My dad was born in 1942 and although electricity was starting to be available, he grew up without electricity or running water.
When I asked my dad about that kind of life he reminded me that even though he grew up poor without much in East Tennessee, so did every other family he could remember. He did not realize the struggle that his mom must have had to endure at the time because everyone lived the same way. His mom raised nine kids in a tiny home without any of the modern conveniences that we require today.
Many of the stories my dad tells are funny and entertaining. I could only imagine what kind of incidents could arise with that many kids running around the house. My dad said that on many occasions his mom would have to use potholders to reattach the stove pipe while the house filled with smoke, after getting knocked loose from him and his siblings wrestling and playing rough.
Dad said that his mom was very sweet and did not fuss at the kids for much at all, but she had a few things she did not allow. One thing she did not allow was for the kids to be horse playing near the kerosene lamp while it was burning. Which my dad said was understandable seeing that those lamps were like a molotov cocktail while in use.
She also did not like them coming to the dinner table without clothes on.
They had a radio and it was powered with a dry cell acid battery. They were only allowed to turn it on Saturday nights to listen to the Opry. When the battery was getting low she would sit it out in the sun to warm the acid up and get every last bit of life from the battery. The only other time she would turn the radio on was if she had heard about some big news, she would turn it on just long enough to catch the news and turn it right back off.
Bath time consisted of several kids sitting around the edge of a galvanized wash tub with their feet in the water while they scrubbed the bodies. When they were done washing my Mamaw would have warm water that was heated on the stove. They would stand up and she would pour the warm water over their heads to rinse them off.
Laundry was done in this same galvanized tub. Dad said there was no such thing as permanent press clothes back then so everything had to be ironed except underwear. His mom would have several irons heating on the stove. When one iron lost its heat, she would place it back on the stove and grab one that was hot and ready.
Dad said they had several sources of water. He said that they got their drinking water from a spring above where cows were kept and there was another spring down the creek where they kept milk cold.
Dad said that his mom would let them get water for some things like baths from the lower spring but would make them go to the spring above the cows for drinking water. They also caught rainwater in a barrel. Dad said that the rainwater was usually just used for washing clothes because rainwater was naturally soft water and did better for washing.
One thing my dad says every time I ask him about growing up like he did is that he never knew they were poor and that everyone around here grew up just like him. I appreciate that he says that.
It’s like a disclaimer that he is not complaining about his upbringing but just sharing what life was like. He actually has a smile on his face while telling these stories and you can tell that he enjoyed his childhood growing up in East Tennessee.
I bought an old farmhouse from Fred Sharp. Fred grew up in this house and shared some of his experiences growing up here in Union County. My dad was around when I was asking Fred some things about growing up in this house.
While we were doing some work on the bathroom I found a newspaper in the wall. I said, “Hey dad look, I found an old newspaper.”
Dad said, “I bet it’s from 1956.”
I said, “How did you know?”
He said, “I remember Mr. Sharp telling us that they did not get indoor plumbing until 1956.”
I'm sure my dad remembered that so well because he too grew up during most of his youth without such luxuries. My dad grew up in Powell Valley just on the other side of the lake from here.
He is correct in saying that everyone lived like he did back then. If your family was from around these parts, I’m sure you have heard similar stories about their growing up like this. I would say most of us would have a hard time adjusting to a lifestyle like this now that we are adjusted to all the modern conveniences but it's good for us to reflect on the past and remember what our relatives had to endure not so long ago.