Historical Society: Hobos and Hoovervilles focus of talk

MILLBROOK— Riding the rails — the idea of absolute freedom — has long been associated with the life of the hobo. Hobos are men and women who survived the Great Depression as best they could, often leaving homes and families behind to find work and possibly send money home to loved ones.

Educational Specialist Jeffrey Urbin, of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Library and Museum in Hyde Park, was the guest speaker at the Thursday, Jan. 18, meeting of the Millbrook Historical Society. He brought, along with his vast knowledge of the subject of hobos and Hooverville, a bindle stick and photos.

Opening the bindle, or bundle, often seen slung over a hobo’s shoulders, Urbin showed the audience what one might find: a stub of candle, a piece of chalk or coal, a cup on a string for getting water out of a stream or river, a small Bible, a small flask, a knife, matches, maybe a deck of cards and often, at the bottom of the stick, a key to remind the hobo of home.

The Depression began around 1929, but some would argue that times had been tough for  10 years prior. The Dust Bowl was a contributor, when the southern plains of the country suffered severe drought that caused dust storms in the 1930s. It served to intensify the impact of the Depression, as people and livestock were killed due to high winds and choking dust. Crops failed, from Texas to Nebraska. It caused a mass migration and many began life as hobos, including entire families.

There was little real romance  and most hobos didn’t choose that life for love of freedom or travel, but out of necessity to survive and help their loved ones. It was a harsh life, with dangerous travel by freight train.

Railroad security guards called bulls were hired to keep all non-paying riders off trains. More than 2 million people, men and women, became hobos. In one year alone, 6,500 hobos were killed, by bulls or in accidents, according to Urbin. 

Some lost arms or legs. They had to hop on trains, usually about a mile away from the station, into open boxcars. This could be tricky, because boxcars were often shut and locked, remaining in freight yards for weeks at a time. If one was locked inside, it could mean certain death. 

In spite of the harsh times and living conditions, there remained a longing among hobos for community and humanity. “Jungles” could be found about a mile from railroad stations where groups of hobos would set up camp. There might be a mayor at the camp, someone capable of dealing with problems. Each hobo at a camp was expected to help provide for the collective meal. 

There were ethics hobos were expected to follow, including taking youngsters under their wing and trying to get them to return home. A hobo, if he didn’t find work, was supposed to leave the town, not hang around, making it bad for those who followed. The hobo was also supposed to be as clean as was possible, to be respectful and polite. 

They also had a sign language they used, leaving messages for those who would come to town after them. One sign, a hash tag, meant that the house was the home of a policeman. Another that looked rather like a dog meant the woman of the house had a kind heart. Another, which looked like a fish, told that the man at this property was an honest man. There were many signs, left on fences, sidewalks, trees and poles, and were not only helpful to the newcomer, but added to the feeling of brotherhood.

The part of the discussion that centered on Hoovervilles was much more disheartening, as it was accompanied by several photos of families who were victims of the economic depression. President Herbert Hoover was in office from March of 1929 until March of 1933. Although there may have been many contributing factors, Hoover was blamed for most of the ills that came out of the crash of 1929. 

Families were evicted from rentals or lost their homes to banks; many started their own small communities, which became known as Hoovervilles, another name for shantytowns. The living conditions were poor, structures made from boxes, scrap lumber or whatever could be found. One very large Hooverville was located in Central Park near the Metropolitan Museum on Fifth Avenue.

The pictures brought by Urbin were taken during the harshest of times, just after Roosevelt was elected. The idea was that there would be other photos taken after many of his programs, all part of the New Deal, were in action to show the immense success of his 10 or more programs. Unfortunately, the second set was never taken due to the start of World War II.