Hoovervilles
A Hooverville was the popular name for a shanty town, examples of which were found in many United
States communities during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
The word "Hooverville" derives from the name of the President of the United States at the beginning of
the Depression, Herbert Hoover. They used Hoover's name because they were frustrated and
disappointed with his involvement in the relief effort for the Depression.
These settlements were often formed in unpleasant neighborhoods or desolate areas and consisted of
dozens or hundreds of shacks and tents that were temporary residences of those left unemployed and
homeless by the Depression. People slept in anything from open piano crates to the ground. Authorities
did not officially recognize these Hoovervilles and occasionally removed the occupants for technically
trespassing on private lands, but they were frequently tolerated out of necessity. In New York a street
was dedicated to children's games, the games were provided as an idea of Herbert Hoover. This worked
to boost the morale of the nation.
Some of the men who were made to live in these conditions possessed building skills and were able to
build their houses out of stone. Most people, however, resorted to building their residences out of box
wood, cardboard, and any scraps of metal they could find.
Most of these unemployed residents of the Hoovervilles begged for food from those who had housing
during this era. Several other terms came into use during this era, such as "Hoover blanket" (old
newspaper used as blanketing) and "Hoover flag" (an empty pocket turned inside out). "Hoover leather"
was cardboard used to line a shoe with the sole worn through. A "Hoover wagon" was a car with horses
tied to it because the owner could not afford gasoline.
In addition to the Hoovervilles, during the Great Depression, 250,000 teenagers, known as hoboes, were
homeless. They wandered the country looking for work, often riding the railroads from town to town.
Many females dressed as males in an effort to get jobs.