1926 | American Scenes

If you enjoy firsthand accounts from real people, you'll love 1926.

Rural America...

...Great Depression, Dust Bowl.

One might be discouraged, but this young farmer was quite the opposite. You'll find Gene to be a bit mischievous and a lot hardworking.

Pull up a chair. Stay a while. Gene remembers growing up in rural America on a small farm. He'll share with you the time a couple of men stopped by his farm looking for work (those "men" turned out to be Bonnie and Clyde.) Or listen to him tell you about riding double bareback with his brother on their pony to the one room schoolhouse for daily lessons. Read how entire communities came together in times of need.

Late in life, Gene would write down anecdotes as they came to mind. There was no greater purpose to these scraps of paper than to record what he could for his grandchildren's sakes. This is not a complete history of America, but rather the firsthand, real accounts of a man who worked hard, served his country, and loved his family. A glimpse into one American's life.

From an outsider's perspective, times were hard growing up during the Great Depression, enduring the Dust Bowl, and experiencing World War II. But for Gene, it was life - he knew nothing different. He didn't complain, in fact, he was happy. Gene's story is his own, but his perspective provides a window into the broader expanse of home and small-town life for many Americans during this time period (1926-1970.)

Whether you are

• a history buff,
• writing a paper for that class assignment on American life,
• would like to reminisce, or
• perhaps you had a family member who had a similar upbringing and want another's perspective,

Gene's short stories are sure to entertain and inform you. These are clean stories for all ages written in an understandable, engaging style, making history come alive.