The Influence of Mid-20th Century American Politics

Women in Industry: Changes on the Home Front

Polly Crow

Introduction

Polly Crow’s husband, William, was drafted in the fall of 1943. When he was shipped to Europe in the summer of 1944, Polly and their son William moved to Louisville, Kentucky to be near her mother. During her time in Louisville, Polly took a number of war related jobs, and her workplace experiences made up much of her correspondence to her husband. Her letters reveal the challenges of balancing motherhood and labor, her pride in taking on new responsibilities and earning a living, and her suspicion about the nature of American business during war time.

Excerpt

Louisville, June 12, 1944

Darlin’

You are now the husband of a career woman – just call me your little Ship Yard Babe! Yeh! I made up my mind that I wanted to work from 4:00p.m.‘till midnight so’s I could have my cake and eat it too. I wanted to work but didn't want to leave Bill all day-in the first place it would be too much for Mother altho' she was perfectly willing and then Bill needs me. This way Mother will just have to feed him once and tuck him in which is no trouble at all any more as I just put him in bed and let him play quietly until he's ready to go to sleep and he drops right off. ... I finally ended up with just what I wanted. Comptometer [calculator} job---4:00 'till mid nite--70 cents an hour to start which amounts to $36.40 a week, $145.60 per month, increase in two months if I'm any good and I know I will be. Oh yeh! At Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Co. I'll have to go over to Jeffersonville, Ind. which will take about 45 minutes each way. Hope I can get a ride home each nite as that's the only feature I dislike but I'm not gonna be a sissy. If I can't get a ride, I'll get tags for our buggy and probably use it. . . . If I don "t need it for work I may not get them but will just have to see how things work out. Want to take Bill out swimming a lot this summer so I may need it for that. . . .

Opened my little checking account too and it's a grand and a glorious feeling to write a check all your own and not have to ask for one. Any hoo, I don't want it said I charged things to 'em and didn't pay it so we don't owe anybody anything and I'm gonna start sockin' it in the savings and checking too so's we'll have something when our sweet little Daddy comes home.

Good nite, Darlin'

I love you,

Polly

Louisville, June 13, 1944

Darlin':

Just got home from work at 12:30 a.m. Got a ride both ways with one of the girls in the office who lives about ten blocks from here-certainly am glad 'cause I didn't go for the idea of coming home alone. Like my job fine and it was great fun to get going on a comptometer again. I'm figuring the pay checks as everyone with Jefferson Boat is paid by the hour so that makes plenty of work. I haven't sat in one position and an erect one at that for so long that it was rather hard to do so I made several trips to the water fountain mainly for the exercise. We have 30 minutes for lunch at 7:15 and go across the park to a little cafe which slings out pretty good hash. At about 9:30 we all give the boss, Mr. Toby, a nickel and he goes and gets all a good old ice cold coke which is most refreshing. Haven't counted the office force but there must be about 20 of us in the nite shift. They seemed very generous with my work last nite and couldn't get over the most legible figures I made. They must be used to sloppy jobs or something. I turned over as much work as the other girls and didn’t make one single error which they couldn't get over.... Will write you before I go to work each day so's I can tuck me in just as soon as I get home so I get plenty of good old shut eye.

I dreamed this morning that you'd come home on furlough but had to return shortly 'n you were in civilian clothes and had received 4 of ten boxes we'd sent you. I was so glad to see you I almost popped, then I woke up.

Shucks.

Good nite, Darlin'

I love you terribly,

Polly

Louisville, Nov. 6, 1944

Darlin':

. . . Have an appointment to take the car in Thursday morning to get it simonized. Have to have it in by 10:00 a.m. and it will be ready about 5:00 p.m. so I'll have to pick it up as I don't want to leave it there overnite. The strip of rubber padding came off the right door so I want to get that fixed also. Will cost about $7.00 but I figured I'd better get it done to protect the finish as it hasn't been done since you left. About time, wouldn't you say? Had 6 qts. of anti-freeze put in it yesterday and it's a good thing I did as it was 26 degrees at 7:00a.m. and everyone will probably make a mad rush for it now. Have used all my gas coupons now up to Dec. 21st and cain't figure how I did it as I've never run short before. I guess the leak must have lost a lot before I discovered it….That's where my money goes! But I want to take good care of the buggie. . . After the simonize job, I shouldn't have to spend any more on it for a while any hoo. 'Tiz worth every penny to have it ready whenever we want to go.

"Tiz time to go."

Good nite, Darlin'.

I love you,

Polly

Louisville, March 17, 1945

Darlin':

…The more I see of war plants the more I believe that they're dragging this damn war out as long as possible on purpose, and no one will even make me believe that politics hasn't everything to do with the finishing or rather the prolonging of it. Jefferson Boat was bad enough I thought when it came to wasting materials and man hours as they had so many men in the yards they'd practically fall all over one another doing nothing as there was such a great surplus of help but out here it seems as tho' they have so much money they don't know what to do with it and are just throwing it away. They'll spend two weeks putting in water fountains, cooling systems or such and when they're completed they'll decide that isn't what they want and spend another two weeks taking them out, then start all over again. They build a building then decide it isn't what they want and knock out a wall here, one there or even tear it completely down. Hell, if they'd make up their feeble minds in the first place and know what they need and want before they start it blindly they'd save millions of dollars and man hours and get this thing over with-if this is supposed to be the hottest job now the way they are going at it certainly won't help you all much-better stop as I'm feeling so hot I might burn up the paper if I continue.

I love you terribly, Darlin',

Polly

Louisville, April 3, 1945

Darlin':

. . . The boss called us all together yesterday afternoon and said when the news of victory came the plant would shut for the rest of the day but if the news came at nite we were to report the next morning as usual. He went on to explain that this plant is making a product which is ... used or to be used in the Pacific and will continue in full force after the European victory. Everyone is expecting the exciting news any minute but I'm beginning to believe it is already over and they just aren't releasing the news yet for fear everyone will go wild with celebrating. I’m not gettin' enthused tho' until I know for true that the word is official.

Gotta go to work.

I love you terribly, Darlin’,

Polly

Source: Judy Barrett Litoff and David C. Smith, eds., Since You Went Away: World War II Letters from American Women on the Home Front (Lawrence: University of Kansas Press, 1995).