Johnny Cash Farm House No. 266

Johnny Cash moved with his family to a rural community in Mississippi County, Arkansas.[1] The farm house was built in 1934 in a government project to help boost the economy. The Cash family joined the community in March of 1935. Ray and Carrie Cash moved to Arkansas when they took an offer to farm government land for poor and impoverished farmers. The Cash family went through many hard ships while living in the farm house by floods and losing one of their children, Jack Cash. Growing up picking cotton and working on the farm influenced some of Johnny Cash's songs in the future. One of them being "Pickin' Time."

Cash's Farm House
Location Dyess Arkansas
Address 4791 W Cty. Rd. 924, near Dyess, Arkansas
Built 1934
Coordinates 35.597393°N 90.244989°W
Size Less than One Acre

History

Johnny Cash grew up in a community in northern Arkansas known as Dyess Colony. This colony was born in Mississippi county. In 1934 Dyess Colony was created to help boost the economy by Franklin Roosevelt and his administration. The colony was named after William Reynolds Dyess, a Mississippi native, and the first Arkansas WPA administrator. Dyess gave the idea of supplying farms to families in poverty to Harry Hopkins, and then named the first "Colonization Project No 1." 16,000 acres in Mississippi County were given to this project for 500 different families to come farm on. Families started arriving in October 1934. The Cash family settled in March of 1935 on 20 acres. The house given to the Cash family is one of the only ones left standing in the Dyess Colony.[2] The Cash family went through hard times at the farm.  

All families in Dyess colony depended on cotton. None of these families were sharecroppers, though. The idea of one day purchasing these farms from the government was real at this time to all farmers. The government eventually decided to stop funding this organization, but the Cash family stayed there to keep farming.  

J.R. Cash growing up

Johnny Cash[3] was born to Ray, and Carrie Cash on February 26, 1932. J.R was the fourth born of seven kids to the Cash family. J.R was three years old when the family packed up and moved to their new home, Farm No. 266. The Great Depression was a tragedy at this time, but along with the Great Depression came floods and natural disasters. In 1937 the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers flooded.[4] The flood was so bad on the Cash family, they had to evacuate. Everyone but Ray Cash left to go to Kingsland; until it was safe to return. Along with natural disasters and the Great Depression, the Cash family went through a horrific event. On May 20, 1944 Jack Cash passed away. Jack was J.Rs older brother. Jack was 15 years old when he fell into a table saw on the Cashes farm. Jack pulled himself to the side of the barn where he laid until he passed away.  

Incorporating the farm house into his music

Johnny Cash used his experiences at the farm house growing up in many of his songs.[5] One important song that was inspired from the farm house is, "Pickin' Time". 

I got cotton in the bottom land It's up and growin' and I got a good stand My good wife and them kids of mine Gonna get new shoes, come pickin' time

Get new shoes come pickin' time

Ev'ry night when I go to bed I thank the Lord that my kids are fed They live on beans eight days and nine But I get 'em fat come pickin' time Get 'em fat come come pickin' time

Cash went on to write "Hey Potter". This song talks about cash returning from the air force. He was enlisted for four years and was home sick. This song goes over the hardship he experienced.[6]

See also

References
  1. "Dyess | Arkansas.com". www.arkansas.com. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  2. "Encyclopedia of Arkansas". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  3. "Historic Dyess Colony". Historic Dyess Colony. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  4. "Part I: Surviving the Depression in Arkansas | Johnny Cash: Arkansas Icon". ualrexhibits.org. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  5. "Johnny Cash | Biography, Songs, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  6. "The Stories Behind 10 Famous Johnny Cash Songs". www.mentalfloss.com. February 24, 2019. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
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