This is a picture of a Hooverville that popped up in Central Park. This picture shows that even in the one of the busiest cities in the country, people were still suffering. Hoovervilles were small shantytowns. Americans blamed Herbert Hoover, the president at the time, for the social and economic conditions. Therefore, these villages were called Hoovervilles. Urban citizens lost their jobs, savings, and homes. These citizens had nothing left, so they built small, Hooverville shanties out of cardboard, tar paper, glass, lumber, tin, and anything else they could find. Some people just made a hole in the ground with a makesift roof.
This is a picture of a Hooverville in St. Louis, Missouri. Hoovervilles appeared not only in the Northern part of the United States, but also the South. Cities all across the country were affected by the Stock Market Crash and the Great Depression. St Louis was home to one of the country's largest and longest-lasting Hoovervilles. This Hooverville has an unofficial mayor that communicated to the outside world. Additionally, it had unofficial churches and social institutions. This Hooverville was also funded by private donations. Most Hoovervilles were not as successful as this one. However, no matter how successful a Hooverville was, they were still full of people that were worried and unsure as to when they Great Depression would end.