
Title
Mrs. Merton Smith Interview, ca. 1976
Files
Download Mrs. Merton Smith Interview Transcript (1.1 MB)
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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

Notes
The transcript for this oral history is a rough draft.