History mystery

Do you recall the great meat price crisis of 1973? Often referred to as a shortage, it really was about prices spiking when artificial price controls went wonky on foods during a nationwide inflationary period. Quibble all you want about the exact reasons meat prices went sky high.

We did see one item of local interest in a statewide paper from August of 1973, 50 years ago. There apparently was a spate of cattle rustling in Carlton County and the region. People were taking cattle right off pastures, farmers said, some using helicopters to scout out animals and even lift meat after butchering right on the ground. In essence, a black market emerged due to the high prices people could get for beef. Or maybe it was just a Robin Hood phenomenon, with rustlers providing for the poor. No, probably not.

Rustling, which at the time harkened to Old West days in the 1800s, became a problem across the country. Farmers were upset, and formed posses to patrol the area. These groups of people had no official law capacity, but could report what they saw to the sheriff's office, which supported the vigilante efforts.

What do you remember about this time? Were you in a posse? Are there pictures? Were you in an affected farm family? Do you recall not eating meat because of the prices? We will print what you report in a future issue.

Send your info or photos to news@PineKnot News.com, with "History" in the subject line.