Hoovervilles
Hoovervilles were makeshift shantytowns that emerged across the United States between 1930 and 1941, providing shelter for individuals and families who became homeless during the Great Depression. Named derisively after President Herbert Hoover, these camps varied in structure, with some residents constructing shacks from scavenged materials, while others built more durable shelters using their skills as unemployed tradespeople. Notable Hoovervilles formed in major cities such as New York, St. Louis, Seattle, and Chicago, with one of the largest located in Central Park, known as Hoover Valley, which persisted despite intermittent police crackdowns.
As the economic crisis deepened, the existence of Hoovervilles highlighted the significant struggles faced by the homeless population, prompting a shift in some governmental attitudes, as officials increasingly tolerated these camps rather than enforce eviction. Many Hoovervilles developed a sense of community, with residents establishing self-governance and sanitation committees. The presence of these shantytowns served as a stark reminder of poverty and homelessness during a challenging era, influencing public perception and becoming emblematic of the hardships of the Great Depression. As the economy began to recover in 1941, these encampments gradually disappeared as employment opportunities improved.
Hoovervilles
Makeshift shantytowns that arose during the Great Depression
During the Great Depression, more than one million Americans were forced into homelessness; some became transients, but others settled in shantytowns that became known as Hoovervilles, a mocking reference to President Herbert Hoover. By the mid-1930’s, there were Hoovervilles in most major cities.
Between 1930 and 1941, shantytowns sprang up in cities throughout the United States as refuges of last resort for the newly homeless. Called Hoovervilles, these camps contained buildings of all varieties. Some were merely shacks constructed of tin, tar paper, salvaged lumber, and canvas that offered little protection from the elements. Others were constructed by out-of-work masons and carpenters, who built solid structures that stood for years.
New York City’s Central Park was home to one of the country’s largest Hoovervilles. Located in the drained Central Park reservoir, the shantytown was founded in 1930. Like most Hoovervilles, it was intermittently broken up by the police and parks department, which were concerned about sanitary conditions. However, as the Great Depression continued, the camp was unofficially sanctioned by officials who did not have the heart to fine the homeless for sleeping outside. By 1932, the camp was known as Hoover Valley and contained a 20-foot-long stone structure with a roof and tile floor.
Some Hoovervilles were so stable they elected their own sanitary committees and even mayors. There were Hoovervilles in New York, St. Louis, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Chicago, and Denver. These shantytowns proved nearly immune to efforts by agencies at all levels of government to eliminate them because there was no housing or work for their occupants. Not until 1941, as unemployment eased, did Hoovervilles begin to disappear from major cities.
Impact
Homelessness proved to be one of the more intractable problems for government during the Great Depression, and Hoovervilles were a constant visible reminder of that problem. Even wealthy residents of major cities were forced to see the plight of the least fortunate when they camped outside in city parks and thoroughfares. Hoovervilles became a cultural touchstone and common visual reference for the Great Depression.
Bibliography
Anderson, Nels. On Hobos and Homelessness. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998.
Crouse, Joan M. The Homeless Transient in the Great Depression: New York State, 1929-1941. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1986.
Rauchway, Eric. The Great Depression and the New Deal: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.