Memories of hoboes, tramps & beggars

Wayne County Historical Society is collecting oral histories on the topic of Hoboes. For a new program, titled Hoboes, Tramps and Beggars, Andrea Evangelist is asking that people who have memories of hobo life in Wayne County call the Old Jail Museum (946.4943) and share recollections.

The word 'hobo' originated from 'hoe boys,' which were farm workers who used used to weed out the fields. Hoboes worked on many Wayne County farms or in canning factories, on a seasonal basis, until the hobo population declined at the end of World War II. Their makeshift settlements, called hobo jungles, were often constructed close to a source of water and the railroad tracks.

Information can be written and submitted to the Museum, given over the phone, or someone from the Museum can visit you and tape recollections.

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