Delbert (18), Dale (12), and Donald (17) Wilson, January 1934, Dexter, Iowa
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The brothers and their dad checked their traplines before school, cleaning their catch after school. Sears catalog accepted pelts in trade for food, clothing, and other goods, which was a godsend in those days when jobs were scarce.
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Note from Ken Herring, a wildlife biologist: “So those raccoons are put up in the old fashion way ‘open’ vs. the ‘cased’ attests to the era. The skins behind an between the guys on the left side are skunks and on the right side are mink. Many people don’t know this but raccoons were much less common in those days. But nonetheless they have a valuable catch there! I also see some muskrats and opossum.”
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Clabe Wilson, father of the Wilson brothers, grew up in Guthrie County south of Panora, around Dale City. He said he grew up in the woods and even had a pet wolf that his sisters were afraid of. He taught his sons to hunt and trap, a little fishing. They mostly ate squirrel and rabbit during the Depression, and a ‘possum or two!
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This photo was taken shortly before Delbert and Donald joined the Navy to have enough to eat and a chance to learn a job. Five siblings were still at home.
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People did what it took to survive and keep their family alive. Many times that cost children hard work and a lack of schooling, but what an amazing generation they became!!!!
Because Leora wasn’t allowed to attend high school, she made sure all seven Wilson kids earned their diplomas!
They were very special people!!
Thank you, GP.
I wonder how they got the skunk skins without the odor!
It’s doable, and Clabe knew how! https://www.homesteadingtoday.com/threads/skinning-a-skunk.58506/
Something that hasn’t changed over the years is that children learn from the examples set by their parents. When kids see someone who sets the value of hard work, they’re much more likely to model that same behavior. The opposite happens as well for parents who constantly complain or try to game the system. The Wilsons set a great example for their kids.
You are so right, Pete! Clabe wouldn’t let his sons carry a firearm until they were 12 years old and could demonstrate handling it well, even while crawling through wire fences. The two who survived the war were very attentive to their wives. They’d watched their father carry firewood and water, do the heavy gardening, anything to lighten her load.
Oh my goodness, Joy — what a photo. And the harsh realities – trapping and trading — for food. Joining the service in order to have enough to eat, leaving more for those at home. Potent reminders of a time gone by. We should never forget. Thank you so much. 💕
Thank you, Vicki! I’m thankful I started really listening to my mother’s stories! It helped to have the family letters to the boys in the navy, and that Grandma Leora labeled those photos to them!
Warms my heart…thank you for inviting us in, Joy. Xo! 🥰
Interesting that Sears would accept pelts in exchange for food and clothing!
At least they did during the Depression.
[…] Checking Traplines Before School by Joy on Joy Neal Kidney […]
I was amazed to see Sears bartered for pelts. That was a great service to have offered at that time. I wanted to learn more about it, so I looked it up and found this: https://www.retrowaste.com/trappers-ship-your-furs-to-sears-get-extra-cash/
You are a terrific researcher! I hadn’t even looked it up. Yours was from 1943, which was during the war.
It did appear that the bargaining had evolved into cash for furs.