HOOVERVILLE

STORY:
On a clear summer night, you walk along the shores of the Puyallup River to unwind from a long day’s work. As you begin to walk back to your car, you cross paths with another late night walker and his dog. You nod a silent greeting and take in his appearance; his clothes are tan and tattered and look like remnants of a past era. The scowl on his face doesn’t change in response to your greeting as he stares straight ahead.  You bend down to pet the large, but seemingly amiable yellow lab. The mutt howls and wails desperately. Slightly startled, you step back to watch them walk away. The dog’s loud cries don’t fade in volume as the pair fades into the harsh industrial lights.

HISTORY:
Beginning in the late 1920's the Tacoma tide flats, then a mostly undeveloped area, was largely occupied by transients. Due to the Great Depression and the ensuing housing crisis, many desperate for shelter built shacks made from scrap wood on the mucky tide flats, the nearby river offering a convenient source of water. This shanty town and many others like it were referred to as Hoovervilles, a name that highlighted resentment for Herbert Hoover, who the public scorned for his inability to provide economic relief. City officials struggled with controlling the rising population in the area, eventually resorting to the controlled burns of fifty or so shacks in 1942. Residents quickly rebuilt, remaining in the area until the early fifties when the last resident allegedly took his life during a stand-off with police.