The Great Depression was a hard time for many, but not for all. Most people think that the Depression was a time for hardships and bad experiences. Some people's parents had good jobs, others had none. My grandmother, Catherine Caughlin grew up in these times. For her, the period of economic downfall was not as bad as most people would have thought. Life was different though - they went without running water, electricity, and a real bathtub. Her family was large, but didn't feel the times like others. While recapping her life during the Great Depression, she remembered not feeling the pain or hard times as much as other people did. She was five years old when the Depression came about. Her mother had passed away in 1929. Her father worked as a track layer for the Boston El (street cars) Below, Catherine shares her memories of that time.
Deanne Vidito.
"I don't really remember the hard times. I never felt the pinch. I was young and didn't have to go without much," Catherine said.
Catherine's father would work as much as he had to, but was still there for his family. She stated lovingly, "Dad was home all the time after work, unless there was a storm and he had to sand the tracks with a horse and team."
She remembered living in Roxbury on the flats. "We used gas for lighting and had a bathtub without running water. As my family got bigger, we got a better apartment. I had three brothers and three sisters. We got the apartment from my mother's friend. It was a step-up. I had running water and later electricity. I can remember the gas spouts coming out of the walls for lights," she said.
During the Depression, the family didn't go on vacations. For fun, she remembered, "We played games with families and friends. I can still see everyone playing ball in the back lots."
Catherine Caughlin
with Deanne Vidito
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