10 Old Photographs Showing What Idaho Looked Like In The 1930S

It’s crazy to think just how much life has changed during the past decade with emerging technology and new ways of living. It’s even more bizarre to think about the differences between the present and the early 20th century. Idaho is a constantly changing state, and these ten old photographs are a real look at just how much has changed. All of these photos were taken during the 1930s and they give us an interesting glimpse into what life was really like back then.

A large family living in Oneida, Idaho poses for a photograph. They likely worked from sunrise to sundown to feed that many mouths.

Arthur Rothstein/LC-USF34-004458

Semi-trucks were definitely not a thing back then, but Idahoans made do. A couple of workers pack crates of peas onto this truck at a pea picking camp in Nampa.

Russell Lee/LC-USF33-013050

It’s hard to imagine a life without cell phones, or simply just phones that had only one function—calling. In this photo a man, Earl Cazier, receives a call in Fremont County.

Wilbur Staats/LC-USF34-014346

Life sure seemed a lot simpler back then. Kids were often always found playing outside. A couple of children “check the mail” near their rural home in Fruitland.

Dorothea Lange/LC-USF34-021470

Kitchens sure didn’t have as many nifty contraptions as they do today, especially since many Idahoans lived in one room cabins like this one. This photograph was taken in the Priest River Valley in Bonner County.

Dorothea Lange/LC-USF34-021667

This photo was also taken in the Priest River Valley and is a good example of the quaint furniture that filled these little cabins. Present-day radios sure look a lot different than that big ol’ thing in the corner!

Dorothea Lange/LC-DIG-fsa-8b35505

It was typical to see log houses like this one in the rural parts of Idaho. This photo of a woman, Mrs. Halley, and her young child was taken in Bonner.

Dorothea Lange/LC-USF34-021790

Wow, the city of Twin Falls sure does look a lot different now. During the 1930s and 1940s, Twin Falls was considered a major agricultural distributing center for its extremely fertile soil.

Russell Lee/LC-USF34-038938

You don’t often see cars like these anymore. And we sure don’t have a need for a telegraph office anymore. This photo was taken on a main street in Twin Falls.

Russell Lee/LC-USF34-039004

This photo of children reading in their schoolroom was taken somewhere in Caldwell, Idaho. Without the use of things like computers and tablets, children had one thing to rely on—books. What a time.

Russell Lee/LC-USF34-039104

It’s always interesting to look back at just how much ways of living has changed. What about these photos strike you as being most different? If you enjoyed looking at these pictures, take a look at these 20 Old Photographs Taken In Idaho!