Title
Mrs. Merton Smith Interview, ca. 1976
Files
Download Mrs. Merton Smith Interview Transcript (209 KB)
Document Type
Book
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Interviewer
Lee Tempte
Interviewee
Mrs. Merton Smith
Date Recorded
1976
Date Digital
7-29-2020
Keywords
Women farmers--South Dakota; Frontier and pioneer life--South Dakota; Agriculture--South Dakota; Rattlesnakes--South Dakota
Description
Mrs. Merton Smith was 88 years old. She was born in South Dakota and when she was old enough, she decided that she wanted to homestead for herself. She got 160 acres for $2.50 an acre. She had to build a shanty, plow up five acres of land, have a well, and live on the land 14 months before she could prove her land.
In this interview, she talks about how they built her shanty and some of her dealings with rattlesnakes. When she got married, they moved to Minnesota because of the dry land.
Run Time
00:10:45
Language
English
Original Format
Reel-to-Reel
Digital Identifier
KMRSSmith01
Repository
West Central Minnesota Historical Research Center (WCMHRC)
Local Identifier
1019
Recommended Citation
Smith, Mrs. Merton, "Mrs. Merton Smith Interview, ca. 1976" (1976). Reminiscing in West Central Minnesota (KMRS Feature). 46.
https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/kmrs/46
Primo Type
Audio
Notes
The digitization and transcription of this oral history was made possible in part by the people of Minnesota through a grant funded by an appropriation to the Minnesota Historical Society from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Any views, findings, opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the State of Minnesota, the Minnesota Historical Society, or the Minnesota Historic Resources Advisory Committee.