Federal Writers' Project – Life Histories/2020/Summer II/Section 06/J.D. Washburn

Overview
J.D. Washburn (June 29, 1893-July 18, 1975) was an American miner, ex-soldier, and owner of a tire business. He was interviewed by Douglas Carter in 1939.

Family and Personal Life
J.D. Washburn was born on June 29, 1893, in a rural county of Asheville, North Carolina in which he was the first of four children in his household. His ancestors were from England and they immigrated to Scotland in the early 18th century. They were farmers and they carried their farming traditions with J.D. His early life revolved around farming.

School and Job Seeking
He attended a country school for high school and went to a denominational college afterwards. He soon dropped out and went to Colorado “to seek his fortune” after hearing opportunities in the Western United States. There he tried many things to make a living for himself including mining, ranching, and clerking. For 10 years, he moved to several different places to decide what was best for him. On July 5, 1918, as he was deciding that he wanted to mine as a career, he was drafted into the military during World War 1.

Military Career
On July 5, 1918, Washburn was drafted into the U.S. military under the Selective Service Act. He was first sent to Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, working in the medical unit. He was then transferred to Camp McClellan, Anniston, Alabama, at a hospital. The hospital he was working at was a 1,200-bed hospital, however, due to the 1918 Spanish Influenza pandemic, more soldiers were being sent to the hospital from those illnesses. Coming from a rural background, disease was rare to Washburn, so experiencing the pandemic was an unusual-new experience. Fortunately, Washburn did not get the Spanish flu, but watching many people die and his constant hard work was stressful for him. After three months at the hospital, him and his unit were sent to New York, and were then taken to France. In an interview with Douglas Carter, he described the environment in France as “tough” where they were sleeping on the ground because there were no camp beds to sleep on.

Job Exploring
On July 26, 1919, he received his honorable discharge at Camp Lee, Virginia, and was able to go back home. After returning, he wanted to go straight to work and start a business. He couldn’t find anything around, and instead went to the Midwest to find opportunities. In Kansas, he made money by shucking corn and earned $5 a day. He moved to Akron, Ohio, and got a job at the rubber plants. At the rubber plants, he learned about the tire business and was interested in starting one. At the night classes at the plant, he met a man named Myers, who wanted to start a business as well. After talking for quite some time, they decided to go in partnership.

Tire Business
In the 1920s, Henry Ford invented the assembly line, a new technology that increased production of the automobile. This invention caused a mass increase in automobiles which caused many spin-off industries to blossom. This included the rubber and tire industries. Washburn and Myers became interested in this opportunity as the tire industry was flourishing. After agreeing on the partnership, he went back home to find where his tire-repair business should be located and found a place in Stroup Street, Asheville, North Carolina, in 1921. The business didn’t start strong, and Myers left and decided to sell out. Washburn’s father endorsed a note to him and took over the business. After 17 years, Washburn has had a successful business. He had 5 employees working for him and was able to support himself and family with the money he had earned.

Family Life and Death
In 1923, he married and had three children with his wife. With his family, he lived in a bungalow. For recreation, Don enjoyed bowling in the winter and fishing in the summer. Don Washburn died on July 18, 1975, in Asheville, Buncombe, North Carolina.

1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic
The 1918 Spanish Flu was a deadly pandemic that occurred between 1918 and 1920. The flu infected around 500 million worldwide and killed around 40 million people. The Spanish flu did not have a clear origin. According to the CDC, people younger than 5 years old, 20-40 years old, and elders had the highest risk of dying. There were no medications and vaccines to kill the virus, as society had to use isolation, quarantine, and other limitations to prevent viral spread. Because of increased travel with military troops during World War 1, the virus was able to spread overseas and to other countries and regions around the world. According to Carol Byerly, the flu infected 20% to 40% of the U.S. military and Navy. Because many hospital beds and space were needed for the abundant number of patients, many public buildings were turned into hospitals. As a result, this had a troubling effect on the outcome of the war, and most of the troops died due to disease rather than combat.

World War 1
World War 1 was a global war that lasted from 1914 to 1918. The main event that started the war was the Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassination on June 28, 1914. The two sides in the war were the Allied Powers and Central Powers. The war introduced new and dangerous weapons including poison gas, airplanes, tanks, and submarines. At the end, the war had killed more than 9 million soldiers and 5 million civilians. It costed $186 billion in direct costs and $151 billion in indirect costs which left many European countries’ economies in ruins. The war contributed to the spread of the Spanish flu as the travel of troops between countries and overseas increased. The war also contributed to many other conflicts like World War 2, due to the many weaknesses of the Treaty of Versailles.

Growth of the Automobile
The automobile industry grew following the years after World War 1. Henry Ford perfected the assembly line in 1913, and several years later, the mass production of automobiles started. The assembly line increased productivity, and thus, caused the price to be cut by a quarter from the previous decade. The automobile industry also caused many spin-off industries to blossom. This included the rubber industry, road construction, and highways. This new technology changed the social life of people. Since transportation was more available, families could go on vacation to farther places, teenagers could go shopping to more stores, and overall, people had more freedom to do what they wanted in life.