Madeline (Giles) DeJournett is the Advance writer for the North Stoddard Countian. A retired high school English/history teacher, she spent 32 years teaching in 5 schools in Missouri and Alaska. These days, she lives quietly with a menagerie of wild and domestic animals on 52 secluded acres in the remote Tillman hills south of Advance. She graduated from Dexter High School in 1960 and Southeast Missouri State in 1964. She can be contacted at advancensc@sbcglobal.net.

Seen on the road

Posted Tuesday, February 28, 2012, at 6:34 AM

This old Nash was seen near Hayti.

Driving through Missouri

I love to drive around the state, snapping photos, whenever I see something that piques my curiosity.

Traveling down to Hayti to visit my friend's brother in the Pemiscot Hospital, we saw this 1940 Nash with an Oldsmobile motor. My friend is somewhat of an amateur car historian, so we spend a fair amount of time, looking at these old dinosaurs...

My dad had a beautiful sky blue Nash Rambler, when we lived in Dexter during the fifties. We kids thought it was wonderful, since the back seat could lie flat. Not many cars had that feature back then.

I wonder what gas cost in 1940? Mmm..As I wave my Google wand, I can look back and see!! In 1940, the following prices applied:

Car: $800

Gasoline: 18 cents/gal

House: $6,550

Bread: 8 cents/loaf

Milk: 34 cents/gal

Postage Stamp: 3 cents

Stock Market: 131

Average Annual Salary: $1,900

Minimum Wage: 30 cents per hour

Now, as we hover on the edge of $5.00 a gallon gas, we might well sing "Oh, for the Good ole Days"!!!

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I enjoy seeing all the cars I remember from 70 plus years ago. I grew up driving my dads 41 Chevy 2 door sedan with auto shift. My personal car was a 48 Olds convertible, I suppose still on the shoulder of highway 77 between Ardmore Ok and Dallas Tx with a blown motor. Engine rod came through the block resting near the fender.

Oh for the good old days.

-- Posted by Dexterite1 on Wed, Feb 29, 2012, at 5:55 AM
Rick, good question, back then I never knew a Bonnie.

-- Posted by Dexterite1 on Wed, Feb 29, 2012, at 12:40 PM
My family drove a 1941 Oldsmobile for years. It's the first car I remember. We still had it when we came to Dexter in the fifties. Of course, it was black, as all the cars were during WWII.

-- Posted by goat lady on Thu, Mar 1, 2012, at 7:34 AM
I betcha there's not a bit of fiber glass or plastic on that body! My first car was a '67 Chevy Impala I bought for 100 bucks in '78! Look'n back, those were the good ole days for a 20 year old going to Bible college, single and fancy free!

-- Posted by swift on Fri, Mar 2, 2012, at 3:31 PM

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