| A History of STRUM and the TOWN OF UNITY by Roy Matson |
| THIS IS PAGE 20 | TABLE OF CONTENTS | PAGE BACK | PAGE FORWARD |
| thaws. Owners were putting their autos on blocks as late as 1927-28, about the time that main country trunks received some winter maintenance. Business was fairly good for the farmer in rural Wisconsin during the mid 1920’s. A county agricultural agent had been hired and one of his first programs was an introduction to alfalfa hay. Local merchants were doing well and overflow crowds crowded the village on Saturday evenings to shop and enjoy the weekly concerts by the ladies band. Things were not so well on the national scene, however. President Calvin C. Coolidge refused to sign a bill authorizing an increase of about $4.00 per month pension for the fast diminishing number of Civil War veterans, saying “it would break the country.” He finished his term and Herbert Hoover succeeded him. No supervision governing security investments could ever pass Congress in these years preceding the Great Depression, being always defeated or delayed by a group of Senators crying infringement on free enterprise. The over burdened stock market enjoyed its Black Tuesday on October 24, 1929. Banks began closing a year later. These institutions had been liquidating farm loans for several years but as there were no other lending agencies these attempts moved slowly. The local bank held off until September 29, 1931. It was a hectic day. Autos would drive into town at high speed, skid to a dusty stop and the driver would run to the bank door where a signed sheet told all. There were no demonstrations, but merely a sober assessment and a “now what?” attitude. In the days that followed just ordinary business was difficult. Coins were hard to find and credit was a questionable topic. Business slowed drastically in 1932. A man’s wages dipped to $.15-.25 per hour. Butterfat at the creamery brought a farmer $.15 per pound. Shipments of cattle could bring little above freight costs. Butchered hogs were purchased at $.02 per pound. 1933 can be said to have been the low year economically here in this community. Tax records were of high delinquency, living seemed to be hand to mouth . Work was scarce and business activity seemed to concern necessities only. It was the year Unity Creamery officials decided to burn wood instead of coal and gave farmer patrons an opportunity of furnishing 10 cords of wood for which they were paid $2.50 per cord, delivered. Patrons were happ6y for this decision. H. George Peterson was a sound business man and was an elected director of a newly organized bank at Eau Claire. His Ford agency sold far over 100 new cars in 1929. In 1933 he sold four. Added to this blue picture was a drought, the worst the oldest settler could remember. Many farmers able to afford the expense trucked their young cattle to northern pastures where they existed on marsh grass and leaves. A note relating the problems of the town board during these years certainly bears mention. Jim Olson, town patrolman, told of waiting several months for a $75 labor payment. Unity had borrowed $400 from the Farmers Bank at Osseo prior to the local closing. When the upriver bank failed to open, the Unity account was moved to Whitehall. Later the township transferred their business to the newly formed American Bank & Trust at Eau Claire. Olson finally was paid. Roosevelt had defeated Hoover in the 1932 presidential election and took office as President on March 4, 1933. There was immediate action. All banks received orders to “close” their doors. The moratorium, labelled (sic) as a |
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