Synopses & Reviews
In 1910, when Olaf F. Larson was born to tenant livestock and tobacco farmers in Rock County, Wisconsin, the original barn still stood on the property. It was filled with artifacts of an earlier timeandmdash;an ox yoke, a grain cradle, a scythe used to cut hay by hand. But Larson came of age in a brave new world of modern inventionsandmdash;tractors, trucks, combines, airplanesandmdash;that would change farming and rural life forever.and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; When Horses Pulled the Plow is Larsonandrsquo;s account of that rural life in the early twentieth century. He weaves invaluable historical detailsandmdash;including descriptions of farm equipment, crops, and livestockandmdash;with wry tales about his family, neighbors, and the one-room schoolhouse he attended, revealing the texture of everyday life in the rural Midwest almost a century ago. This memoir, written by Larson in his ninth decade, provides a wealth of details recalled from an earlier era and an illuminating read for anyone with their own memories of growing up on a farm.and#160;
Review
andldquo;Though artifacts from this era remain, we will lose our ability to understand and interpret them unless we preserve these sorts of complementary narrative accounts. The experience of life on a family farm is becoming distant today, but has been remarkably preserved in Olaf Larsonandrsquo;s memory.andrdquo;andmdash;Robert J. Gough, University of Wisconsinandndash;Eau Claire, author of Farming the Cutover
Review
andldquo;Larsonandrsquo;s memory is excellent, his description is detailedandmdash;and throughout the book his love of farming is constantly being expressed.andrdquo;andmdash;Agri-View
Synopsis
From 1791, when the first school was established in what is now Wisconsin, to the 1960s, when consolidation was finally complete, the one-room school’s history has been one of growth and change. In One-Room Country Schools, this history along with unique memories and shared recollections from the people who learned and taught in the one-room schools of Wisconsin tell the story of these institutions of learning.
Synopsis
As he turns 100 years old, Olaf Larson looks back at his farm boyhood, weaving invaluable historical details of farming and rural life with wry tales about his family, neighbors, and one-room schoolhouse in the American Midwest.and#160;
About the Author
Jerry Apps was born and raised on a central Wisconsin farm, a mile from the Chain O’Lake one-room country school where he attended eight years. Professor emeritus of education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he devotes most of his time to writing about rural America, especially the upper Midwest. Apps has also written several education books including Teaching From the Heart, Mastering the Teaching of Adults, and Study Skills for Adults Returning to School. Among his many popular books about Wisconsin’s heritage, the most recent is his Ames County series, starting with The Travels of Increase Joseph.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Forewordand#160;and#160; and#160;and#160;and#160; and#160;
and#160;and#160; and#160;Jerry Apps
Prefaceand#160;and#160; and#160;and#160;and#160; and#160;
1. The Setting: Family, Farm, and Localityand#160;and#160; and#160;
2. The Farmstead and Farmhouseand#160;and#160; and#160;
3. Cropsand#160;and#160; and#160;
4. Livestockand#160;and#160; and#160;
5. Equipmentand#160;and#160; and#160;
6. Hired Menand#160;and#160; and#160;
7. Patterns of Work and Farm Lifeand#160;and#160; and#160;
8. Transportation and Communicationand#160;and#160; and#160;
9. Country School and High Schooland#160;and#160; and#160;
10. Our Health and Medical Careand#160;and#160; and#160;
11. Playtime, Pets, and Projectsand#160;and#160; and#160;
12. Other Memories of My Life on the Farmand#160;and#160; and#160;
Epilogue: Back to the Farm, 1943andndash;1944and#160;and#160; and#160; and#160;
Works Citedand#160;and#160; and#160;and#160;