Red Clay---The Mark of the Traveler

Apr 29, 2020, 9:10 PM

In the 1920's and 30's, very few of those living in the rural areas of North Florida owned an automobile. Many of those living in the area were two or three generations removed from living in the adjoining states. There were a few automobiles and trucks, even a few buggies, but the horse or mule drawn wagon was the chief mode of transportation foe those living on a farm.

There were a few busses but the most common type of transportation was the train. Gas, at 15 to 19 cents per gallon, does not sound like much money today but at that time it was a fortune. Most of the major highways were paved but all secondary and rural roads were dirt. North Florida is primarily sand and rural roads in those days were usually two deep ruts.

Vacations were not an annual affair, but sometimes a family saved up for several years. Neither the beach or other exotic locations were their vacation destination. Vacations were usually a trip to visit family and friends still living at the old home place. This was an exciting time. Most families had several children and on the day of departure when the car was finally loaded with luggage and family, it looked like moving day.

Stopping at a restaurant for meals was out of the question but no one was going hungry. The Mother and daughters had been cooking for several days in preparation for the trip. Fried chicken, ham, biscuits, cornbread, cakes, pies and all sorts of food items were stored in huge baskets to feed the family along the way. The one exception was a stop at a filling station to get an Orange Crush or Nehi Grape. Sometimes this stop was the highlight of the trip. There were no fast food places or rest stops.

Georgia was noted for its red clay hills and following a rain, every vehicle traveling on an unpaved road was covered with red clay. The natives were not that enthused with the red clay on their cars but those Florida "tourists" were proud of that red clay on their vehicle. It was the mark of the traveler, someone who had been beyond the Florida-Georgia State line. And no one was in a hurry to wash that red clay off of their vehicle.

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Wonderful memories. Joe. I grew up on those red clay roads on the river about half way between Newry and the Duke power plant. The school bus had a rough time negotiating those muddy roads and on some of the worst hills the neighbor farmer would have to bring a team of horses to give us an assist. My first memory of the impact of the depression was when our Dad put the Model T Ford up on blocks in the garage. We then used the horse and buggy to go to church and visit family.
Then the first hint that the economy was improving was in 1934 Dad bought Chevrolet flat bed truck for the farm while the Model T was still on blocks. At about the same time he bought a second farm about three miles from the home place. And the important threshold in 1938 when our older brother was able to enter Clemson. Being the youngest of six siblings, my mother commented,upon my departure for Clemson in 1946, that had she realized that they would recover from the depression as well as they had, then she would have had a couple of more babies. She came from a family of eleven siblings.
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Red Clay---The Mark of the Traveler

Re: Red Clay---The Mark of the Traveler

Great reading, you two old farts!

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