"The Dust Bowl" by Ken Burns

[RcT]

I just finished the PBS two-part program on the Dust Bowl, by Ken Burns... I had no idea the magnitude of this man-made ecological disaster. When the migration westward had started, these cars had seen 80 or so dust storms a year; new deseases like "dust Pneumonia" killed thousands of people.

A few model A Fords were shown, along with many other vehicles, most, probably, with no air filters and I thought that these cars survived along with the hardy souls, and how many of them ended up in California and how many restored Model A's are still rolling around in all parts of California.

It all says quite a bit as to Henry's design.

If you missed this four hours of quality TV, try to find it and watch it.

Richard

[WTSHNN]

If you haven't ever read "The Grapes of Wrath" you need to.
-Tim

[Fred K-OR]

We watched this program also. Great presentation of what happened back in those times.

They also mentioned that the water used today comes from an underground pool of water that is under a lot of that area. Also mentioned when they found the water it was 100 feet deep. Today it is down to 50 feet. Something to look forward to-grandkids do not move to that area!

[TinCup]

I grew up with stories of the dust bowl. My Dad and his entire family left Oklahoma for California on the back of a 1929 Chevy Flat Bed Truck. They were turned back at the border and had to go back to Arizona for work. At 92 we watched it together and he said it was as real to him as it was back in 34. There was no place that the dirt didn't find. If you tried to drive your car through a storm it would literally choke the car so it couldn't run.

[Chris Haynes]

Ken Burns has a knack for portraying history they way he wants it to look. I have found that his work often ignores facts to promote his beliefs. I first noticed this on his film "Horatio's Drive". Ken portrayed it as the first motor vehicle to cross the United States from coast to coast in 1903. The fact is that event started a few days before Horatio by George Wyman. George crossed the country is less time. And finished 20 days before Horatio. Did I mention the George was doing this feat on a 1902 California single cylinder, belt driven motorcycle?
Since then I have had no faith in the accuracy of anything put forth by Ken Burns.

[700rpm]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Originally Posted by Chris Haynes

Ken Burns has a knack for portraying history they way he wants it to look. I have found that his work often ignores facts to promote his beliefs. I first noticed this on his film "Horatio's Drive". Ken portrayed it as the first motor vehicle to cross the United States from coast to coast in 1903. The fact is that event started a few days before Horatio by George Wyman. George crossed the country is less time. And finished 20 days before Horatio. Did I mention the George was doing this feat on a 1902 California single cylinder, belt driven motorcycle?
Since then I have had no faith in the accuracy of anything put forth by Ken Burns.

The man makes reference to a vehicle instead of a motorcycle and you find his work "often" ignores facts? I have met Ken Burns and find him to be a professional with the highest integrity. If you have documentation that refutes his work, you can contact him and he will make a correction if at all practicable.

By the way, Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson was the first to drive an automobile across the continent, in 1903, as Burns stated and as his film was titled. I think your assessment is a little narrow.

And to stay on topic, "The Dust Bowl" was excellent.

[Chris Haynes]

[QUOTE=700rpm;541944] If you have documentation that refutes his work, you can contact him and he will make a correction if at all practicable.QUOTE]

I did contact him. He admited that he knew in advance about Georges feat. To paraphrase his response he said oh well,,,,
The fact is the date that Horatio was with his friends talking about a cross country trip and he decided to make the trip was actually the same day that George Wyman left on his trek from San Francisco. I believe that Horatio heard about Goroge's attempt and he decided to try to best him. After all a car with a professional driver should be able to make the trip faster than a man on a single cylinder, belt drive motorcycle.

[Ross/Kzoo]

Originally Posted by Chris Haynes

Ken Burns has a knack for portraying history they way he wants it to look. I have found that his work often ignores facts to promote his beliefs. I first noticed this on his film "Horatio's Drive". Ken portrayed it as the first motor vehicle to cross the United States from coast to coast in 1903. The fact is that event started a few days before Horatio by George Wyman. George crossed the country is less time. And finished 20 days before Horatio. Did I mention the George was doing this feat on a 1902 California single cylinder, belt driven motorcycle?
Since then I have had no faith in the accuracy of anything put forth by Ken Burns.

Kind of makes you wonder how history is being rewritten. When we can look recent history and find misrepresentations what about Lincoln, Washington and before?

[John Stone]

A gentleman Floyd Coen was interviewed on the show (he had a patch on one eye). His twin brother, Lloyd Coen, owned a Model A and was a member of the Wichita A's until his death. Did some tours with us even though it is a long way to southwest Kansas. Nice people out there and yes they did put up with a bad time. My grandparents lived on a farm east of Dodge City so it wasn't quite as bad but grandpa still planted tree rows to help stop the erosion.

[Terry, NJ]

Henry Ford said "History is Bunk!"
Terry

Originally Posted by Ross/Kzoo

Kind of makes you wonder how history is being rewritten. When we can look recent history and find misrepresentations what about Lincoln, Washington and before?

[newshirt]

My wife and I occasionally camp in the Comanche National Grasslands in southeastern Colorado. The government bought this land for pennies on the dollar and turned it back into prairielands. Every time we do, I think of those mile-high walls of dust sweeping over the area and the few hearty souls who stuck it out. It's still very desolate there -- sandy soil, poor grass, windy, and hot. Nothing grows but stickers, juniper, and scrub grass. You get a sense of exposure and danger when out deep in the grasslands beyond civilization.

[Rowdy]

I watched the series. I would much rather hear accounts of all of this from my Grandparents though. Although not as severe here as in Ks. or Ok. it was still a major part of their daily lives in this part of Ne. Some parts of the Sandhills have never recovered. It was the end of my Great Grandpa trying to raise dry land corn in McPherson county. The East pasure of his ranch still bears scars from this time period. Rod

[Terry, NJ]

I agree! But he makes a memorable show! But who doesn't use artistic license?
Terry

Originally Posted by Chris Haynes

Ken Burns has a knack for portraying history they way he wants it to look. I have found that his work often ignores facts to promote his beliefs. I first noticed this on his film "Horatio's Drive". Ken portrayed it as the first motor vehicle to cross the United States from coast to coast in 1903. The fact is that event started a few days before Horatio by George Wyman. George crossed the country is less time. And finished 20 days before Horatio. Did I mention the George was doing this feat on a 1902 California single cylinder, belt driven motorcycle?
Since then I have had no faith in the accuracy of anything put forth by Ken Burns.

[Benson]

Originally Posted by Ross/Kzoo

Kind of makes you wonder how history is being rewritten. When we can look recent history and find misrepresentations what about Lincoln, Washington and before?

Kinda like Vietnam and Korea. They rewrote history "right out of the gate" ... so to speak.

"POLICE ACTION" they called it guess the politicians were too ashamed to call it a war ... Or did it have anything to do with funding the damned "police actions"?? ... winky winky

I only saw it from Jan 26th 1968 to Jan 29th 1969.

Sure looked, smelled and felt like a war to me as a 20 year old kid!

For last two they just borrowed from China and called them wars.

[Patrick L.]

History is always being re-written.. After-all, some still think that Columbus discovered America..
As for the dust bowl being caused by man,, I doubt that.. Man didn't have anything to do with the drought,, but,, he did make things worse because of farming techniques.. No one knew any better at that time..

[Rowdy]

Its interesting that we still use those drought records to measure current droughts. From 1998-2004 we were in the worst drought since 1952, then we had afew above average years of moisture. We are currently in the worst drought here since the Dustbowl.

Also the political affects of the dustbowl are still obvious in this area with the 1998 Nebraska Water Conservation Act. Any new wells for irrigation that were installed after 2007 would be taxed at a much higher rate. This spurred a boom in new wells being drilled and more land put into use to raise corn. On the flipside of that any existing wells that were pulled, capped or otherwise made unusable and the land returned to dryland farming or pasture were eligable for some huge tax breaks. I beleive more wells were drilled than were destroyed but I do not know that for certian.

Now to tie this back to Model 's. The original owner of my 29 Deluxe Delivery was definately a finacial victom of the Dustbowl owning a windmill sales and repair business. He packed his belongings and headed to Ca. in 1934. I wish I knew more of the history of the car from 1934-1952. Rod

[Gary/IA]

My folks lost their first born to dust pneumonia, they couldn't keep the dust out of the house no matter what they tried. Also had a wire from the house to the barn to help find their way. They also were invaded by cinch bugs and grasshoppers. Unable to raise any crops, they loaded my older brother and sister and all of their belongings in their Model A and moved.

I doubt that my dad (were he alive would be 123 now) would get much of a kick out of watching this show as it would bring back a lot of painful memories.

[newshirt]

FYI, here are the Colorado national grasslands today.

(I'm the guy in the middle. We're commemorating those Colorado infantrymen who marched from Colorado to Missouri in '63 to fight the secesh. Oddly, a former yankee... I am now sympathetic to secession.)

This is a desolate territory. Even the baby rattlers will bite you. There are miles upon miles of this, all left over from the dust bowl. Just think, this was all under the plow at one time... and then became a windswept hardscrabble. Every once in a while you see an old foundation from the 1930's, and it makes you sad.

[Patrick L.]

(I'm the guy in the middle. We're commemorating those Colorado infantrymen who marched from Colorado to Missouri in '63 to fight the secesh. Oddly, a former yankee... I am now sympathetic to secession.)
end quote

Which secession movement ?? The old or new/present ??

[29ModelA]

I saw the first one, but missed the second