USING OKLAHOMA AS AN EXAMPLE : THE OKLAHOMA HISTORICAL SOCIETY TIPS US OFF! AND PROVIDES SEARCHABLE DATABASES

Oklahoma state census - 1890***, 1907.


No wonder there was a hit stage musical called Oklahoma! The state has played an important part in American history. There were pioneers of course but often researchers into Native American heritage find themselves looking into what's available in that state as well. So the bad news is that this state is one of those who suffered the loss from the legendary fire that wiped out most of the 1890 Federal Census... But there is the 1890 OKLAHOMA TERRITORIAL CENSUS! ***

As well, there is this offering: Smith's First Directory of Oklahoma Territory

Smith's First Directory of Oklahoma Territory For the Year Commencing August 1, 1890 provides information about the population of early Oklahoma. The index includes over 17,000 names arranged alphabetically by surname.

OKLAHOMA HISTORICAL SOCIETY Very interesting offerings! 

Such as :1933 Unemployed Relief Census - An index of more than 100,000 names listed in the Unemployed Relief Census records. There are twenty-seven Oklahoma counties included. A searchable database on line!

Now, you might think that Oklahoma Historical Society might only interested in those Native American tribes whose people were relocated to Oklahoma but WOW!  Excerpt: 

The American Indian Archives

Since 1934 the Oklahoma Historical Society American Indian Archives have housed records for numerous tribal nations. The records came to the Oklahoma Historical Society after Congress passed legislation giving the OHS custody of the materials. These records include a variety of official documents and information relating to nations in Indian and Oklahoma Territory. The archives include a significant number of records pertaining to the Five Tribes as well as other tribal nations.

The Research Division is an affiliate of the National Archives and Records Administration.

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The TAG for this series is  "STATE CENSUS ADVENTURE"

I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE RAIL ROAD : RAIL ROAD EMPLOYMENT RECORDS TIED INTO PENSIONS : SOCIAL SECURITY?

If your ancestor was working on a train all their live-long-days, they may not be on the Social Security Death Index.  That's because they may have been covered by the Rail Road Retirement System instead.

Here's the history of that Pension Plan from the Social Security Administration.  The Great Depression had a strong influence on the decision to pay out in 1937.

SSA GOV :POLICY RAILROAD PENSION SYSTEM

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HOBO'S ODYSSEY by SAM HOBRECKER : ANCESTRY WORSHIP - GENEALOGY BOOK REVIEW

I highly recommend this memoir for those of you who are interest in The Great Depression, Prohibition, Organized Crime, trains and train travel, and well, hobos.  Transients who often grabbed a free ride, lived in 'jungles' (encampments), often went from one "gig" job after another, were called hobos. Author Sam Hobrecker's story is that of a teenager who followed the work.  After his mother died and his father remarried, Sam found his step-mother to be controlling and mean. He took off and learned to hop trains which proved to be death defying. Though he often went to a household or farm begging for work in exchange for food, he also did stints of hard labor with other men. This is a coming of age story also. There are some rather humorous parts of the story, but overall, you can feel what it was like to live with three days of hunger and take the risks. The part that I was not expecting is the third, when he finds himself involved with people who were criminals, mostly bootleggers, and attached to organized crime in Chicago. He finds himself of service at a boardinghouse and farm on the outskirts of the city where the mobsters and their girlfriends take respite or hide-out.

Here is what it says on the back of the book. "Although I was the main actor, the true heroes of this story are the American People. Our common enemy was the time in which we lived.  The Great Depression. Our only goal was survival. My purpose in writing this book is to show future generations how we lived and survived with  grace and courage - a factual story too real to let die without being told.

I leave you with one dramatic excerpt from page 116:

By now it was almost dark and the rain was starting to fall.  The temperature was dropping fast and we were still climbing.  We close the door and lit a five-hour plumber's candle that I had in my coat pocket. Tearing off some of the heavy brown paper that lined the lower half of the boxcar, we made a pad from several layers and laid it on the floor. We then twisted a long strip around into a tepee, and also wrapped paper around like a blanket.

We sat cross-legged in the tepee with the candle between us. I am sure the lighted candle gave off a little heat, but its warm yellow glow was comforting. Looking upward I said, "I hope they made it up to the engine."  Ron (his temporary traveling companion) closed his eyes and shuddered.

Hours later we felt the couplings jam together as the head engine slacked off preparing to stop.  The screech of the steel brake shoes against the wheels indicated we had passed the summit and were heading down grade into lower altitudes.  It took both of us to pry the door open; it had frozen shut.  As the train came into a shuddering stop, we jumped from the car into a lighted rail yard.

The awesome sight that met our eyes as we turned to look back at the train seemed unreal.  The train, almost a mile long, was now a glacial-like mound of glistening ice.  Ice, two or three inches thick, covered all exposed surfaces of the boxcars. We must have passed though a massive sleet storm as we crawled over the mountains pass. Cascades of curved icicles hung beneath the cars, extending to within inches of the rail bed, completely obliterating the sight of the wheels and understructure. The long wall of glistening ice standing silently beneath the lights of the rail yard seemed to belong to another world. The only evidence of reality was the half-opened door of the boxcar we had just jumped out of. 

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STEAMSHIP TICKET PRICES DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION : MAIDEN VOYAGES

THE GREAT DEPRESSION

EXCERPT:

Before the Depression the transatlantic liners had been plying their trade across the ocean with nearly full capacity in both directions.  It was a boom time for the travel industry and women passengers of all classes benefitted from the more comfortable conditions on board and the comparatively cheap fares for long-distance ocean voyages, while their seafaring sisters enjoyed ample employment in physically demanding but remunerative jobs afloat. But as the crisis deepened wealthier passengers canceled their plans for leisure and visits, communicating with their commercial contacts overseas by letter or telegram rather than in person.  Cut-throat competition drove ticket prices down by 20 percent as companies struggled to fill their ships.  Cunard cut its third-class transatlantic return ticket price from 20 pounds to 16 pounds per person, which meant that a 6,400 mile round trip from Britain to America now cost approximately one and a half pennies per mile. (Page 184)

(Note that some women employees on the ships stayed employed simply because it was less expensive that living off board and most accepted that their tips were paltry.)

This book is just so good and I've excerpted so much.  It goes into the World War II era.

RIDING THE RAILS : ANCESTRY WORSHIP GENEALOGY FILM REVIEW

RIDING THE RAILS : ANCESTRY WORSHIP GENEALOGY FILM REVIEW

I used YouTube to listen to a reading and talk author Errol Lincoln Uys gave after publishing this book and selections from the PBS documentary and was so impressed, especially because I've never realized that about 350,000 youth under the age of 18 were riding the rails in the 1930's Great Depression here in the United States.

The youth tended to be displaced or runaways, girls too, some orphans, about 10 percent out for an adventure. Hunger was a fact of life.

Do you know the difference between a tramp, a hobo, and a bum?

A bum lives a transient life style not wanting to work. A hobo wants to work, be it an odd job for a meal or following crops. A tramp is a traveler who may not be rich but has means.

I was impressed at the way the author proceeded. A small add brought in thousands of letters, communication with about 500 began, and then 20 ex riders of the rails in youth were filmed giving testimonials. Their stories are supported with historical film footage.

The film also TR reveals there were African-American travelers but the life was worse for them. It also brings up child labor st a time when there were no government benefits. 

I recommend this film to those if you who have Great Depression ancestors, would like to learn more about the economic history of the United States, and all of you who are interested in or experiencing homelessness. 

Back in the day youth experienced danger catching trains and staying in encampments, including going missing and sexual harassment and prostitution. 

Think about it.

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