In an age when there was no unemployment insurance, no Social Security, no SSI, no welfare, banks were uninsured, and people often lost everything in bank failures, it's not surprising that some people became obsessively miserly. On the other hand, there are still people like that even now.
@keithweiss7899
Жыл бұрын
My father suffered from the same delusions. He was always frugal, but the last 7 years of his life were crazy! He would lie, cheat, do anything to save a dime! When I told him I wanted to sign him up for a program that delivered 2 meals for $3, he said “I can eat a lot cheaper than that!” In the end the state got most of his money and I got nothing but an empty bank account from paying his bills, and many lost tools and equipment he sold to people for penny’s on the dollar. This is a mental illness.
@Peizxcv
Жыл бұрын
How the state got it and not children? Usually it’s spouse followed by children no?
@hillbilly4895
Жыл бұрын
@@Peizxcv depends on the deceased's will..."nothing to my boy" means just that. States are benefactors to situations like this with monontonous regularity.
@williamharris8367
Жыл бұрын
I have no spouse or children (and I have no desire to acquire either before I die). I would much rather that my estate go to the Government than to my numerous cousins with whom I have no relationship. Sadly, they are me heirs at law so I need to have a formal will drafted to ensure that my wishes are carried out.
@ajax5622
Жыл бұрын
My grandfather screwed my mother, aunty and uncles, my grandmother passed so he went unchecked with his stinginess. They had a horrible childhood, when he died god damn it they couldn’t understand how he left them so much when in life they had so little. In fairness there was 14 siblings and so dividing that up so long ago not much went around without contesting.If he could have, and from talking to my relatives he would most definitely would have took it with him if he could.
@keithweiss7899
Жыл бұрын
The answer is this, firstly he had a will that gave everything to my brother and me. My mom had already passed. But he did a division of assets and then a pay down with moms half and then accepted Medicaid for her care. Then the same for himself 4 years later. We weren’t told it by the lawyer then, but after his passing the state can come back and take anything that is left to reimburse them for the money paid for his Medicaid care. There was no money left of his approximately half a million dollars of cash. He had used the pay down for home improvements and a new car. The state was waiting right there to take his home when he passed. They took it all, after about $12,000 I was owed for qualifying expenses. Some say that is fair. But I wonder what all of those taxes were good for that he paid for 80 years? My advice is for elderly to think ahead and sign it all over to their heirs at least 5 years before their deaths. Then the state cannot touch the money. That is what I am going to do shortly. Consult a professional Medicare expert. They are worth the money. DO NOT ask government Medicare/Medicaid! That will reset the clock and you will be screwed. A will means NOTHING if they accepted Medicaid. It’s complicated. Various States are somewhat different I am told. We are in Missouri.
@mikerhodes3563
Жыл бұрын
As a banker for over 30 years from a rural area it was not uncommon to have clients whose parents and themselves went through the Great Depression. The consumptive nature of money hoarding and miserly living was terrible. Millionaires forcing their families to scrimp in such ways , that to me, was laughable and at the same time appalling. Like measuring tooth paste ,not replacing women’s underwear elastic, jumping over a gate so as not to wear out the hinges. The worst was that this miserly way of living was passed on to their children.
@orbyfan
Жыл бұрын
And looking over their glasses instead of through them because they don't want to wear them out.
@jonathandewberry289
Жыл бұрын
It reminds me of the oldest living British aunties in the family who came up in the WW1 or 2 eras and it was so very very deeply impressed in their minds to absolutely scrimp and save. They would 'darn socks' which nobody even believes me was when they'd sow up holes in socks to get more out of the sock. They'd clean and hoard any tin, any plastic container. in the case of one aunty, at around 84 she STILL clung to every penny and would walk blocks to find a market where she could get very cheap bananas that were turning black, take them home and use them to cook banana breads. bank account: well over 2 million dollars. Yet, she'd carry a little 'change purse' and carefully pick out precisely 15 pennies a piece for the overripe bananas and walk home (not wasting $1 on expensive bus fare!). 2.4 million the last I heard.
@laserbeam002
Жыл бұрын
@@jonathandewberry289 Well, as they say..."waste not, want not". Yes a person can be too miserly BUT I tend to think that is better than being the kind of person that goes through every penny they have on foolishness. Not saving a single penny for those emergencies that inevinevitably will come our way during life.
@KinoStudentX
Жыл бұрын
My boss grew up this way. One day he forgot his lunch and complained so bad. He thought $3 for a burger and fries was so expensive.
@censusgary
Жыл бұрын
My parents and grandparents lived through the Great Depression, and I’ve had to unlearn some of the habits they taught me, such as saving bent nails to try to reuse them. I’m still working on it, to be honest.
@giantgrowth4204
Жыл бұрын
I saw Parkinson’s ravage my step great grandfather . When he got dementia man I’ve never seen anything like that. He thought my granny was his sister from before the war. His sister had passed away when his mind was sound. It was the worst thing I’ve ever seen. He would snap back to reality and beg for us to not let him suffer anymore. It didn’t traumatize me, it showed me how strong he really was because he fought that fight for almost 10 years .
@richardklug822
Жыл бұрын
Proof once again that you can't take it with you. If it were possible, I'm sure she would have found a way! Thanks for another great story.
@Felidae-ts9wp
Жыл бұрын
Reminds me of a day back in the early 80s in N.Y...some friends and I (all of us were college students) were leaving a diner in the upper east side of Manhattan ..we were approached by a sweet looking elderly gentleman who asked if we could give him a dollar..we were just about to give it to him when the manager of the diner stoped us..and told us that the elderly man was his landlord and owned three buildings on the block. I can still remember how angry the old miser got. I have zero sympathy for people like that.
@sjr7822
Жыл бұрын
I would have had a good laugh, at his expense.
@realwealthproperties5671
11 ай бұрын
Was his last name Goldstein?
@laserbeam002
Жыл бұрын
My parents grew up during the great depression and suffered through WW2. Both their families were poor farmers in the South. Being thrifty and miserly was a big part of just surviving. My parents and many of the older folks I grew up around saved everything. Yes a person can be too miserly BUT young people today, maybe people in general also, are way too wasteful. Every thing is made to be disposable so now look at what we are doing to our landfills and how we are burning through earth resources.
@twistoffate4791
Жыл бұрын
Well-stated on all points. We had a similar upbringing. My parents lived through the Oklahoma Dustbowl, the Great Depression and WW II. I lived to never disappoint them or let them down, though sometimes I did. They both taught me and my brother that squandering the earth's natural resources is wrong. They died six weeks apart after 60 years of marriage. I miss them every single day.
@realwealthproperties5671
11 ай бұрын
So you went from your parents growing up in the depression and WW2 to kids throw away too much stuff. Strange. But ok.
@lisahinton9682
Жыл бұрын
This story reminds me a bit of how Howard Hughes ended up living. So sad, really. Thanks, @TheHistoryGuyChannel; I enjoyed this very much!
@cliffpeebles9705
Жыл бұрын
I recommend the book "The Richest Woman in America, Hetty Green in the Gilded Age". Hetty lived during the same period as Ida, but while Ida was the Howard Hughes of her day, Hetty was much like Warren Buffett.
@robcampbell3235
Жыл бұрын
I think her son was more interesting...both the inverted airmail stamp and rarest nickel are due to him i think....
@RetiredSailor60
Жыл бұрын
Good Monday morning History Guy and everyone watching. Happy Independence Day. There is a boulevard named Ida E Wood that runs through Grapevine and Colleyville TX.
@t_nels
Жыл бұрын
Interesting. There is more to this story.
@jeaniebottle6758
Жыл бұрын
A very strange case of social history. Money & neglect, tragic & sad.
@juliam.mallen9019
Жыл бұрын
Real history between our family make this sound like a kindergarten report.
@haroldkendra7283
Жыл бұрын
Interesting and sad story. Her paranoia was based on truth: she had been a fraudster all her adult life so she looked at every event and/or interaction with others as a scam or their “scheming” to con her. Some things can only be providential or simple karma. She created her own prison cell for eternity.
@sjr7822
Жыл бұрын
Hers, and her companions.
@aldrinmilespartosa1578
Жыл бұрын
Her trickery came back to bite her in the end. Not be enemies but herself, her conscience.
@dondoyle8474
Жыл бұрын
A half a million in ten thousand dollar bills would be worth five hundred million today WOW!!!!!! These types of stories are my favorite.
@karenhollywood3523
Жыл бұрын
These are my very favorite kind too. If I knew of a KZitem channel that focused solely on these sort of eccentric people, I would probably watch it every day... well, almost every day!
@dondoyle8474
Жыл бұрын
@@karenhollywood3523 we look beyond the story.
@loditx7706
Жыл бұрын
Wow! How sad. The things she could have done. Hope she enjoyed her world tour with Mary and Emma. A great detective story. Mental illness is a tragic thing. Despite her riches, I pity her. One wonders, aside from her fear of poverty, what or whom caused her to hide?
@margeritahorvath8306
Жыл бұрын
Crazy or not crazy, I would have never left that hotel room with all that cash in it.
@korbell1089
Жыл бұрын
Can you imagine running around with $10,000 bills in your pocket?🤔🤤
@Onewheelordeal
Жыл бұрын
Shoot at least clean the place up inside and make it amazing
@philmanson2991
Жыл бұрын
Excellent, as always. I'd hate to be ruled by money.
@korbell1089
Жыл бұрын
Ida Wood: "I am going to live in this hotel and never come out again, I will die a recluse." Howard Hughes: "Write that down!"😂😂
@joezephyr
Жыл бұрын
The History Guy: Best video in ages thank you :)
@louisgarso1309
Жыл бұрын
Yes, this is truly history worth remembering. Thanks.
@jamesmiddleton8128
Жыл бұрын
What a great story to start your day with!
@i-a-g-r-e-e-----f-----jo--b
Жыл бұрын
I remember reading about her in school. The book said she was a very rich recluse who kept soaps in a tin because she was so cheap. That was 50 years ago, thanks for the updated story about her, History Guy! There are a few like her, I used to deliver groceries to some really old women in NYC in the 1970s and would have to keep the food outside their door and get an envelope of cash as payment under the mat. I always thought of Ida each time I delivered to such, on two occasions at different households I had one time before seen the woman in her 90s (at least). It's a memory you have refreshed after watching Ida's bio.
@stevedietrich8936
Жыл бұрын
THG, that vest with the tie gave me Bret Maverick flashbacks. You probably could have been the 4th brother, Bret, Bart, Brent, and the other brother, Lance.
@jliller
Жыл бұрын
Quite a bold gold digger to write to a married man she's never met and outright offer to be his mistress. And he went for it!
@sandriagutierrez2605
Жыл бұрын
Thought the same thing!
@mr.naughtypants7069
Жыл бұрын
Girls gotta do what a girls gotta do. Smart move on her part.
@CoopedUp74
Жыл бұрын
Back then it was seen as a sin. Just like today things haven't changed. If two people agree upon a open marriage then I suppose it's ok.
@KellyfromMemphis
Жыл бұрын
Your modern, first world, comfortable view of life….there was a time where chronic starvation was REAL and some ladies had to resort to WORSE to survive! 🤦🏻♀️
@jliller
Жыл бұрын
@@KellyfromMemphis Anyone who would do anything to survive doesn't deserve to because in doing so they demonstrate the only thing they really care about is themselves.
@jonathandewberry289
Жыл бұрын
this story is absolutely bananas! I swear everyone from around that turn-of-the-century era was absolutely nuts lol thank you again History Guy - that was a great one!
@rhuephus
Жыл бұрын
obviously you haven't been watching the news since 2015
@clutzwinstead279
Жыл бұрын
They weren't nuts, just grew up in a lot of sad situations
@jonathandewberry289
Жыл бұрын
@@clutzwinstead279 That made them nuts? Anyway, no, that's not how it works.
@jonathandewberry289
Жыл бұрын
@@rhuephus Why do you say that? I didn't tell you anything about the world of the last 7 years.
@fuzzamajumula
Жыл бұрын
Poor Ida. How sad for a person who started out with so much confidence.
@vlmellody51
Жыл бұрын
As always, you have given us a fascinating video with much to ponder. BTW: Have you ever considered doing one on the unsolved murder of Dot King? I've been reading about her and I believe there is much information there for you to work with.
@sherriroemer3144
8 ай бұрын
This was intriguing because my paternal great-grandmother's name was Ida Mae Wood after she married my great grandfather in 1904. I'm sure there are other people with that name but probably none so famous as the lady you speak of. Love your show! 🙂
@SHAd0Eheart
Жыл бұрын
Congratulations on 1.25 MILLION! subscribers!
@nancyk3615
Жыл бұрын
I'm still waiting for my rich relatives to leave an inheritance to me.....who ever they are.❤️💵
@nomadmarauder-dw9re
Жыл бұрын
The song Fancy is in my head now. Thanx, History Guy.
@foo219
Жыл бұрын
She only took half the winnings? She's more generous than most banks.
@paulkinzer7661
Жыл бұрын
Wow, yet another story that is utterly new to me, and absolutely fascinating. So many compelling lines you follow in such a short, wonderfully-written and narrated way. Your videos are gems of light, and I am really grateful for all the skill and care you bring to us.
@jourcontre-jour1286
Жыл бұрын
Reminds me of an old relative of mine who reclused herself and hoarded money. When she finally passed away, her money was so full of mold it was unusable and had to be thrown out.
@IMBlakeley
Жыл бұрын
No point to be the richest person in the graveyard, there's no pockets in a shroud.
@icyone
Жыл бұрын
Say what u want about her frame of mind, she was able to care and support her family right up until she died and that's something so few if us can do
@grandmaisback6052
Жыл бұрын
agreed
@appaloosa42
Жыл бұрын
She did not ‘care ‘ for anyone. It sounds like the 2 prior women died of malnutrition effects.
@icyone
Жыл бұрын
@@appaloosa42 are you saying that she tied them down so they couldn't leave? I thought they were free to leave at any time
@appaloosa42
Жыл бұрын
And exactly what would they hsve done if they left? Begged on the street? There were no ‘social supports’, no welfare, medical assistance or nedicare. Only private charity… which is why there eere mixers.
@appaloosa42
Жыл бұрын
Trpy: mixers!
@grahamgreene779
Жыл бұрын
the opening made me think of Grey Gardens
@-jeff-
Жыл бұрын
Ida's story is so much like the latter days of Howard Huges that it makes me wonder if they both didn't suffer from some malady great wealth brings about.
@dawnstorm9768
Жыл бұрын
Well Howard Hughes was in a plane crash at some point in his life and from what I've read, never the same after that.
@taboovsknowledge1603
Жыл бұрын
You will never run out of material to work with!
@Pygar2
Жыл бұрын
More history gets made every day...
@evansradmom
Жыл бұрын
Great story! FYI - it’s Safe Deposit Box not Safety Deposit Box.
@BA-gn3qb
Жыл бұрын
If Emma won't do it, Ida Wood.
@BenjySparky
Жыл бұрын
THG you rock! Peace
@steelman86
Жыл бұрын
I had to giggle when your photo first flashed onto the screen!!! Interesting concoction of an outfit i must say!! I'll have a sarsaparilla bar keep😂😂
@constipatedinsincity4424
Жыл бұрын
Back in the Saddle Again Naturally!
@clutzwinstead279
Жыл бұрын
Great, entertaining and educational. My Grannie was kinda like that but, she had all her affairs in order. She was tight fisted though. Wish I'd gotten that trait from her. But, it was just good to have her for 94 years. Lots of good times you can't get back.!
@johnvonundzu2170
Жыл бұрын
One thing makes me wonder - in 1929 US currency was demonetized; old large format bills were replaced with smaller ones. Did Ida's enablers continue accepting obsolete bills? Seems that the banks would stopped taking them at some point.
@trudymccann3671
Жыл бұрын
What an amazing story! Just shows how little we know about the human psyche, and what drives it! Thank you.
@thegaryjay_yt
Жыл бұрын
This is the greatest story I've heard in a long time
@pamelamays4186
Жыл бұрын
Ida reminds me of another famous rich recluse. Howard Hughes.
@russwoodward8251
Жыл бұрын
A fascinating story. Thank you once again.
@seatedliberty
Жыл бұрын
Reminds me of Hettie Green.
@BasicDrumming
Жыл бұрын
I appreciate you, thank you for making content.
@kmarch6630
Жыл бұрын
You should do the story of Homer Colyer and Langley Colyer. They too were were hoarder recluses in New York.
@rabbi120348
Жыл бұрын
"Ben was elected to NY's 3rd district..." That is now George Santos' district. I checked out the boundaries of NY03 and was horrified to find that had I grown up 2 or 3 blocks further east, I would have been in NY03 (although the boundaries must have been different in the 50's and 60's).
@stldiva76
Жыл бұрын
Hi, I just recently discovered your channel and just found out you're from the Saint Louis area! I still live here ❤ that's awesome 😎
@mattgeorge90
Жыл бұрын
Excellent episode! ❤❤❤
@abialo2010
Жыл бұрын
should do more videos like this
@MarshOakDojoTimPruitt
Жыл бұрын
thanks
@steveshoemaker6347
Жыл бұрын
AMAZING.....Thanks Mr THG🎀 👍
@ricksaint2000
2 ай бұрын
Thank you History Guy
@Stax-ht9md
Жыл бұрын
Interesting stuff - thanks!
@elcastorgrande
Жыл бұрын
What a sad story.
@nosillalaluna7078
Жыл бұрын
YOU ARE AMAZINE ! I , thoroughly enjoyed this off beat, unexpected, bit of history ! 👍
@williamjones3462
Жыл бұрын
Absolutely superb storytelling! !
@antoniovillanueva308
Жыл бұрын
Somewhere around 8 minutes, I lost track. Just after I heard that Ida's daughter was her sister, and that Ida did not know this. This would not work as a movie plot, it is just too nuts.
@antoniovillanueva308
Жыл бұрын
And she was so afraid of dying in poverty that she died in defacto poverty. I would watch that movie.
@darrellburnside9368
Жыл бұрын
Very sad but interesting!
@kenjackson5685
Жыл бұрын
1st class...thank you for sharing
@Strato777
Жыл бұрын
Absolutely fascinating people were definitely different then but what an enjoyable tale.
@Hey_Its_That_Guy
Жыл бұрын
Happy Fourth!
@slricksy
Жыл бұрын
Love your channel history guy! Happy learner here!
@geographicaloddity2
Жыл бұрын
Sad story. Thank you for sharing.
@jrr2480
Жыл бұрын
I always find it amusing how when ever someone who claims to be from the South, they usually say New Orleans Louisiana 😂
@gyllenspetzfamily7993
Жыл бұрын
Some of those people were passing....
@Robbi496
Жыл бұрын
Great video, but did anyone notice the view of the original Penn Station in the illustration of the hotel?
@wagner9050
Жыл бұрын
Nope. Glad you pointed it out! A low-rent neighborhood??
@robicarm
Жыл бұрын
To think what a million dollars could even do for an average person today, imagine what it could do then. Greed is a terrible condition.
@JohnPaul-ii
Жыл бұрын
Having it all doesn’t seem to be a great thing for Ida. Quite a sad end really, and then there’s the “family” vultures. Disgusting creature’s, they sadly appear in many families. I have had the displeasure of witnessing some personally. Rest In Peace Ida.
@user-vm5ud4xw6n
Жыл бұрын
It’s all about the money! You could have no relatives at all and still people would come out of the woodwork to claim a share. Or all if they thought they could!
@dawnstorm9768
Жыл бұрын
Where there's a will, there's a 'relative'.
@randelbrooks
Жыл бұрын
If the money was old and out of date I'm surprised any bank or the treasury could recognize it as being legal tender. What a confusing mess.
@jaimeayala4231
Жыл бұрын
She retired her money from the bank in the Panic of 1907 and died in 1932 so the money was only 24-25 years old.
@flkoolguy
Жыл бұрын
Another historic mystery brought to life by THG, The History God (Guy) 🙂
@hermenutic
Жыл бұрын
That was a delightful story.
@edwarddemedeiros3607
Жыл бұрын
Amazing video! Simply wonderful!
@msplow
9 ай бұрын
Fascinating!
@tomjones2202
Жыл бұрын
Fascinating,,,,,
@honodle7219
Жыл бұрын
Wow that was really interesting.
@muddyshoesgardener
Жыл бұрын
Very interesting story!
@stefanschleps8758
Жыл бұрын
Wow!! ( I'm speechless.) 😮
@roseannepace508
Жыл бұрын
Fascinating and sad.
@sharonpolikoff7282
Жыл бұрын
Even more bizarre than the life of 'Witch of Wall Street' Hetty Green.
@CoopedUp74
Жыл бұрын
❤ God bless Ida and her dear sisters. May the rest in peace and dearly loved.
@kenshores9900
Жыл бұрын
Bizarre!
@Peizxcv
Жыл бұрын
Weird part is how she kept her sisters from going out. I know a few people that hid away for almost 3 years during COVID but nearly 30 years? Highly unlikely her sisters would accept that kind of lifestyle
@vancakes4500
Жыл бұрын
Well he did say Mary went out much more frequently than the other sister so I guess it was voluntary.
@williamharris8367
Жыл бұрын
My Grandmother very rarely ventured outside her home for the last 15 or 20 years before her death at age 92. She had been in poor health for most of her adult life and so she was never especially social. My Parents lived with her and took care of her needs; her doctor made house calls. They would have to occasionally address rumors that she was dead.
@THGJosh
Жыл бұрын
It's unclear how much her sisters left, but Mary seems to have left at least somewhat frequently because she paid bills in cash for like, safety deposit boxes and storage spaces.
@lindamaemullins-wr1jg
Жыл бұрын
You would be surprised at what a person will put up with after years of gaslighting 🤔🤨😔
@scotto9591
Жыл бұрын
Where do you find these stories?!?? 😂 Thank you for teaching us
@bavondale
Жыл бұрын
Wow, that's a movie script. thank you for sharing
@frankgulla2335
Жыл бұрын
How bizarre, but reminiscent of Howard Hughes?
@OGKenG
Жыл бұрын
This one was really interesting to me.
@alanmoffat4454
Жыл бұрын
IF YOU HAVE IT SOMEONE WILL ALL WAYS WANT IT , GOOD ONE TODAY THANKS😊.
@alfredbonnabel7022
Жыл бұрын
VERY INTERESTING 👍
@lilivonshtup3808
Жыл бұрын
What luck those 10 relatives of hers had. Inheriting about $100,000 each (about $2,220,000 today) during the height of the depression. And they probably never met her or even knew she existed.
@ernestschultz5065
Жыл бұрын
A classic New York City story not too unlike the Collier brothers.
@dawnstorm9768
Жыл бұрын
I was thinking about them as I heard this story. Really sad.
@Paladin1873
Жыл бұрын
Sounds like a rather pointless life.
@gloriarogers3726
Жыл бұрын
This was strange and tragic. All I heard was money sad.
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