In the 1930s, down-on-their-luck families sometimes lodged in county poor farms. Herschel and Hilda McKnight ran the Charles Mix County Home for the Poor in those years. It was housed in a four-story building that was once the Ward Academy in Academy, S.D., south of Mitchell. Before her death, Hilda told of her experiences to Marian Cramer, a Bryant farmwife and teacher who has written several articles for South Dakota Magazine.
Several times through the years, we’ve related Hilda’s story of a 14-year-old girl’s Christmas at the Home for the Poor. Here’s an abbreviated version.
Hilda said she always remembered the day that Carol arrived with her mother. “It was never easy to welcome people to a poor house. Herschel moved quickly to the door and opened it. He had a special way of putting people at ease.”
The McKnights strived to provide clothing so the kids wouldn’t look out-of-place at school. The mothers and two WPA seamstresses sewed and repaired donated clothing. Carol befriended the McKnights and offered to help in the laundry and sewing room as well. But one day in the fall she told Hilda, “I know how hard you and Mr. Mac worked to get us nice clothes. It really doesn’t matter, I guess. I have this lovely skirt and they still call us ‘poor house kids’ at school.”
Hilda gave Carol a hug, and to hide her tears she fussed with a missionary barrel that had just been delivered from a church in the East. “Let’s see what treasures we can find,” she said. Together, they laughed as they pulled out wool pants with the seat worn thin, a pair of long underwear with holes in the knees and elbows, and other useless things. But way at the bottom, Carol pulled out a chiffon scarf. Though threadbare, it seemed lovely to her eyes.
“Would you like to keep it?” asked Hilda. Carol’s answer was to hold it closely and nod. The scarf was her doorway to dreams. She would sit on her bed and finger the soft chiffon. She was not in the Charles Mix County Home for the Poor. She was far away. She always neatly folded her scarf and put it away.
The holidays came in 1933 despite the dust. Hilda and the women baked cookies and decorated the poor house with paper chains. The county allowed one clothing gift for each resident, so the McKnights shopped carefully to make it worthwhile.
A few days before Christmas, Carol tapped on the McKnights’ door. “You have been so busy for all of us, but you won’t have any Christmas presents, any Christmas,” she said.
Hilda assured the girl that they would celebrate Christmas together as one big family. “You are all our family, Carol. We are happy.”
On Christmas morning, Carol hesitantly returned to the McKnights’ room. First, she approached Herschel. “I don’t have a present for you,” she said. “Just a hug.” Herschel was a big man, and he enfolded the slim girl in his arms.
Then Carol said, “Mrs. Mac, I have something for you.” She handed Hilda a box wrapped in paper, and watched like a hawk as she untied the string. Beneath the crackling paper was the girl’s chiffon scarf.
Hilda fought back tears as she fingered its softness.
“It’s all I have, Mrs. Mac,” Carol said.
Hilda told our writer that she treasured it forever: “The frayed chiffon scarf is forever my symbol of Christmas and a true gift of love.”
-
Weather
Failure notice from provider:
Connection Error:http_request_failedUpcoming Events
December 2023 SSunday MMonday TTuesday WWednesday TThursday FFriday SSaturday 26November 26, 2023 27November 27, 2023 28November 28, 2023 29November 29, 2023 30November 30, 2023 1December 1, 2023 2December 2, 2023 3December 3, 2023 4December 4, 2023 5December 5, 2023 6December 6, 2023 7December 7, 2023 8December 8, 2023 9December 9, 2023 10December 10, 2023 11December 11, 2023 12December 12, 2023 13December 13, 2023 14December 14, 2023 15December 15, 2023 16December 16, 2023 17December 17, 2023 18December 18, 2023 19December 19, 2023 20December 20, 2023 21December 21, 2023 22December 22, 2023 23December 23, 2023 24December 24, 2023 25December 25, 2023 26December 26, 2023 27December 27, 2023 28December 28, 2023 29December 29, 2023 30December 30, 2023 31December 31, 2023 1January 1, 2024 2January 2, 2024 3January 3, 2024 4January 4, 2024 5January 5, 2024 6January 6, 2024 -
Recent Posts
Contact Us
Archives
Tweet