NEPA ~ Off Topic ~ Chatting Thread ( New ) (Wilkes-Barre: rural area, seasons, period)

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by theatergypsy

People didn't routinely travel back then. Few could afford a vacation much less get on plane and fly somewhere. Cars were not ubiquitous so people weren't off to "somewhere else" every weekend. And the Wyoming Valley wasn't exactly a "destination" for vacationers.

No, it's not a destination. There was a train, and a few people needed to go to the courthouse. Other than that, they may have needed to shop for something once in a while.

The wealthy people who lived in those large houses in town retreated to their country estates.

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by Gerania

No, it's not a destination. There was a train, and a few people needed to go to the courthouse. Other than that, they may have needed to shop for something once in a while.

The wealthy people who lived in those large houses in town retreated to their country estates.

There were very few trees back then from the pictures I have looked at from the beginning of the last century. Don't forget that our forest were harvested for smelter coke, for bark to tan hides, for firewood to keep homes warm, and for all the lumber to build our wood frame cities.

In 1900 our US life expectancy was around 52 years old. But when the plague hit in 1918 our life expectance decreased to only 39 years old.

[cremebrulee]

Originally Posted by Gerania

I only knew one grandparent, and she never spoke of it. My father was born in September of 1919, so he had no personal knowledge. She never talked about the depression, either, though my father told me quite a bit.

I'll guess that there were quite a few cottage industries sewing masks. They were just two or three layers of cotton. A lot of people used to know how to sew back then.

Your grandpa survived the trolley. A few of his fellow employees probably didn't. Natural selection. It's harsh, but that's why we're still around.

I dont understand Gerania, what did you mean by survived the Trolly? Was it dangerous?

[Jo48]

Originally Posted by cremebrulee

I dont understand Gerania, what did you mean by survived the Trolly? Was it dangerous?

Trolley car conductors came into contact with the general public. Much like Bus Drivers today.

[Jo48]

Originally Posted by fisheye

There were very few trees back then from the pictures I have looked at from the beginning of the last century. Don't forget that our forest were harvested for smelter coke, for bark to tan hides, for firewood to keep homes warm, and for all the lumber to build our wood frame cities.

In 1900 our US life expectancy was around 52 years old. But when the plague hit in 1918 our life expectance decreased to only 39 years old.

My Great-Grandma came to America in 1886 when she was 11. Conditions on board in steerage were horrific. Not everyone survived that trip. Great-Grandma told me people were all packed together, using pots as toilets, vomiting, sleeping on floors, with rats running all around. She said mothers were sleeping on top of their children to prevent the rats from biting them. You had to be very healthy to live through that. Those who made it to America very often lived in very bad conditions. If someone lived to be 50, they were probably going to live a very long life. Remember, there was no medicine, or vaccines, like today.

Survival of the fittest so to speak as someone else said. Great-Grandma lived to be 94 and did not die of natural causes. She was hit by a car crossing the street.

We will probably see the same with coronavirus. The fittest will survive to pass on their good genes to their children. Natural selection?

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by Jo48

My Great-Grandma came to America in 1886 when she was 11. Conditions on board in steerage were horrific. Not everyone survived that trip. Great-Grandma told me people were all packed together, using pots as toilets, vomiting, sleeping on floors, with rats running all around. She said mothers were sleeping on top of their children to prevent the rats from biting them. You had to be very healthy to live through that. Those who made it to America very often lived in very bad conditions. If someone lived to be 50, they were probably going to live a very long life. Remember, there was no medicine, or vaccines, like today.

Survival of the fittest so to speak as someone else said. Great-Grandma lived to be 94 and did not die of natural causes. She was hit by a car crossing the street.

We will probably see the same with coronavirus. The fittest will survive to pass on their good genes to their children. Natural selection?

I hope that everybody survives! But our government experts sound like we might lose 250,000. Of course that is not 327,000,000. But if you lose a loved one; it is one too many.

It is hard to say exactly how bad it is because our testing got off on the wrong foot. Now we are testing more everyday; but still not enough to get a handle on the spread of this virus.: https://www.recordonline.com/zz/news...ill-not-enough.

When our great grandparents came over shipping was not what it was today. There were no luxury cruise lines back then; the 'industry' was just getting started at the turn of the last century. It did have origins that date back to 1844 but that was more for the nobility at that time. Here is a great link on "Steerage Class": https://www.gjenvick.com/Immigration...age/index.html. That link also has many other links to other articles.

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by fisheye

There were very few trees back then from the pictures I have looked at from the beginning of the last century. Don't forget that our forest were harvested for smelter coke, for bark to tan hides, for firewood to keep homes warm, and for all the lumber to build our wood frame cities.

In 1900 our US life expectancy was around 52 years old. But when the plague hit in 1918 our life expectance decreased to only 39 years old.

There was a fair amount of trees there at the time, but they were notably absent in places like the downtown shopping area. The Public Square was the exception.

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/cap...ourthouse3.jpg

The difference in the death toll from town to town is interesting. While Kingston Township had only 4, little Edwardsville not far away had 121.

https://wynninghistory.com/2018/03/2...eally-compare/

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by Gerania

There was a fair amount of trees there at the time, but they were notably absent in places like the downtown shopping area. The Public Square was the exception.

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/cap...ourthouse3.jpg

The difference in the death toll from town to town is interesting. While Kingston Township had only 4, little Edwardsville not far away had 121.

https://wynninghistory.com/2018/03/2...eally-compare/

While the city could have trees; the hills were stripped of many of their trees to help build the cities!

That second link is very interesting!

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by fisheye

While the city could have trees; the hills were stripped of many of their trees to help build the cities!

That second link is very interesting!

There were strip mines just outside of the city limits. The area where the mall, Wegmans, and all of the new(er) stores in that area are now was all nasty looking abandoned waste. Teens used to go there and party. Oh, wait, how did I know that?

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by Gerania

There were strip mines just outside of the city limits. The area where the mall, Wegmans, and all of the new(er) stores in that area are now was all nasty looking abandoned waste. Teens used to go there and party. Oh, wait, how did I know that?

Did you know that in 1900?