We stopped briefly in Plains, GA, to visit the Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm, which was owned by Earl Carter, Jimmy's father, from 1928 until 1949. Jimmy Carter, who became the 39th president of the United States, lived here from the age of 4 until he departed for college in 1941. The farm was restored to its appearance before electricity was installed in 1938, and is part of the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site. A stroll along the walking path passes wayside exhibits at various locations with audio stations to listen to Jimmy Carter share stories about his childhood.
Carter remembers the day when the family moved here in 1938. His father had forgotten his house key and had four-year old Jimmy crawl through a window to open the front door. On this 360-acre farm, the Carters raised cotton, peanuts, and corn to sell, and vegetables and livestock for their own use. In 1938, "an almost unbelievable change took place in our lives when electricity came to the farm," he recalls. East of the house is the commissary building where Earl Carter sold seeds and supplies to farmworkers and neighbors.
Farm animals included cows, guinea hens, ducks, geese, and pigs. Jimmy also had pets to take care of such as dogs, Shetland ponies, and occasional calves and pigs for Future Farmer of America projects. Dogs were constant companions as they were used for playmates and also for hunting squirrels, rabbits, coons, possums, and other small game.
(Information from self-guided tour.)
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