109

Waln K. Brown
7/19/72
Margaret Maloney
1

The wife or mother in a ming town would bake bread, clean house, make
meals, help tend the garden, wash, iron, sew, and do other household chores.
The women who attended school around the turn of the century and before
usually went to the fourth grade, the last grade held in the Eckly grade school, and
then would go to work in a home or in the Freeland factories. During the 1910-1920
period, about half of the girls would go up to the eighth grade; the other half would
finish high school. It was during this period that the school house was built, behind
the two churches located at the lower part of town. Girls who went to high school
would leave the grade school at Eckley and go to Foster Township High School.
The oldest girl in the family would have to take over the household chores. It
was her job to take care of the younger children and help with the various household
chores.
Seventeen was the average age for a girl to be married. Girls would think they
were getting old and should get married. The girls were interested in getting a home
of their own and having their own family. There was a saying that, "A woman who
didn't get married was hard to suit." A girl usually got married to a man three or
four years older than she. Ususally a man of twenty or twenty-one years of age had
a little money saved, as he had been working in the mines since he was fourteen or
fifteen. The new couple would get a house of their own if one was available. If none
were, they would live with the girl's parents; once in a while they would live with the
boy's parents. the reason for this preference for the girl's parents was that the girl felt
she was not wanted by the boy's parents because the boy's parents would not be happy
to lose their son, the son may be "too good" for the girl. There was very little trouble
between the "new son" and the girl's parents, however, the boy would feel strange in
his new environment. The boy and his wife who moved into the girl's parents' home
would pay board plus help out with the chores. The "new family" would be lookin'
for their own home so they could be alone and independent.
Dating seemed to be pretty liberal. The girls were allowed to pick their own
suitors. Hours were restricted according to the individual. Some girls would be in
before midnight and others as late as two or three in the morning. The dates would
consist of sitting of lovers' rock and kissing or talkin'. Walking around town talking,
or going to the picnic grounds which are located at the lower part of town near the
ball diamond. Many times several couples would get together and talk and/or sing.
On Saturday nights many times the couples would go into Freeland to the movies.