An Oral History with the Burdick Family, September 24, 1980

This oral history features members of the Burdick family-Zella Burdick, Shirley Burdick Baker, Gertrude Peacock, and Guyia Burdick Rowley-who discuss their experiences living in Valley City, Utah, from 1919 to 1935. The family, led by Moses L. and Hugh Burdick, initially settled in Valley City to establish a Hereford cattle ranch, drawn by the lush feed and a large reservoir for irrigation. They recount the early days, including the birth of children, the role of Zella's mother as a midwife, and the eventual failure of the dam which led to a severe drought and their departure in 1935-1936. The interview also delves into details about the one-room schoolhouse, the teachers (including Sylvia Harris Ekker), and the social life, which involved homemade entertainment, ghost stories about their "haunted" two-story house, and interactions with freight teams, tramps, and gypsies. The family shares vivid memories of daily chores like milking cows, innovative laundry methods using rainwater, hauling drinking water, and the impact of the 1918-1919 flu epidemic.