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ARS Home Northeast Area Docs Historical Perspectives







Robert Hall's Spring Creek Farmheadline bar Click on thumbnail to see the full sized pictures; use the browser's "back" button to return to narrative. These pictures were taken on the Spring Creek farm (Wirt County, WV) of Robert G. Hall during the years of 1950-1952. As a veteran of World War II, (1943-1945) Robert attended Farmer's Vocational Training program once weekly for which he received a stipend for $93.00 monthly. He farmed with horse machinery and had a thirteen-cow herd. To use corn from a crib, which had leaked, he purchased pigs for later sales.  In 1950, he planted an acre of potatoes for a cash crop, but the market dropped and he was left holding the bag, and bags of potatoes. Hay was cut, raked, and stacked for winter use. Corn was hand shucked and the fodder was hauled and fed to cattle.  Wood was cut and split for winter heat. Cooking was done on a wood-burning stove that took up most of the space in the kitchen.  During the big snow of November 1950, horses, cattle and hogs were not able to get to water as they were stranded in the barn for two days or so. In September of 1952, the Halls moved to a farm on Somerville Fork, Wirt County, where Robert continued to farm while supplementing his income with off-farm employment.  The picture of Robert and his daughter Coleen, with his team of horses, Joe and Madge was taken on Somerville Fork, where he was involved in raising chickens for a few years.  The pictures of the cornfield were taken on the farm of Eugene Wells on Garfield Road. The young married couples of the Pisgah United Methodist Church called "The Hustler's Class" planted and harvested corn to raise money for new pews for the church. The top picture of that same set was taken on Somerville Fork.  Robert with his niece, Margery Ann, and his father's horses, Bud and Patty, getting ready to mow hay. He was on a ten-day leave after being inducted into the Army at Fort Thomas, Kentucky.


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