I posted this on an earlier blog and thought I re-post it here:

Down Town

Grandma and Grandpop lived in Harvey, Illinois, on Morgan street, just across from the IC tracks (Illinois Central) which segregated the residents of Harvey from the industry.

The IC tracks are to the right.
Morgan is the street just to the left.

There was a cinder alley running parallel (west) to Grandma’s driveway. It drew a perpendicular to the north behind the wood-framed garage. The alley serviced the block and then turned left (west) again, emptying at the front entrance of Thornton High School.

The house is the first one up on the left with the tan roof.

The alley running between the Thornton HS Voc Ed. Building
and the House looks like it's been paved.

Grandpop had a steady job painting warships at the Port, and mom, at 9, was working as a check-out girl at Kresge’s.

In the ‘30’s, homeless, jobless men rode the IC rails. They’d get off at the switch yard in Harvey, find their way to the cinder alley and find the mark on Grandma’s fence.

And Grandma made them Hobo Stew.

Hobo Stew

2 cans of Cream of Celery soup
2 cans of Cream of Mushroom soup
2 cans of French Onion soup
2 cans of rice
2 cans of water
a couple of chickens, cut up
some paprika, salt and pepper

mix the first 5 ingredients together in a baking dish, then
add the chicken and the spices

cover with tin foil and bake at 375 for about an hour

serve on tin plates or old pie pans

listen to Woodie Guthrie songs and think of better Times

Save your tin foil for the war effort.

For your reference, the Hobo Signs:


c/o