930s?
What was Oklahoma like in the 1930s?
During the 1930s Oklahoma suffered greatly. The Great Depression, combined with the Dust Bowl, destroyed many farms and left hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans unemployed. Droughts and high winds were treacherous at times, and due to the conditions in Oklahoma, more than 15% of Oklahomans moved to California.
When was the Great Depression in Oklahoma?
Although Oklahoma agriculture had been in the doldrums for a decade, signs of the Great Depression emerged only in 1930 as a drought hit the region. This coincided with the opening of the East Texas oil field, which created a petroleum glut and caused rapidly falling oil prices and extensive layoffs.
What areas of Oklahoma did the Dust Bowl affect?
the Panhandle area
In Oklahoma, the Panhandle area was hit hardest by the drought. The land of the southern plains, including Oklahoma, was originally covered with grasses that held the fine soil in place. Settlers brought their traditional farming techniques with them when they homesteaded the area and they plowed the land deeply.
Were there hoovervilles in Oklahoma?
Cities across the nation had seen the emergence of “Hoovervilles,” but Oklahoma City was unusual in developing a municipal transient camp. By 1931 nearly six hundred families were living in one of the shantytowns that had sprung up along the North Canadian River.
Where was the Dust Bowl the worst?
The agricultural land that was worst affected by the Dust Bowl was 16 million acres (6.5 million hectares) of land by the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles.
Why did so many farmers leave Oklahoma in the 1930s?
Between 1931 and 1933, 10 percent of Oklahoma farmers lost their land to foreclosure, and tenant farmers (who comprised more than 60 percent of Oklahoma farmers in the 1930s) had little incentive to endure poor crops and low prices year after year.
What states were hit hardest by the Dust Bowl?
The areas most severely affected were western Texas, eastern New Mexico, the Oklahoma Panhandle, western Kansas, and eastern Colorado. This ecological and economic disaster and the region where it happened came to be known as the Dust Bowl.
What happened to the Okies?
Once the Okie families migrated from Oklahoma to California, they often were forced to work on large farms to support their families. Because of the minimal pay, these families were often forced to live on the outskirts of these farms in shanty houses they built themselves.
Which states were hardest hit by the Dust Bowl?
How long did the dirty thirties last?
The Dust Bowl of the 1930s, sometimes referred to as the “Dirty Thirties,” lasted about a decade. This was a period of severe dust storms that caused major agricultural damage to American and Canadian prairie lands, primarily from 1930 to 1936, but in some areas, until 1940.
What happened to the Okies after the Depression?
Is Oklahoma still a Dust Bowl?
Oklahoma was and is identified as “the Dust Bowl State” even though it had less acreage in the area designated by the Soil Conservation Service as the Dust Bowl than did the contiguous states of Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.
What was life like for Okies?
Because they arrived impoverished and because wages were low, many lived in filth and squalor in tents and shantytowns along the irrigation ditches. Consequently, they were despised as “Okies,” a term of disdain, even hate, pinned on economically degraded farm laborers no matter their state of origin.
Was Oklahoma in the Dust Bowl?
Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Kansas were all a part of the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. In Oklahoma, the panhandle cities and towns suffered the worst droughts and dust storms (map courtesy of PBS).
What is Okie short for?
OKIE
| Acronym | Definition |
|---|---|
| OKIE | Oklahoma-Israel Exchange |
Was there air conditioning in the 1930s?
Reeling from the Stock Market Crash of 1929, the American economy of the early 30s plunged into the Great Depression. A new technology emerged from Amer-ica’s obsession with refrigeration. That new technology was called air conditioning.
Why do they call it dirty 30?
The Urban Dictionary defines the “dirty 30s” as the age at which single women without children realize that their biological clock is ticking and, as a consequence, may lower their standards … in order to find a mate.” Hah.
Are there any rare photos of the Great Depression in Oklahoma?
25 Rare Photos In Oklahoma Taken During The Great Depression. During the 1930s Oklahoma suffered greatly. The Great Depression, combined with the Dust Bowl, destroyed many farms and left hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans unemployed.
What kind of photos are in the Oklahoma State photo collection?
These photographs document individual portraits, street scenes, and pictures of landmarks and buildings taken between 1890 and 1920 across the state of Oklahoma. Basic statistics about this collection. Here is our suggested citation.
What are some fun facts about Oklahoma History?
Mill Creek, Oklahoma in 1908, just one year after becoming a state. 4. Women in cabins, c. 1899. 5. First Decoration Day in Guthrie, 1889. 6. These men are identified as Six Bits and Tom Smith, taken in 1884. 7. Tornado damage at Snyder, Oklahoma Territory, May 1905.
What was life like in Oklahoma in the 1930s?
During the 1930s Oklahoma suffered greatly. The Great Depression, combined with the Dust Bowl, destroyed many farms and left hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans unemployed. Droughts and high winds were treacherous at times, and due to the conditions in Oklahoma, more than 15% of Oklahomans moved to California.