Speaking to the Future:
Cora Deane Younger
Cora Deane Younger’s grandparents, Edgar and Victoria Hiatt, came to Colorado from Iowa in 1874, they left Iowa in May and got to Colorado Springs, Colorado, in August. From there they went to Golden, Colorado, where Mrs. Younger’s father was born. Later they came to Elbert, Colorado, and homesteaded. Edgar Hiatt was killed in a hay wagon accident in 1898, and Victoria Hiatt built the house in which Mrs. Younger was born in 1900. Mrs. Younger’s parents were Elbert R. And Merle Hiatt, they settled near Eastonville, Colorado, and raised cattle on a 2,400 acre ranch.
The tape details Mrs. Younger’s life in Cherry Valley. The family would go into Eastonville, Colorado, for supplies, and to bring their milk to the creamery. Mrs. Killen worked in the store in Eastonville, Higby’s owned the store. The whole family lived together, Grandmother, Father and Mother. The house had three bedrooms, a pantry and a kitchen. Mrs. Younger’s father built on an extra room so that her mother could have her own kitchen and living room.
Mrs. Younger discusses daily life on the ranch; canning; the ice house; the milk house; the meat house; preserving meat; the celebration of Christmas; laundry day, and other daily chores. She also talks about school, her teacher Miss. Guard boarded with Mrs. Younger’s Aunt. Mrs. Younger went to high school in Eastonville. She goes on to talk about local social life. The neighbors included the Geigers, Greys, Browns, and Timmlers.
Then the discussion moves on to Mrs. Younger’s adult and married life. On dates they went to parties and barn dances (her family didn’t dance), and played spin the platter; when she was older they would go to Colorado Springs for “picture shows.” Mrs. Younger worked until she married Bruce Younger in 1926. Mr. Younger was Assistant Assessor for El Paso County at the time. Mrs. Younger mentions her children, buying land in 1928, the Castlewood Canyon Dam breaking, and soil conservation.