During America’s Great Depression,

       millions struggled to survive.

          Some sold apples on street corners,

           Some lived on government relief,

           Some became migrant laborers,

                  and some dug for gold . . .

As seen on

         Oregon Public Broadcasting

 “Short film on mining glitters…”

      “There is something about gold mining

           that brings out the whimsy in filmmakers.

         Or perhaps the whimsy’s just in the subject,

           as the gold sometimes is…”

                               -- Ted Mahar, The Oregonian

         UNDERMINING

THE GREAT DEPRESSION:

       Backyard Gold

in Jacksonville, Oregon

(DVD, 25 minutes, color, documentary)

This film made possible by a grant from the

 Youthgrants in the Humanities Program of the

 National Endowment for the Humanities, a Federal

agency established by Congress to promote research,

education, and public activity in the humanities.

Undermining the Great Depression presents an oral

history of a small town’s unique means of survival

during the Great Depression – backyard gold mining.

Five Jacksonville, Oregon “old-timers” tell anecdotes

recalling their community’s spirit and interaction during

the “hungry thirties,” when jobless townspeople mined

for gold in backyards and beneath houses and city streets.

Featuring interviews, historic still photos, and location

cinematography, the film fondly recalls a unique lifestyle

and a strong community spirit during hard times.

   A Film by Jim Likowski & Bonnie Thompson

     Dulcimer Music by David James Duncan

         DVD, 25 minutes, color, documentary

     c 1980 Rainlight Films. All rights reserved.

        Unauthorized duplication is a violation

                                         of applicable laws.

                     www.rainlightfilms.com