Federal Writers' Project – Life Histories/2022/Fall/Section093/Elmer Denton

Elmer Denton

Biography

Background

Mrs. Elmer Denton, originally named Daisy Denton, was born in 1909 in Heightsville, NC. She had a small figure and wore practical clothing. Her husband left the farm life to work at a hosiery mill where he earned $20 a week.

Her grandmother was the first licensed woman doctor in her region. She was famous for her fearlessness and skills. Her grandfather happily stayed at home, breaking the gender norms of that time.

Hospitalization

Denton underwent a surgical operation. At that time, hospital bills were becoming increasingly more expensive. Mrs. Denton's operation cost $500 and she had no money. She had developed a strong character brought about by her mother and grandmother. For that reason, Denton felt that she, and she alone, should be the one to pay for her hospital bill despite being married.

Entrepreneurship

Farm women working on quilt. Near West Carlton, Yamhill County, Oregon.

The year was 1931. During this time the US was in an economic collapse called the Great Depression. Before the Depression, the people sought out upper-class, luxurious items at the market, and craftsman and farmers were looked down upon. However, the Depression leveled the playing field. Craftsman and farmers had the opportunity to boost their sales now. Mrs. Denton took advantage of this and had an idea in which the interviewer described as a "bee in her bonnet”. She originated the idea to produce a building with stalls built in it. Her business aided not only herself, but also others who were self-employed. Farmers and craftsmen would then rent out the stalls and sell their products. It was a place where one could find meat, vegetables, flowers, crafts, and much more all in one place. Mrs. Denton sold her own items as well. She began a garden business and sold bushels of flowers. On days that the market was not open, she drove to other towns and went door to door to make sales. Her business skyrocketed. After some time, she began shipping out bushels to customers in Florida who had visited her stall during the tourist season. With her booming business, Denton began to brainstorm and acquired a second "bee in her bonnet". She and her husband built a second house to rent out. It was quaint just as one would imagine a house in a rural town to look, and therefore attracted many tourists. Mrs. Denton was an entrepreneur, constantly thinking up new ideas. She found a way to pay off her debts on her own and created thriving businesses.

Social Context

Social Gender Roles

A photo of a female worker during the Great Depression.

There was an increase of women in the labor market during the Great Depression. This was due to the fact that unemployment rates were lower for women than for men at that time because the labor of women was significantly cheaper. Data also shows that single, widowed, and divorced women were more likely to seek work whereas married women were less likely to, due to dependence on their husbands. However, because of the higher rates of unemployment for men, married women were forced to work, consequential of the increased costs of daily objects such as food, clothing, and other miscellaneous items. Despite the social class, statistics also show that women from all classes were entering the workforce, not just those that were poor. Married women were working due to need. Increased number of working women from middle income families was correlated with the rising social and demographic changes. In addition to their paying jobs, women were involved in unpaid work every day, as they took on the role of caring for the family. To make life a little easier, many women combined the paid and unpaid work areas. Women’s efforts to reduce family expenses by substituting their own labor for purchasable commodities represented only one set of alternatives in the struggle to make ends meet. They did the laundry of others, sold baked goods, and rented out their houses.

Entrepreneurs Amidst Economic Hardship

Tenantless farm in Texas panhandle 1938

Self-employment was the ideal way to make a living for those who had no other option. Whites and blacks alike became survivalists producing whatever job they could in order to keep up with the changing labor market. Statistics show that many who were unemployed, sought work within the retail food business. This is due to the fact that if the business were to fail, the owners would be able to use their goods. However, farmers seemed to be hit the hardest by the Depression. Because of the economic collapse, farmers attempted to produce more crops in hopes to pay off their debts. The low prices with little profit and the plethora of unsold crops pushed the farmers deeper into debt. Many farmers were forced to give up their land because prices dramatically fell to just a few cents per bushel. The farmers decided to gather together and create blockades to stop trucks from entering the towns and selling their products. They hoped that this would increase the demand and therefore increase the price of their crops. However, this did not affect the prices because not all farmers joined the movement. The government attempted to help the farmers by passing the Agricultural Adjustment Act. Most farmers were in favor of the act because they were given subsidy if they produced less crops. They signed up eagerly and the government checks were used to help the farmers pay bank debts or tax payments.

Hospitals in strife

Businesses by the common people were not the only ones affected. Government run businesses also struggled. There were changes in the hospital environment during the Depression. Hospitals were forced to reduce admissions and cut nurses salaries during this time. They also had to make personnel cuts and purchase cheaper surgical equipment which was less elaborate. Nurses that were not fired had to take on additional roles such as cafeteria workers, since there were fewer hands working in the kitchen. Because of this, hospital bills increased drastically even though the workers were being paid less. This launched the idea of a hospital insurance plan, which eventually led to creation of Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Despite the challenges, the hospitals were met with the helping hands of the community who donated and volunteered at the hospitals. Sacrifices were made, but the people provided a sense of community and a faith in humanity even in the darkest of times

References

Bolin, Winifred D. Wandersee. “The Economics of Middle-Income Family Life: Working Women During the Great Depression.” The Journal of American History 65, no. 1 (1978): 60–74. https://doi.org/10.2307/1888142.

Boyd, Robert L. “Survivalist entrepreneurship in the Great Depression” The Social Science Journal 53, no. 3 (2016): 339-345.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soscij.2016.07.005.

"Bees In Her Bonnet" Interview, Marby, Luline and Frank Massimino on Elmer Denton, December 20, 1938, Folder 597, Federal Writing Project Papers, Southern Historical Collection, UNC Chapel Hill.

Milkman, R., and Milkman, R. “Women’s Work and Economic Crisis: Some Lessons of the Great Depression,” Review of Radical Political Economics 8, no. 1 (1976): 71–97. https://doi.org/10.1177/048661347600800107

Morain, Tom. “The Great Depression: Farms and Cities in the 1930s.” Brewminate. (2020). https://brewminate.com/the-great-depression-farms-and-cities-in-the-1930s/.

“Opinion: Hospitals and the Great Depression: What Was Different?” Brooklyn Eagle, Last modified June 24, 2013.https://brooklyneagle.com/articles/2013/06/24/opinion-hospitals-and-the-great-depression-what-was-different/.