Mills County, Iowa
Silver City Community History
1879 - 1979
CLYDE PIATT THE BARBER
Clyde Piatt was a barber for many years in Silver City, Iowa. He has cut 1 six-generation and 11 fivegeneration families. “I’ve cut the hair of so many fours and threes that I can’t remember them all.” A native of Kansas,
Piatt is one of three sons born to the late musician-barber George Piatt who saw to it all three became musician-barbers. Although Clyde, Hudson and Estelle would have preferred other professions (Clyde wanted to become a
surgeon) the boys acceded to their father’s wishes.
In 1901 when Clyde was 15 years, he became apprenticed at his father’s barber shop in Silver City. He has noticed many changes in barbering. In the good old days, shaves were l0 cents and haircuts, a quarter and in 1955 shaves
in this area cost 75 cents and haircuts $1.75. Haircuts in 1979 in this area are now around $4.00.
In the beginning, barber shops were places men gathered to tell stories, view risqué pictures or have a drink in the back room. Businessmen confronted with perplexing came to talk them out. We had to be psychologists
and psychiatrists as well as barbers. The majority of his customers who come from a 20-mile radius, are men and boys although he prefers working on women’s hair. “I like beauty work because it offers variety.”
In recent years Piatt has given up shaving customers and is concentrating on hair cutting. Bothered by heart trouble he does practically all his work while seated. He is retired and is living at the Oakland Manor. For many years Silver City was without a barber, but now we have a young man Rolland Franke.
~submitted by Roseanna Zehner & Darlene Jacoby