When my mom was 11 years old her family left Kansas and headed to Oregon. They drove a 1928 Studebaker and pulled a trailer that was 18 foot long. Her family consisted of 2 brothers, one sister, her and her parents. Grandpa had made beds in the trailer that pulled down for everyone to sleep and then folded up for during the day. It was very crowed but during this time many were walking and living in tents and cardboard boxes so they felt lucky.
The trailer did not have any brakes and the brakes would not hold the trailer. Her older brother and her each held a big rock and when they started up the hills and the car would stop they had to jump out and put a rock under the wheels to hold it there or it would roll down the hill.
Everyone had a rough time in the depression but they made it to Oregon and worked in the fields and picking fruit.
I am so glad that in this day and age we have better brakes, what a dangerous job for a child but it still had to be done. The kids did so much more in those days then they do now. At least they had something to do except say "how much further?" "are we there yet", they did not want to stop because that meant they had to jump out and set their rocks....
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