The Story of Hooverville, in Seattle

              ^y Jesse jfeeVsan * Bocnrrvllls*s ?%yw
This is a true story of ';y own experiences* X was one? of the
first twenty to build a shaslr upon the property of the Seattle Port
©emission located upon Seattle*s waterfront* hounded by Railroad
&v®rn®  on tvo east* Dearborn street on the north* Connecticut street
on. the south and the waterfront to the west* that was destined to
pa$a through icany difficulties* and grow to a little Chanty city of
six hundred shaefte and ana thousand Inhabitants*
It tfas in October 1931 that J* a lumberjack* long out of employ**
^ent» found nyself out of funds* seeking relief frw* charitable insti*
tutlons* The depression had just begun* and bo national or state
relief systo? had been set up* no  the iasfe of handling t*>e relief of
the needy mi?  betnr* attempted In a feeble wa? by charitable or^an*
Isatlons that were not  prepared to handle such a g3 gentle and un«*
expected prohlo«u and naturally the relief ^i*'onf through no fault
of theirs* was pretty bad*
I raa:? roistered at a Central He^lstry for single* homeless
T-n ai^rt niven a ticket t*at called for one evening neal* at a i^oup
Mtcven# that resembled pl~ swill nore thar> It did human food; no
Tornln?:: or noonday siealj and was allowed to sleep upon the hard floor
of t^e Institution at ni^ht with a few newspapers* that I had picPred
isp* tinder we  for a bed* Ho %^ds or bedding had a^ -ret been provided*
The^e conditions caused ^o to r^bel against the relief &ctup and start
^ "   8541«9