Courtesy of the State Historical Society of Iowa, Siedler, Julie, "Main Street Life," The Goldfinch, Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 11-12, 1997
Description
In a writing contest in 1976, Iowans remember main street life in the early 1900s when main street was the economic and social center of most Iowa towns. The quotes and descriptions describe how main street looked, sounded and smelled in times long ago.
Transcript of "Main Street Life" Essay from The Goldfinch
Source-Dependent Questions
- What people did do to deal with challenging weather conditions on main street long ago? Use evidence from the text in your answer.
- How might the sights, smells and sounds of main street different today than long ago as described by the Iowans in this article?