My father was a farmer in Iowa. The banker had several farms, so we lived on one of them. Our outhouse was built at one end of the chicken house. First time some of us went to the outhouse, we felt what we thought was splinters. It happened every time, so one day mom decided to smooth the boards of the seat. That’s when she found that our splinters were really chicken lice that came from the chicken house! So daddy had to build another one several feet from the old one. We were so happy about not getting bitten.
Alice Mayfield
Mesa, Arizona
Back in 1955 a call went out from the editors of the then Capper’s Weekly asking for readers to send in articles on true pioneers. Hundreds of letters came pouring in from early settlers and their children, many now in their 80s and 90s, and from grandchildren of settlers, all with tales to tell. So many articles were received that a decision was made to create a book, and in 1956, the first My Folks title – My Folks Came in a Covered Wagon – hit the shelves. Nine other books have since been published in the My Folks series, all filled to the brim with true tales from Capper’s readers, and we are proud to make those stories available to our growing online community.