Looking Back: Growing Up in the Chippewa Valley During the Great Depression Years

Abstract

This paper explores the experience of childhood during the Great Depression in the Chippewa Valley of Wisconsin by examining the conditions within the Chippewa Valley and comparing that to the memories of residents who revisit their childhood through written memoirs. The goal of this paper is to understand the world view of children who experienced the Great Depression first hand in the Chippewa Valley. This paper compares data of the effects the Depression had on the area to the experience recounted in the memoirs. The findings of the research demonstrate how despite the unfortunate and devastating effects the Great Depression had upon the Chippewa Valley, the experience of the children was not remembered in a negative manner. Instead, their world view allowed them to feel that the reality of their experience was a happy one, in which they lived with what they had and still experienced a pleasant and special childhood.