The code of ‘Hobos and Hoovervilles’

PINE PLAINS — Local residents received an education on the daily life and struggles of migrant workers and the homeless during the Great Depression during a lecture on “Hobos and Hoovervilles: Depression Era Migration, Upheaval and the Roosevelt Response” at the Pine Plains Community Center, over the library, on Thursday, Sept. 28.

By 7 p.m., there was a packed house. Led by education specialist Jeff Urbin from the FDR Library in Hyde Park, the talk began with a thorough discussion on the homeless, or hobos, and how they managed to keep afloat during the Great Depression.

In order to survive and to help one another out, an ethical code was established known as hobo code. It was a code of honor of sorts, so the hobo could maintain dignity.

 Respecting the local laws and officials, a hobo was expected to act like a gentleman at all times and to never take advantage of those in a vulnerable situation. Regardless of whether the work was temporary, Urbin said, a hobo had to always appear able to or looking for work to keep from looking like a bum. A hobo was never be found drunk in public or behaving disorderly.

More than a code of ethics, Urbin said the hobo code described a subculture that was developed and passed on for several years.

Urbin outlined the stark distinction between a bum and a hobo as well as how hobos conducted their daily lives. He described a society where, regardless of their circumstances, hobos looked out for one another and refused to leave their fellow man behind.

To demonstrate a hobo’s typical traveling companion, Urbin held up a model bindle stick. Easy to carry and easy to maneuver, the basic idea behind the bindle stick was to keep a few belongings and supplies together while out on the road. Urbin said that a few common items might include a pack of playing cards, a small copy of the Bible, a piece of fruit or some sort of produce, a small flask of liquor, a can with a piece of string attached to it, matches, coal, a candle, a jack knife and a can of beans. Each item, Urbin explained, could be used to serve multiple purposes, though the overall idea was to provide a little more comfort in a hobo’s life and help with daily routines. 

Going over a brief list of famous hobos who boarded the rails, Urbin named boxer Jack Dempsey, radio personality Art Linkletter, singer Woody Guthrie and novelists Jack Kerouac and George Orwell as examples.

For the second portion of his lecture, Urbin focused his discussion on Hoovervilles, which mainly consisted of families living in small villages during the Depression. 

Along with creating their own governments and electing their own officials, the Hoovervilles survived by constructing their houses out of whatever materials they could find, such as cardboard and scrap metal. They became their own communities, developing across the states.

While the word Hoovervilles pertained to the villages, Urbin explained that there were other Hoover-related items used during the time of the Depression. The term Hoover blanket referred to newspapers the village residents used to keep themselves warm while Hoover leather described a piece of cardboard that could be used for multiple purposes. To show that they had no spare change to offer, people would pull out the inside of their pant pockets to show their Hoover flags. Additionally, Hoover carriages and cars referred to carts pulled by animals or humans on the streets.

As a way to help these individuals get back on their feet, Urbin touched upon the Roosevelt administration’s continuous search for “win-win-win” resolutions and how programs that were designed to fulfill that aim.

“It was that sense of hope that gave you a sense of purpose,” Urbin concluded.