Riding the Rails--Teenagers on the Move During the Great Depression

One of the cornerstones of my father's history is his experience riding the rails during the Depression. He traveled from Maine to the Pacific Northwest, looking for work and, no doubt, some fun. The stories he told were rich with danger, pain, and humor.

He wasn't alone on the road. There were lots of folks, young and old, searching for work, searching for a place to begin or restart their lives. This web page, Riding the Rails--Teenagers on the Move During the Great Depression, tells the story of teenage drifters and includes some of their letters home.

As I've been cleaning out my father's papers, I've not found any letters to his parents. There are a few notes from his friends during the war, but nothing yet about the times as a hobo. Some of his stories are recorded in Carole Gariepy's A History of Queen Lake. I'll record some more here.