GENERAL CAPTION NO. 36
DATE: August 14, 1939
PLACE: Thurston County, western Washington

Thurston County is a cut over area. There are 2900 farms in the county. 900 are adequate, 500 are farming less [than] 5 acres. Many refugees from drought in other parts of the U. S. are settling, or attempting to settle in this part of Washington. Some became Rural Rehabilitation borrowers of the F.S.A. 14 of these borrowers are now operating under the new “Non-Commercial Experiment,” devised where it seemed impossible for the borrowers to continue under land debts and standard rural rehabilitation loans; to scale down the basis of their loan, to enable them to continue.

These Non-Commercial Experiment borrowers are located in a section called Michigan Hill. The Bulldozer, under contract, has been employed to help them clear needed acreage. Strawberries for the canning industry are being developed for a cash crop, after sufficient land is cleared.

Arnold family, example of Non-Commercial Experiment borrowers. This family came to Thurston county from Las Crusces, New Mexico where they sold out their place for $2000. Had written to the railroad company for information regarding western Washington and arrived by train in May 1935 [railroads had resettlement offices with immigration agents]. Three days later they had made a payment of $1200 on 80 acres of uncleared land. This is the farm which they are now developing. At first they lived in a tent. They grubbed out 80 stumps from what is now the hay field in front of their present house which they built themselves, since. All the children work.

They are planning and depending on considerable acreage in strawberries for cash income. This year, just before harvest, there was a frost.

The Arnold family have had some clearing done by Bulldozer, but only for uprooting and moving the stumps. All clearing of the debris, the leveling and filling, they and their children are doing themselves. This family have done a tremendous amount of hard physical labor in order to gain what they call independence.

Mrs. Arnold: She was unwilling to have any photographs made in or even around the house, which was messy and unkempt. She explained that she was unable to attend to household affairs properly because she put in all her time “on the place.” She plans however a “nice house, with a porch across the front.”

Mr. Arnold was not at home on this day. He was working on another farm nearby on an exchange of labor.

The two oldest Arnold children earned money picking strawberries during the past season for neighbors. The boy earned $8, the girl $7. This money they gave to their parents with the exception of the following expenditures:

Boy

Bycycle $2.00
Shoes 2.19
Fishing pole 1.00
Reel & line .62
Hooks .05
Salmon eggs .10
3 pr. socks .39
hat .25
mattock and
ax handle .50
candy –

Girl

Shoes $1.39
Slacks .59
Set of combs .10
Needle book .15
3 pr. socks .39
apron .49
candy –