A Visit to the Past The Peterson House

by Animas Museum

A visit to a museum can be more than a visit to other places, it can be a visit to another time. At the Animas Museum guests can explore the 1870s-era Joy Cabin, and then take a few steps east to go forward in time to the 1930s at the Peterson House.

Known as The Great Depression, the 1930s were a time of economic challenges and hardship. Economic optimism after World War I led to businesses over-investing in factories and shops. Farmers over-invested in equipment and land, while citizens took on consumer debt for the first time. The middle class speculated in the stock market, which plunged on October 24, 1929. The catastrophe continued on Tuesday, October 29 when more than 16 million shares of stock were sold, their value falling sharply. “Black Tuesday”, as that fateful day became known, left a legacy of financial ruin. Over one-fourth of the workforce was unemployed, and those who had jobs found their wages reduced, often by as much as half. Hundreds of banks failed and prices for farm goods plummeted. More than 90,000 businesses failed completely. Despite the best efforts of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal programs, tough times lingered until World War II’s economic jolt.

The Peterson House portrays a typical Depression-era home. In 1997 the Animas Museum acquired two attached structures which were facing demolition. Originally these buildings were located west of the Strater Hotel. One building was built around 1900 as the office for the Vulcan Foundry. The other building was built in the 1880s by (or for) the railroad. When the foundry closed in the 1920s, it had a small office building that was attached to the south side of the railroad building. The buildings were separated for the trip to the museum.

Among the early residents of the home was railroader Jimmy McIntyre. Later records show Mrs. Martha Ann Griffith lived in the house until 1917. From about 1930 to 1980, it was the home of Laurence and Elizabeth Peterson. Two additional lean-to structures completed their home.

When the Peterson family occupied the dwelling, it was not only their home but the site of Mr. Peterson’s business, AllCars Wrecking and Implement Company. They repaired autos and lawn mowers, and sold used cars and parts, new and used tires, batteries, and John Deere products.

Since the former railroad building was only part of the Peterson home, the furnishings do not portray the home as the Petersons knew it, but are typical for the 1930s. The kitchen/ dining room area has many features a 1930s housewife would appreciate, such as a Hoosier-style cabinet. In the days before built-in kitchen cabinetry and counters, meal preparation could be exhausting. The stand-alone cabinet and work surface was a popular solution. This style of cabinet came to be known as a Hoosier cabinet because several dozen manufacturers were located primarily in Indiana (nicknamed the Hoosier state). The Peterson House features a cabinet manufactured by the G.I. Sellers and Sons Company in Elwood, Indiana. An advertisement for the Sellers cabinet noted, “It is every housewife’s duty to herself and to her family, to own this modern kitchen equipment. It organizes kitchen work. Because of its special features it saves much tiring labor, clips many hours from time in the kitchen.” Special features included the “automatic lowering flour bin” which “marks the end of treacherous climbing” and the “patented ant-proof casters.”

The kitchen also features other laborsaving appliances. The electric stove ended the need to haul coal and tend a fire while preparing a meal. Although refrigerators were available, electricity could be expensive or unreliable, so the home includes an ice box that was used to keep food cool.

Electricity also allowed families to enjoy the radio. In the days before television, a variety of radio dramas, comedies, detective programs, adventure stories and music performances were popular.

For those with a dime for admission, movies brought a welcome escape from the Depression’s tough times. By 1933 though, box office attendance was declining, so theaters held contests offering prizes to encourage attendance. Durango’s Kiva Theatre at 813 Main Ave. had contests offering coveted Shirley Temple dolls, movie passes and gasoline vouchers. The 1930s could be considered “The Golden Age of Hollywood.” Legendary stars of the ‘30s included Shirley Temple, Katharine Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Bette Davis, Spencer Tracy, James Cagney, Jimmy Stewart, and the Marx Brothers. Movies from the 1930s that are considered classics today include: "The Thin Man" (1934), "Gone with the Wind" (1939), and "The Wizard of Oz" (1939).

While times were hard, “making do”, hard work, and the sense of “we’re all in this together” helped contribute to this inspiring exhibit in a charming home.