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the grain -and livestock marketskerplunked. Bunks folded and tlie sheriff showed up for foreclosures. This was without much sympathy in the eastern states, but the people of Traer not only felt this misery but sympathized and were definitely influenced by the sorrows that surrounded them. Some moved away and few saw that there would ever again be a joy and promise in living in a rural community. Without today's high prices for agricultural commodities, one now wonders how the consolidated schools would be supported, or how bank deposits would show the great thrift. One wonders about the effect of the energy crisis, the danger to road transportation, and the lack of local self-sufficiency. These may hardly be noticed on a current and local basis, but distance in time and space make them seem more evident and worth consideration.the summer. We had no problem keeping ourselves entertained even though it was during the depression and we didn’t have a lot of money to spend. We “had a ball”—nobody expected us to work too many teenagers nowa-(likedayswerewasgrowdo) and no one thought wo)yr*tOpera House Is Among: MemoriesO(Mrs. Harold Camp, the former Helen Zearfoss of Traer* is a daughter of the late Bert Zearfoss, who was manager of the iucttl ielcrphovie exchange for many years, and is a sister of Lewis Zearfoss, who also worked for the Central Towa Telephone company before his death a few years ago.)* *** *a oi-dIt dsAe irll*i-ie.nid t.a-idm •t-\Gntas ar se eel*e-airted itsndjn-allflyrendhe:er:hees.?d.(By Helen Zearfoss Camp)1973 \V. Illinois Ave., Aurora, 111. G050G.—Probably my first reminiscence . of Traer is “cutting through Taylor park on my way to school and kicking the dried leaves as I went. Do you suppose I was in the first grade? I don't think I did that when I got older.My second memory is that of riding in the Fiftieth Anniversary parade with my brother Lewie in the little red car my father made for its. I was thrilled and excited, and so proud of our picture which appeared in the Star-Clipper! The locM milliner made my hat of blue China silk, trimmed with pink rosebuds, to match the dress I wore.Of course, I remember those growing-up years — the teachers I had, the band trips, the plays and operettas at the Traer Opera House; I always eagerly read the reviews which appeared in the Star-Clipper. I still have a lot of the clippings, and I must say that the critic was always very kind. I even remember singing a duet (in the first “Traer Topics in 1933) with Sidney Dean—a song which Elmer Taylor had composed I I remember the year 1 worked at Dean-Wilson company and did some part-time work for Thomas Thomas, lawyers.Of course the new swimming pool' was an important part of my life; how fortunate we wereto live in a town that provided one. Important, too, was the group of friends I had as a teenager—Harriett Everts, Ann Sieh,.Mar-ione Ross, Margaret Boettcher, Virginia CurrelJ, .Tean Smith, Eleanor Stark, Jean McMillan, and Maxine Dickey; that was the bridge club! I still correspond with several of them. I remember especially the years when we would all return from college to spendlazv because we didn't! It really a wonderful time to up, and a wonderful town in which to do it.1 have few lies with Traer anymore since my mother, my father, and my brother have passed away, so 1 do not return very often. I even understand my old home is gone—replaced by a new development. Since my high school days, I have lived in tea towns and cities in three states, have married, and have had two children, both grown and on their own: Richard, a golf professional in Chicago, and Cathy, in bilingual education in Washington, D. C. My husband is a regional sales manager for Avco New Idea Farm Equipment company; he has been with that company for the past twenty -years. This is my sixth year of teaching in Aurora. I havetaught off and on for 27 yearsin business education (one of my teachers in high school tutored me a bit in shorthand, and I suppose that started the whole thing). . _I expect only a tew in Traerwill remember me, but I send greetings to those who do and a special greeting to Maxine and Don Martin, in whose home I have spent many happy hours.HORSE CENTERTraer was for many years the leading center of the state of Iowa for high grade horses. There were at one time no less than four breeding stables in town, with as many as twelve purebred stallions each, but also a number of noted animals owned by farmers in the community. Traer horses were sought by buyers from long distances. In 1885 Z. T. Moore, J. V. B. Green, George Neimand, and Antrim IngoLs operated breeding stables here. W. H. Sprole maintained a noted* Nor-,man establishment in the country. Today no one in Traer is engaged in the horse business and even 50 years ago Traer was out of the horse business.
Newspaper Details
Traer Star Clipper
Traer, Iowa, US
Tue, Jul 10, 1973
Page 110
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
NA, 02 Mar 2019
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Traer Star Clipper
