Grandpa David D. Fast (1884-1974) #112786 was
proud of being a self-taught man and was an
avid reader. Even though he only
completed eighth grade, he believed that education and knowledge mattered
greatly. According to my dad Harold, about 1950 he counted the periodicals to
which he subscribed for a total of seventeen. My dad and his siblings could still
remember fourteen of them, which are described below. (The cover pictures below
are just examples that I found on the internet.)
Because we live in an era of dying print
newspapers and magazines, it is hard to imagine how important they were to a
ranching family in the Oklahoma Panhandle. In 1950, the average household
subscribed to 2.3 daily and weekly newspapers, and this doesn’t include
magazines. In comparison, the Fasts subscribed to 8 newspapers! But in 2020 only
39% of households subscribe to a newspaper. Even medium-sized cities had
morning and evening newspapers, and many people subscribed to both. Every small
town had its own paper, sometimes several. Newspapers and magazines brought the
latest information and entertainment to the remotest ranch or farm on the
prairie.
Periodicals were a social and family event as
well. Families listened with rapt attention while Father read the latest news
aloud, shared a humorous joke, or groused about the cattle prices in Kansas
City. Or as Mother informed them of the latest “doings” of the neighbors that
were detailed in the local columns sent in by township correspondents. Newspaper
and magazine salesmen traveled the prairies and aggressively sold their
products to every household. If a family could not pay cash for a subscription,
they were willing to trade for old batteries, radiators, chickens, anything
that could be sold for cash. Print media were the lifeblood of the nation.
The next series of posts will describe each periodical.
