"We thought it was the magic carpet...
the click of the rails...romance."
"The end of the rainbow was always
somewhere else and it kept us moving."
"Most of all I remember the loneliness.
More than once I cried. I felt so sad,
so utterly alone."
"At the height of the Great Depression, two hundred and
fifty thousand teenage hoboes were roaming America. Some left home
because they felt they were a burden to their families; some fled homes
shattered by the shame of unemployment and poverty; some left because it
seemed a great adventure. Whether with the blessings of parents or
as runaways, they hit the road and went in search of a better life."
Errol Lincoln Uys
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Many young people grew up during the 1930s "riding the
rails." These young people, often called boxcar children, learned
lessons of self-reliance and as adults carry memories of nostalgia and
pain. The hardships of this era have been portrayed in such novels
as John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men and Irene Hunt's No Promises
in the Wind.
Study questions and resources are included here to enhance
your understanding and appreciation of these novels and of that time period.
RAILROAD MAP
These boxcar children covered the United States on the
Pennsylvania, Atchison, Great Northern, Union Pacific, and Southern Pacific
railroads.
HOBO SIGNS
Hobos used signs such as these to give each other helpful information. To find out what these and other signs mean, check out Hobo Signs and Symbols.
RESOURCES
To read about actual stories of teenage rail riders, go to "Tales of the Rails."
To find out about hobo hymns, visit "Striking a Chord: Railroads and their Musical Heritage."
To connect the musical heritage of the railroad with music from the Great Depression, see "The Great Depression: Music from the Era."
To view actual pictures of rail riders, check out "On
the Freight."
TEXTS
No Promises in the Wind, Irene Hunt
Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck
Riding the Rails: Teenagers on the Move During
the Great Depression, Errol Lincoln Uys