Fort Wayne in Allen County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Shanty Town And The Depression
Photographed by Craig Doda, May 1, 2022
1. Shanty Town And The Depression Marker
Inscription.
Shanty Town And The Depression. . South Clinton Street gained notoriety as a Depression era "Shanty town. The "hobo heaven or "hobo jungle that sprang up on the "Jail Flats became home to hundreds of families at its peak in 1933, filling the area with tarpaper shacks and smoke from campfires. Few people understood the devastating effects that the stock market crash of 1929 would have on the American economy. Men and women with no possibility for employment in their own hometowns traveled the country, hopping rides on freight trains that would take them to new adventures and, possibly, jobs. Traveling nomad "hobos found their way to such makeshift towns seeking food, rest, companionship or the improbability that a contact would lead to a paying job. Efforts made to remove the hobo population from this area were in vain. The lines of the homeless became longer each day, as charitable organizations' soup kitchens attempted to serve them. By 1937 the last hovels were torn down and various new businesses were established, helping a resurgence of employment and industry in Fort Wayne. , Sponsored by: Phelps Dodge Magnet Wire Company
South Clinton Street gained notoriety as a Depression era "Shanty town. The "hobo
heaven or "hobo jungle that sprang up on the "Jail Flats became home to hundreds
of families at its peak in 1933, filling the area with tarpaper shacks and smoke from
campfires. Few people understood the devastating effects that the stock market
crash of 1929 would have on the American economy. Men and women with
no possibility for employment in their own hometowns traveled the country,
hopping rides on freight trains that would take them to new adventures
and, possibly, jobs. Traveling nomad "hobos found their way to
such makeshift towns seeking food, rest, companionship or the
improbability that a contact would lead to a paying job.
Efforts made to remove the hobo population from this
area were in vain. The lines of the homeless
became longer each day, as charitable
organizations' soup kitchens attempted to
serve them. By 1937 the last hovels were
torn down and various new businesses
were established, helping a resurgence
of employment and industry
in Fort Wayne.
Sponsored by:
Phelps Dodge
Magnet Wire Company
Erected by Phelps Dodge - Magnet Wire Company.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Places. A significant historical year for this entry is 1933.
Location.
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41° 5.16′ N, 85° 8.344′ W. Marker is in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in Allen County. It is on South Clinton Street, on the right when traveling north. Marker is in Headwater Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 127 S Clinton St, Fort Wayne IN 46802, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Northern Indiana. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Jail Flats (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing).
Photographed by Craig Doda, May 1, 2022
2. Shanty Town And The Depression Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on August 21, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 3, 2022, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 905 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on May 3, 2022, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
