Jimmy Carter was born in Plains, Georgia, on October 1, 1924. His mother was a nurse, and he was actually born in the local hospital - which was unusual at the time. Around age four, the family purchased a house and land in nearby Archery and started a farming life. Two sisters and a brother followed Jimmy, and those of us who were cognizant of his time as president likely recall his 'colorful' brother, Billy.
The farm is part of the National Parks now, and you can tour it, the farmhouse, the commissary, and another house on the property. So we did! Happily, though it was gray and breezy, the rain generally held off.
Being raised on a farm in a primarily African-American community is significant in understanding the person (and President) he became. He, also, had a mother who continued her nursing profession throughout his childhood. And Christianity, specifically rural Southern Baptist, permeates his life - both then and now.
the yard, both front and back, is thick, white sand! i've seen dirt yards before, but never a beach! apparently, both help keep snakes and vermin away from your house. guess you can see them coming, at least. and build sand castles.
they were the second owners of the house (but not the last owners, who sold the property to the NPS). for a house in the middle of a very rural land in the 1920's, i was mightily impressed! kind of a large shotgun house, with a central hall that stretched from front door to back, with rooms on either side - bedrooms on the east; family spaces on the west. the furnishings are not from the Carters' life but are representative of the time.
note the metal bucket hanging over the shower. it has holes in the bottom of it! the pipe would release well water (by the time they had an indoor toilet, they had a windmill to do the pumping) into the bucket, and
voila'!, your (cold) shower! they were mostly enamored of the flush toilet, i'd think; however, on a hot summer's day, a cold shower is a great thing, too.
Jimmy had the back bedroom.
there were a few plantings just for looks, but most everything else was planted for use or consumption!
(you can see the windmill in the background.)
seems to me a surprising avocation on a farm.
apparently, Jimmy Carter's father built it almost immediately
after they moved into the farmhouse.
wonder where he learned how to play?
since there were no banks to speak of, 'commissaries' often evolved on farms - for profit (perhaps), and also for a way to trade or buy things that weren't made or grown on the farm.
outside (above) & inside (below)
the Carter Commissary
heading back into Plains
to tour the school & museum.
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| in step with their mother :) |
for grades one through eleven (there was no kindergarten nor twelfth grade), the children (white, that is) attended school in one building in Plains. now it is a museum for Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. three years behind Jimmy, and friends with his sister Ruth, Rosalynn is, also, from Plains and attended the same school.
a real chalkboard...and the device that enables you to make parallel lines on the board.
possibly for handwriting practice??? how quaint.
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| Mike in the classroom. |
Plains High School auditorium.
so, speaking of Rosalynn (pronounced like the flower, by the way!), she of Plains....this was her childhood home (below). when she was born, neighbors came over to see the new baby and brought their unimpressed three-year old, Jimmy. Rosalynn grew up attending the Methodist church in town but did know of Jimmy through her school friend Ruth Carter. The story goes that, when Jimmy enlisted in the Navy and Rosalynn saw a photograph of him in his white uniform, she became quite enamored. On leave, and having a date cancel at the last minute, Ruth convinced her brother to take Rosalynn, instead. They went to see a movie at the Rylander Theater in nearby Americus, Georgia.
he had to ask her twice,
but Rosalynn did eventually agree to marry him.
they wed in her home church in Plains
and moved to Virginia and, then, Hawaii
(Jimmy Carter worked on submarines)
during the first eight years of their marriage.
three sons later,
Jimmy Carter's father died,
and the family returned to Plains.
he farmed for awhile,
then decided to attempt a political life....
