I live on a small farm but I am blessed to be within a 15 minute drive of all things modern. I can hop in on of our vehicles (we have more than one as do most American families these days) and head to the grocery, gas station, drug store, mall, or any other modern convenience in a jiffy. This wasn't the case back in my grandmother's day.
As I have mentioned before my grandmother was born just after the start of the Great Depression and growing up during her formative years she lived on a farm. She recently shared with me some of her memories of the grocery trucks that would cater to the farm ladies, most of whom did not drive, and her anticipation as a child of seeing the wonderful things on that truck that came down the dusty lane.
I don't know if this picture is an accurate representation, it is what I was able to find with a quick google search, both the inside and out of what a grocery truck looked like in the 1930's
As I have mentioned before my grandmother was born just after the start of the Great Depression and growing up during her formative years she lived on a farm. She recently shared with me some of her memories of the grocery trucks that would cater to the farm ladies, most of whom did not drive, and her anticipation as a child of seeing the wonderful things on that truck that came down the dusty lane.
I don't know if this picture is an accurate representation, it is what I was able to find with a quick google search, both the inside and out of what a grocery truck looked like in the 1930's
 photo courtesy of Sanduskyhistory |  photo courtesy vintage truck magazine |
Grandma shared with me that the grocery truck would come weekly and the sight of which was a welcome image for those farm wives whose husbands were out in the fields for long work hours. She also remembers that sometimes on Fridays a man would come by with fresh fish on ice in his truck, selling his wares, and often a Peach truck would come as well. Grandma remembers that when the fish man came it was a treat to have fresh fish, there was no refrigeration so that meant a meal of fish was in short order.
When the peach man came the children were not allowed but 1 fresh peach each as my great grandmother would can her precious bounty of juicy peaches for a treat in the winter.
In the fall, grandma reports that a man would come, selling a load of coal. My great grandfather would buy his winter supply that way. The other heat was courtesy of all the wood my great grandfather would cut for the wood stoves.
Grandma doesn't remember every having boxed cereal in her younger years (something she does enjoy now). She did tell me that her mother brought rolled oats that they sometimes had for breakfast. Not the instant kind, the kind that you cooked and the kettle was hard to wash she remembers.
Grandma once mentioned to me the instant lemon pudding type of dessert she remembered getting as a treat from the grocery man, I searched high and low on the internet and when I showed her the pictures I found she said this was the one she remembered.
When the peach man came the children were not allowed but 1 fresh peach each as my great grandmother would can her precious bounty of juicy peaches for a treat in the winter.
In the fall, grandma reports that a man would come, selling a load of coal. My great grandfather would buy his winter supply that way. The other heat was courtesy of all the wood my great grandfather would cut for the wood stoves.
Grandma doesn't remember every having boxed cereal in her younger years (something she does enjoy now). She did tell me that her mother brought rolled oats that they sometimes had for breakfast. Not the instant kind, the kind that you cooked and the kettle was hard to wash she remembers.
Grandma once mentioned to me the instant lemon pudding type of dessert she remembered getting as a treat from the grocery man, I searched high and low on the internet and when I showed her the pictures I found she said this was the one she remembered.
I often wonder what my children and grandchildren will look back at and laugh about when they talk of my life as I age. What things that I now take for granted will be so antiquated to them as to elicit a "can you believe it?"
Personally, I can see the value in a grocery truck, sometimes I wish I could just stay at my own piece of heaven and let the food stuffs come to me...
Personally, I can see the value in a grocery truck, sometimes I wish I could just stay at my own piece of heaven and let the food stuffs come to me...
