The BoxCar Children
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The Boxcar children as they were affectionately came to be known as were made up children of all ages, races and ethnicities.
The children had many reasons for choosing this type of life during the Great Depression, but they all were similar in the aspect that they all “kept moving, always on the lookout for a meal, a place to sleep, and work they could do for pay.”(Freeman 2005,pg. 73)
From the stories depicted by some of the interviews the children that were boxcar children had not all left under the best circumstances. Some of the boxcar or teenage hobos left because couldn’t find a job close to home, their families felt they were a burden to them, some even ran away because of the pressures of their broken families, destroyed from unemployment and stricken with poverty. Some left home because the boxcar life seemed to be exciting to them and them some left with the permission from their families. The children had many reasons for choosing this type of life during the Great Depression, but they all were similar in the aspect that they all “kept moving, always on the lookout for a meal, a place to sleep, and work they could do for pay.”(Freeman 2005,pg. 73)
“A 1935 survey of 20,000 transients conducted by Herman Schubert at Buffalo, New York, was one of the rare studies to enumerate African-American youths. Sociologist Schubert interviewed 2,308 whites and 662 African-Americans in the 15-to-24 age group. The young African-Americans had been on the road longer than the whites, the median age of wandering for the former about six months as compared with three months for the latter.” (Routledge 2003, np)
“By the late 1932, at least 250,000 of these Depression-era nomads were under the age of twenty-one.” (Freeman 2005, pg. 72)
“By the late 1932, at least 250,000 of these Depression-era nomads were under the age of twenty-one.” (Freeman 2005, pg. 72) There were children on the railroads, “riding the rails” for so many reasons. “Thousands of businesses had failed, and scores of schools had been forced to close, making jobs scarce and advanced education unavailable. Whether they were escaping wrenching poverty or abusive families, or were simply seeking adventure, for many teenagers, leaving home seemed like the best option.” ("Teenage hoboes in," np)
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The groups of boxcar children were both boys and girls. The children on the boxcars traveled in groups because it was safer that way. Another safety measure that the girls went to was to dress and disguised themselves as boys.
"Peggy DeHart a 16 year old girl said “ It was easier for a girl than a boy on the road,”…”People bought us meals and gave us the change out of their pockets and I doubt that they would do that readily for a boy.”(Freeman 2005, pg.74)
The boxcar kids offered some unique perspectives on how they felt, as a child riding the rails during the great depression, a sixteen year old girl Peggy DeHart who said “ It was easier for a girl than a boy on the road,”…”People bought us meals and gave us the change out of their pockets and I doubt that they would do that readily for a boy.”(Freeman 2005, pg.74)
Another boy had a different view of how hard riding the rails was and living on the run was for him back then. A sixteen-year-old boy named Clarence Lee recalled “ You had to be careful not to stumble or fall under the wheels when you climbed on the cars. You had to jump off at the right time too ‘cause once the train picked up speed you had a hard time getting off. Sometimes you slept in a boxcar in a rail yard. Next morning when you woke up the train would be taking off with you. It was scary and dangerous but you had to do it to survive.” (Freeman 2005, pg. 75-76)
Another boy had a different view of how hard riding the rails was and living on the run was for him back then. A sixteen-year-old boy named Clarence Lee recalled “ You had to be careful not to stumble or fall under the wheels when you climbed on the cars. You had to jump off at the right time too ‘cause once the train picked up speed you had a hard time getting off. Sometimes you slept in a boxcar in a rail yard. Next morning when you woke up the train would be taking off with you. It was scary and dangerous but you had to do it to survive.” (Freeman 2005, pg. 75-76)
"Clarence Lee a 16 year old boy said “ You had to be careful not to stumble or fall under the wheels when you climbed on the cars. You had to jump off at the right time too ‘cause once the train picked up speed you had a hard time getting off. Sometimes you slept in a boxcar in a rail yard. Next morning when you woke up the train would be taking off with you. It was scary and dangerous but you had to do it to survive.” (Freeman 2005, pg. 75-76)
Accidents were frequent on the boxcars, and because of this a misstep, a slip or fall could cripple or long-term injury could occur when they were jumping on or off the train. Which if they were injured, it would have definitely impacted and drastically changed the course of their life.