City - Oklahoma City OK - Hooverville 1939 Tissue Paper

Colorized photo from 1939 Original Title: Shack home of family living in community camp Photographer: Russell Lee Location: Oklahoma City, OK Home is where the heart is I guess. This lovely abode was a part of a squatters town during the Great Depression. Often called "transient camps", mostly found in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, they were also referred to as Hoovervilles, after the president. These were located along the North Canadian River between Byers and Pennsylvania Ave. According to a 1934 study, half the camp residents were former tenant farmers or sharecroppers who came from Oklahoma's rural areas. While it beats living in a cardboard box, they were not ideal. Presumably they were hot and stuffy in the summer, which is probably why their beds are outside. What they did in the rain, I don't know. They built houses from whatever they could find, and while ragtag, its also very resourceful.