# Federal Writers' Project – Life Histories/2020/Spring/Section24/J. D. Mashburn
## Overview

J. D. Mashburn referred to as Don Washburn was a tire shop owner and an interviewee for the Federal Writer's Project in 1939.

## Biography
### Early Life

Washburn was born on June 29, 1893, in North Carolina. His ancestors emigrated from England and Scotland in the early 1700s and settled down as farmers. Washburn followed their footsteps and spent his childhood on a small farm. However, he later dropped out of school in his teenage years and went to Colorado to "seek his fortune". Washburn stayed in his aunt's place and tried many careers including mining, ranching, and clerking in Colorado.

### Army Life

Washburn's plan of becoming a miner changed after he was drafted and joined the army on July 5, 1918. He was placed in a medical unit and sent on a mission at the hospital at Camp McClellan, Anniston, Alabama. Washburn worked fifteen hours a day from seven to ten and helped over 4,000 patients with flu for three months. Afterward, he was sent to New York and was put on a ship to Le Havre, France despite the signing of the Armistice, a cease-fire agreement. Washburn suffered under hard conditions like lack of fuel to keep warmth in the winter of France. However, he did not have many things to do besides marching and drilling.

### Career

Washburn went straight back to his hometown Asheville after coming back from France on July 26, 1919. He worked in a tannery near home for a while but wanted to establish a business himself. Washburn headed to Kansas and made some money husking corn. He moved to Akron, Ohio soon after and worked in a rubber plant for a higher wage. He also learned much knowledge about rubber and tire. In 1921, Washburn left the factory and opened a tire shop in his hometown Asheville. He ran a partnership with Myers, a man at the rubber plant. Myers treated the customers badly and quitted the business after a year. However, Washburn always treated his customers well and his tire business went smoothly. Washburn had operated the tire shop for 17 years to the day he was interviewed.

### Married Life

Washburn married Gladys B. Mashburn, who worked opposite to Washburn's shop, in 1923. They had three children together, one girl and two boys. He bowled in winter and fished in summer. He was also a true fan of American Legionnaire, an organization of U.S. war veterans, and never misses a meeting or parade.

### Death

Washburn died on July 18, 1975, in Asheville, Buncombe, North Carolina and buried in Fletcher, Henderson County, North Carolina.

## Historical Context
### The 1918 Influenza Pandemic & WWI

The 1918 influenza pandemic, also known as Spanish flu, was one of the most severe pandemics in human history. It was estimated that one-third of the world's population was infected and over 50 million died. Although the origin of the Spanish Flu remains to be discussed, it is no doubt that the outbreak of WWI facilitates the spread of Spanish Flu. The first recorded case of Spanish Flu was found in Fort Riley, a military base in Kansas for troop training during WWI in March 1918. In August, the flu spread to France, Spain, and China. In most of the cases, the flu was brought back by returning soldiers in WWI. A large portion of the medical unit in the US army was sent to severely affected parts in America and many military-medical infrastructures were turned into hospitals for flu treatment. Many soldiers were incorporated into medical units and had to work long hours at these hospitals and were highly susceptible to Spanish Flu. It was estimated to kill 45,000 American soldiers. WWI was at its end in 1918, but minor fights persisted before the signing of Armistice of 11 November 1918. Armies from different camps were on the move, particularly after the US joined the war in 1917. WWI entailed large movement of population, which created great conditions for virus transmission.

### Cornhusking in Kansas

Cornhusking is a famous old farm tradition in Kansas. In the 1920s and 1930s, many people worked in farms and made a living by husking corn in Kansas. They could earn a decent amount of wages of around $5 per day by shucking corns and it attracted many people from other states. Workers from other states were offered board and lodging on the farm so the cost of living was very low.
In the same period, Kansas State started to hold competitive cornhusking contests, hoping farmers to improve their farming method to increase production. People competed by the pounds of corn they picked and the ability to husk the ears and stalks in 80 minutes. The contests were first considered a sport because of the amount of physical work and stamina it required. The contests were so popular that it drew crowds of up to 100,000 people. Winner of the 1932 contest even received marriage proposals across the Corn Belt, a region of the Midwestern United States that dominates the production of corn. Besides recreation, cornhusking contests are a great platform to connect corn growers to scientists and wholesalers. Participants of the contests learned how to conduct scientific investigations of their farming practices and apply the knowledge gained from these investigations to farming practices. Today, mechanical pickers are much more efficient and economical than people. The contests have become popular entertainment. Visitors from all over the world gather in Oakley, Kansas every year and shuck corn at the Oakley Corn Festival.