91-year-old farmer recalls 1936 drought

WAWAKA, Ind. (WANE)--Brown grass, no fireworks, and dried up crops have made the 2012 drought one to remember.  But for a 91-year-old Noble County farmer, it's not the worst drought in his lifetime.

Tom Franks grew up on a farm just outside of Wawaka in Noble County.  The conditions outside his house Tuesday remind him of when he was 15-years-old in 1936.  Franks, 91, said if his memory serves him right, the drought of ’36 was worse than the drought of 2012.

NewsChannel 15 scoured newspaper articles from 1936 on microfilm Tuesday and discovered several articles in the News Sentinel about the drought and severe heat the summer of 1936.  A July 1, 1936 headline was titled “Drought, Excess Sunshine Features of June Weather.”

“I've got some pictures taken of the Kendallville Fair in '36.  And if I'm not mistaken, the drought was broken during the fair,” Franks said.

In 1988, another historic drought hit the Fort Wayne area.  But Franks thinks the drought in 2012 is worse because of a large rainstorm in July of 1988.

“If I'm not mistaken that year we got a rain just about in time to produce some corn,” Franks said.

The long-time farmer has seen some severe crop conditions in his years, but thinks in the end, the 2012 drought may take the cake for the worst one in his long life.

“If this continues a few more days it wouldn't be any different,” Franks said.

In 1934, the Fort Wayne area received 11.67 inches of rain between January and June.  In 1988, it received 12.09 inches during those months.  But in 2012, it received 11.01 inches between January and June.  That means so far in 2012, it’s been the driest year ever recorded.