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By Mark J. Price
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Monday, Jun 23, 2008
They know a thing or two about surviving an economic downturn.
Here are some Depression-era ideas on living more efficiently that still apply to the modern world:
• Don't be wasteful.
• Learn to make do with less.
• Save your money for when you really need it.
• Live modestly and avoid debt.
• Learn a useful skill that will serve you for life.
• Buy what you need before you buy what you want.
• Don't throw away anything that can still be used.
• It's cheaper to repair it than buy a new one.
• Don't pay someone to do a job that you can do for free.
• Plant a garden and reap the rewards.
• Home-cooked meals cost less and taste better.
• If you help your neighbors, they will help you.
Landmarks from 1930s
Even in the worst of times, good things can happen.
Some of the Akron area's great landmarks were built during the Great Depression through private developers and federal programs.
Here are some of them:
FirstMerit Tower, Mayflower Hotel, Rubber Bowl, Polsky's, Akron YMCA, Akron YWCA,
Mogadore Reservoir, Nimisila Reservoir, Glendale Steps, Waterworks Park, Firestone Memorial Bridge, North High School, Buchtel High School, Goodrich Middle School, Voris Elementary School, Akron Times-Press Building (now the Beacon Journal), Highland Theater, Akron Fulton International Airport Terminal, Guggenheim Airship Institute, Broad Street Bridge.
By the numbers
Some Greater Akron statistics about the Depression:
25,031 — Number of rubber factory workers who lost jobs.
21,829 — Peak WPA employment in October 1938.
10,249 — Loss of city population from 1930 to 1940.
3,000 — Number of families evicted from homes in 1933-34.
900 — Number of people who applied to sell apples in 1930.
600 — Miles of county roads improved by WPA.
381 — Number of public buildings improved by WPA.
55 — Number of bridges built by WPA.
40 — Miles of sewer pipes laid by WPA.
12 — Cents per day allotted for person on county relief.
3 — Number of banks that failed: First-Central Trust Co., Community Savings Bank, Standard Savings Bank.
2 — Number of daily newspapers in 1929.
1 — Number of daily newspapers in 1939.
Depressed prices
Here is a sampling of grocery prices from 75 years ago. A dime in June 1933 would be the equivalent of $1.50 today:
Lettuce — 5 cents a head.
Cucumbers — 6 cents apiece.
Oranges — 25 cents per dozen.
Tomatoes — 10 cents a pound.
Watermelons — 35 cents.
Peanut butter — 19 cents for a 2-pound jar.
Spaghetti — 9 cents for 1-pound package.
Flour — 73 cents for 241/2-pound bag.
Sugar — 45 cents for a 10-pound bag.
Hamburger — 15 cents for 2 pounds.
Veal stew — 15 cents for 2 pounds.
Goose liver sausage — 17 cents a pound.
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