During the decade prior to the Great Depression, life was good for many people. The stock market was booming, jobs could be found, and consumers in all walks of life were able to buy what they needed, and keep some money in the bank as well. It was, and is, human nature to want to enjoy good times and take advantage of them. Money was accumulated and spent lavishly in this pre-Depression era, and land used to its fullest potential and beyond. There were no warning signs. No one, or at least very few, anticipated that this prosperous era would end, or that moral and practical values were about to change out of necessity.

It didn’t take long once the Depression was in full swing for people to change their priorities. Conservation, whether in finance or land use was something that needed to be learned. Every penny suddenly became vital, as did arable land. Farmers, living in what would become the Dust Bowl, learned the lesson well and too late, that overuse of land combined with poor weather conditions is a recipe for disaster.

During the Depression, people learned not only the value of a dollar, but the value of close community, family and friends. Neighbors relied on neighbors to give them a helping hand when food was scarce. Some of those that still had money, hired those that they could afford to work for them. And, storekeepers extended credit well beyond their own financial limits so that others could eat. People learned what was important in their lives and what was not exactly necessary. The once rich and indulgent, in many cases, either became the ones that contributed to the poor, or became one themselves. Views, as well as moral values, changed almost overnight. If the Depression taught people anything, it was to count their blessings and appreciate what they had. There was no room for greed or avarice, and a great luxury might very well consist of having chicken for Sunday dinner. People learned to work together, to build toward the same goal, survival, and to value family and friends.

Today, those that remain that lived through and survived the great Depression, remember it as a terrible time, but one that they are also proud of surviving. They reminisce about how the family pulled together and made do with what they had, helped those even less fortunate, and appreciated even the smallest of unexpected pleasures. They are proud of the fact that they learned important lessons through this period that they carried with them the rest of their lives, and they try to pass on these moral values to others.