Photo of The Month – Jul 2010
Snow Day
Picture contributor: Phillip White

A rare view of town, taken in 1940 by Hazel Haynes Bridges. It’s rare in that it shows the placement of South Main houses along the river. The village seems insular, huddled unto itself, with its collar turned up to ward off the cold wind.
The Depression still touched most families. Bread winners—and there wasn’t much bread to be won—were on short weeks; the mill stood idle much of the time for lack of contracts. But, from another perspective, it was a high point in Cliffside’s story. During the recent bad years, its people had learned to cling more tightly to each other and the Company had proven itself to be protective and compassionate of its people.
It was a different time. Note that each house had an outdoor toilet. Water was supplied by outside faucets located between every other house. Another decade would pass before many households would own automobiles. Television’s widespread use was a dozen years in the future. Radio was still our principal link to the outside world.