Agathos Dorea

8 Feb, 1936

Last night was one of the worst nights I have seen in this country in many years, a terrific gale of blowing snow and 15 below zero. We moved our bed out into the dining room beside the stove, the first time we ever did that. The horses in the N. pasture seem to be alright today, although we have no barns for them anymore.

~Diary Entry of Nebraska Farmer, Don Hartwell

Hartwell’s family came to Nebraska in 1880 although, according to author Timothy Egan in his book, The Worst Hard Time, no one in the family could remember why. With each successive generation, life continued to present greater and greater challenges for the Hartwell’s–until in 1934, the bank in Inavale, Nebraska failed taking everything Don Hartwell had. In what would be the last chapter in a long line of pain, Hartwell recorded his thoughts in a diary as a way of discouraging anyone from ever following in his footsteps.

Note: Earlier entries of Inavale were posted in August and September of 2007:

http://agathosdorea.com/2007/09/04/inavale-ne/

http://agathosdorea.com/2007/09/06/terrible-days-2/