Posted on May 30, 2025 by Jenny ONeill

  Elvira Smith grew up on a Westport farm in the 1930s. “We were very frugal.  For example we would use the cotton from the flour sacks to make our aprons. I remember that instead of throwing our old sweaters away, we would unravel the yarn, then wash and clean it to take out the […]

Posted on May 30, 2025 by Jenny ONeill

The role of women in the 20th century on the farm varied. On some farms, tasks were clearly delineated — men worked outside and the women cared for the household: Charlie Costa on his grandmother “When my grandfather was working on the farm, she would be washing clothes, hauling water, heating the irons on the […]