Harry Everhart wrote:

Duane Bozarth wrote:
In our case - we had to fill the washing machine with pots of water that
we hand pumped from the well and put on the stove. Then ...

Just out of curiousity, where/when was this?

We didn't get REA power until '48, but had wind Delco generator well
prior to that...

I was born in a farm house about 30 miles north of Allentown PA in
Schuylkill County. I lived there from 1948 when I born until 1954. We
moved to big city of Tamaqua PA 10 miles away(10,000 people at the time
- now closer to 7000) so that I could go to a school building that had
each grade in a separate room. I attended part of first grade in a one
room school that had 8 rows of desks - one for each grade. We had
electricity - but no plumbing. We had a hand pump on the well - and
later I remember getting and electric well pump and one cold faucet in
the sink. We were so proud of that - but never had an indoor bathroom.
We took Saturday night baths in a metal tub in front of the coal stove
with water heated on the stove. We even had to cross a paved road to the
outhouse - to keep the sewage away from our well. But we did have TV and
I remember seeing Harry Truman being sworn in when I was just 4 in 1952.
We had a big party and all the neighbors came over. In 1954 we sold 10
acres with a stream and railroad frontage - a big house - and three
level barn for $3000. Boy I wish I had that back. The place recently
sold for $350,000 - it has a bathroom now but the hand pump well is
still out back. Do the math - I am only 57.
Harry

Well, I'm just 3 years ahead of you, Harry...

It's interesting the difference in areas...in SW KS when Grandad broke
out the home quarter around 1900 he was still a very young feller
working for the Santa Fe "back east" about 100 miles and coming out for
a week or so at a time. By 1910 or thereabouts he had saved enough w/ a
brother to quit and borrow $300 for a mule and a wagon. The house was
started in 1914 (prior to that they lived in a shed/barn combination)
but had lighting (the Delco windcharger system) and indoor plumbing from
the beginning. I was born in '45 and remember the Delco but we were so
far from anywhere there was no point in having a TV until after I was
out of college. While in VA/TN and traveling on business through most
of the E-TN/SW-VA/WVA/E-PN coal country (we manufactured/sold/serviced
online ashmeters to mines/prep plants) I became really aware of the
differences in cultures. Working w/ TVA in later years also emphasised
the difference. As noted, we got "real" power in '48 in large part
because my folks started the drive to spur the formation of a local
rural-electric co-op as soon as the war was over--they had been plotting
during the last year or so prior to that. Dad served on the board for
50 years as well as farming. I came back after he passed away. We know
own/rent/farm rough 1200 A and the whole land value isn't much more than
what your 10A w/ house went for...