Adult Lecture Series at the Minnesota Transportation Museum

Overview

Hobohemia: Examining the Rich Cultural Lives of American Hoboes

In this midday talk, historian Karen Sieber will provide a brief history of the American hobo. Although often depicted as lazy bums, loners, or criminals, in reality many itinerant workers traveling by railroad led quite rich social, intellectual, and cultural lives. Around the turn of the twentieth century, nearly one million hoboes were riding the rails, untethered from any one home on the fringes of society. They developed their own systems of communication, leadership, and culture out of necessity. While Chicago served as the community's unofficial capital, St. Paul, St. Louis, San Diego, and New York City also served as hubs. In addition to train access and the promise of work, these places offered flophouses, soup kitchens, and even cultural and educational institutions that catered to itinerant laborers. Although historians have long noted the economic impact of hoboes' labor on America's growth, sometimes forgotten are the community's artistic and cultural contributions. From inspiring the Beat generation and punk rock, to hobo symbol quilts and the music of Woody Guthrie, the hobo's impact can be felt everywhere.