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
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
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Places. A significant historical year for this entry is 1933.
Location. 41° 5.16′ N, 85° 8.344′ W. Marker is in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in Allen County. Marker is on S. Clinton Street, on the right when traveling north. Marker is in Headwater Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fort Wayne IN 46802, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Floods (a few steps from this marker); League Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Early Effort To Build A Park (within shouting distance of this marker); These are the Hamilton Women of Fort Wayne (within shouting distance of this marker); Emerine Jane Holman Hamilton (within shouting distance of this marker); Headwaters Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Duck Creek: Early Industry and Business Development (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Earliest Railroad (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Wayne.
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 328 times since then and 230 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.
