Walt Aldrich, Kiowa, when interviewed by Verda Diel, gave this report of his
  life's history.
     He has lived in Kansas 83 years. He was born on a farm between Cheney and
  Colwich, Kansas in 1896. His father was of German descent. His mother's maiden
  name was Jonker.
     In 1905 he moved to a farm southwest of Hazelton with his parents, a sister,
  Ida (Thayer), his mother's two sisters and two brothers. They moved with 4 
  covered wagons drawn by horses. They stayed overnight in Attica. He has 240
  acres of land now. His father bought 160 acres and he added the 80 acres. Dean
  Alexander farms it.
     Most of his farming was done with a moldboard plow and a 12-foot push binder.
  Most of the labor was done by hand and long hours of hard work. He took most of
  his wheat in harvest time to the Annes elevator located 4 miles southeast of the
  farm. He would take 2 loads a day with a wagon and team. He would manage to be
  home by dinner.
     He remembered some of his neighbors bing Arthur Willims, Argus Elgin, Ed Hyatt,
  and Althoffs. Mr. and Mrs. Althoff couldn't speak any English, but their 3 sons
  could. Ed Hyatt had a brother, Chas., who was in the Hazelton Post Office He recalled
  one neighbor having 4 or 5 boys who herded their milk cows on the road side.
     They always had big gardens, made their bread, and butchered their homeraised
  meats. They 'salted' the meat down and stored it in the cellar. There wasn't much
  need to go to town, but they did like to go to Hazelton on Saturday night. They
  didn't spray their gardens or fruit trees, but did have to pick potato bugs from
  their plants.
     He remembers hazelton when it was much larger than now. He said taht A.M. Betty
  Store was a big store. It sold everything - not just groceries. He bought shoes
  there for $1.50 and overalls for $1.00.
     He said that John Emmele had a garage in Hazelton but never owned a car. Hazelton
  had 2 banks, Skaggs and Cavanaugh.
     When asked what the cheapest and highest price that he received for his wheat, he 
  said "Well, I got as low as 18 cents or 20 cents and as high as $5.00.
     He attended high school in Hazelton and lived on the farm until ten years ago when
  he bought the Thorburg house and moved to Kiowa.
     Mr. Aldrich spends most every day, weather permitting, sitting on the bench in
  front fo the R&R Drug Store in Kiowa.
    
               
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 83