Federal Writers' Project – Life Histories/2020/Summer II/Section 07/Charles Frederick Gerber

Federal Writers' Project – Life Histories/2020/Summer II/Section 07/Charles Frederick Gerber
Born	July 30, 1889 Barton County, Kansas
Died	March 14, 1971 Colbert, Alabama
Occupation	Farmer, Car mechanic, Factory Worker
Spouse(s)	Mae Jones

Biography

Overview

Charles Frederick Gerber was interviewed for the Federal Writers' Project by Charles M. Donigan. Having lived in Colbert, Alabama for most of his life, he mainly worked as a tenant farmer and lived through the industrial and economic transformation of the South throughout the 20th century. All through his life, Charles claimed that "his chief ambition is to own a house". He believed that owning a house would help an individual and a family have stable lifestyles.

Early Life

Charles Frederick Gerber was born on July 30, 1889, in Barton County, Kansas to German immigrant parents. His father, George Frederick Gerber, worked as a homestead farmer whereas his mother, Mary Hester Gerber, worked as a housewife. George immigrated to America on account of the California Gold discovery in 1849. Using the earnings he earned from the Gold Rush, George settled in Ohio and continued farming while living in a farmhouse. There, he met the Hester family and got married to Mary. They then moved to Kansas and continued farming while George started a German-language newspaper. However, during those years, the family experienced several crop failures. In 1898, they, therefore, decided to move to Leighton, Alabama, after hearing about the state’s rich farmland and warm climate. They bought 310 acres of farmland a mile south of the Tennessee River and established roots. In his childhood, Charles decided to follow his father’s footsteps and become a farmer.

Later Life

As a farmer, Charles grew cotton, vegetables, and raised livestock. He got married to Mae Jones in 1911 and rented an 80-acre property in Leighton, Alabama. In exchange for receiving loans from landowners and the government for the property, Charles sold shares of his cotton crops so that he could afford to live in a large house. He also began to work in the garage and automobile repair business in Leighton, Alabama, working as a car mechanic. He earned around $2,500.00 a year, which he believed was a stable income. During this time, he had two daughters, named Jessie Lee Gerber and May Lane Gerber.

However, due to the rapid industrialization of the 20th century and the consequent decline of agricultural production, many farmers like Charles moved to urban areas to take up jobs that would better support themselves financially. In addition, the Great Depression hit the United States, causing thousands of workers to lose their jobs. As a result, Charles had to sell his car to avoid losses. Fortunately, Charles and his family moved to South Bend, Indiana just before the depression. There, he worked as a factory worker in a manufacturing plant that helped assemble automobiles and other industrial goods. After two years, when the Depression ended, the family returned to Alabama, settling in Colbert County and continuing to farm. In Colbert, his daughters went to Colbert County High School. However, because Charles wanted his daughters to finish high school, he contributed a part of his earnings to their education. His younger daughter, May Helen, decided to leave the eleventh grade and get a job in order to help Jessie Lee graduate. Both his daughters eventually went on to get jobs in the business industry.

Through hard work and dedication, eventually, Charles was able to successfully pay off debts and return to farming full-time. Furthermore, many relief programs, including the New Deal, were passed by the Democratic Party, which helped workers like Charles remain financially stable. These reforms motivated Charles to become an avid supporter of the Democratic Party. He earned enough money to live in a large house with a large farm. He used portions of his savings to donate to the local Church in Colbert. He continued farming in Colbert until his death on March 14, 1971.

Social Issues

1850 Woman and Men in California Gold Rush

California Gold Rush

During the westward expansion of the United States, gold nuggets were found in the Sacramento Valley in 1848. It became a significant event in American history as thousands of immigrants from around the globe came to California to mine for gold. Gold was considered to be a popular commodity during the 1800s and as described by "The World Impact of the California Gold Rush 1849-1857", “The increased supply of gold meant prosperity, and their optimism encouraged widespread speculation". This caused thousands of immigrants to come to America because they believed working there would help them achieve their dreams and their destiny. As a result, California’s foreign population increased from less than 1,000 to 100,000.

In 1849, when the Gold Rush reached its peak, many individuals mortgaged their savings, took loans, or spent their savings to make the journey to California for mining. The miners, mainly men, immigrated to California to extract gold whereas women stayed back home and took care of household responsibilities. The miners mainly came from Mexico, South America, and Europe and they became known as the 49ers.

After 1850, the gold mines in California disappeared as gold became more difficult to extract. Although the technique of hydraulic mining was developed in 1853, the process destroyed much of California’s landscape. Dams that were designed to provide water to mining areas had to divert water away from the landscape and sediment clogged areas of water. In addition, fossil fuels were used to construct canals, depleting natural resources. Moreover, the conditions of mineworkers were harsh as they worked for extensive hours without many breaks, got harsh punishments from their bosses, and faced dangerous working conditions. Even though the mineworkers suffered immensely, many of them managed to provide better lifestyles for themselves and their families.

Civilian Conservation Corps Third Corps Area typing class with Works Progress Administration instructor USA 1933

Great Depression and Democratic Party Reforms

During the Great Depression, crop prices fell at extreme rates and land prices grew exponentially, preventing farmers from paying their debts or expenses. As a result, many farmers lost their land. Furthermore, excessive planting and plowing weakened the soil, leading to the Dust Bowl, a disaster that depleted water for vegetation production and destroyed thousands of crops. As the Depression hit its peak, the Democratic Party came to power under the Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1933. During Roosevelt's Presidency, the federal government's main priorities were to help civilians, especially farmers, get their jobs back. He noticed that farmers were forced to sell their crops at low prices even though they produced crops at high rates. This was because "The supply of crops and livestock was much higher than the demand for those products, and so the prices dropped". To create a balance between crop supply and crop demand, the government decided to increase crop prices and decrease crop production. As a result, many farmers could manage their farms effectively without wasting farmland. However, for the farmers who lost their farmland or jobs, Roosevelt provided jobs to these workers through the help of government organizations.

Through their party platforms, the Democratic Party took larger control of the government by creating federal agencies to protect farmers and other employees by insuring their losses or expenses. For instance, the Civilian Conservation Corps was created to give employment to workers for infrastructure projects and constructing government buildings. Furthermore, the Farmer Security Administration gave loans to tenant farmers at low-interest rates, enabling them to buy land and advanced machinery for farming. The relief programs helped farmers lead financially stable lifestyles.