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. 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

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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. 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.

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

Photographed by Craig Doda, May 1, 2022

2. Shanty Town And The Depression Marker

(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.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Jail Flats (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing).

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 915 times since then and 50 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.