Enduring Through Work
Ogden was a railroad town. Rail traffic drove much of its economy, and when national commerce slowed, it was felt quickly. Utah's unemployment rate peaked at over 35% in 1933. Even those who kept their jobs often faced reduced hours or lower wages.
Rail traffic declined. Travel slowed. Local businesses adjusted. Relief efforts became more visible. Weber County oral histories recall layoffs, wood yards where unemployed men cut and hauled fuel for families in need, and fields gleaned for food distribution. The hardship wasn't abstract somewhere else — it was everywhere: national, local, and visible.
In 1929 and 1930, Robbins Radio & Supply Co., Inc. operated at 2602 Washington Avenue, selling wholesale and retail radio supplies. The family was living at 2824 Brinker Avenue during this period.
By 1931, the incorporated radio business no longer appears prominently in city directory listings. Wesley's occupational listing shifts. This timing aligns with the first shock of the Depression. Independent radio ownership did not continue.
In 1931 and 1932, Wesley is listed as Department Manager at Glen Bros Music. The move placed him with an established company rather than an independent venture. Glen Bros Music had similarities with his earlier business — instruments, sheet music, and radios.
Their third child, Renee Vennetta, was born 29 May 1931. By 1932, they had three children under eight years old.
There are few newspaper mentions from these years. No civic titles. No leadership positions. These were years centered on work and children.
The family moved several times during the decade. Frequent moves were not unusual in the 1930s. Income shifted, housing arrangements changed. Addresses include:
Wes continued at Glen Bros Music, alternating between Department Manager and Salesman in city directory listings. Titles shifted, but he remained in retail sales of instruments, pianos, sheet music, and radios. By 1938 and 1939, he was listed as Sales Manager.
Lowell Wesley "Bud," born January 13th, 1925, later wrote about his junior high and high school years:
"Being the oldest in a family of four children I found that if I wanted any extras, I would need dollars. I took my first job with the Salt Lake Telegram and delivered papers after school."
After a year, he switched to the Salt Lake Tribune, a morning route, and continued until his senior year. He described covering "half of Ogden" by bicycle, including the south side of 25th Street — known at the time for bars and prostitution. He recalled no difficulty collecting payments and often receiving generous Christmas bonuses.
Bud's account does not describe deprivation. It does show that extra money required work.
By the mid-1930s, they had moved multiple times. They had four children:
Nationally, New Deal programs and public works gradually stabilized employment. Ogden, as a transportation hub, benefited from federal infrastructure spending. There is no record of the Robbins family relying on relief.
By 1939, as Europe edged toward war, Wes was Sales Manager at Glen Bros Music. The family had remained in one residence for several years. The children were growing. The frequent business changes of the 1920s had settled into steady employment. The years of wider civic leadership were still ahead.