Although Virginia’s balanced economy absorbed some of the shock of the crisis, the state was not “depression proof.” It was a time for rigid economizing on the farms. Many farmers stopped growing tobacco because it did not pay the fertilizer and marketing costs. Practically no agricultural machinery was purchased, and deterioration in buildings and equipment was widespread. Albemarle farmer Clarence Holt recalled, “Money for necessities was scarce–for luxuries, non-existent; work clothes bore many patches and did not always match.” In urban centers times were even more difficult. Soup kitchens and breadlines became common features on city streets. People did their own laundry, garaged the car, allowed automobile licenses to lapse, and did without vacations. Smokers turned to “roll your own” cigarettes. Studies of Richmond unemployed showed a high rate of illness, debt, and emotional problems among their families, many of whose members had turned to begging, excessive drinking, and criminal activity, even prostitution. Agricultural agent John Freeman recollected: “People were in a daze–shock actually. There was not much unrest, but had steps not been taken, the situation could have become chaotic.”
Further Reading
Ronald L. Heinemann, Depression and New Deal in Virginia
This Vignette Provided By
Ronald Heinemann, Old Dominion, New Commonwealth: The History of Virginia, 1607-2007
