The Great Depression began in the fall of 1929, shortly after the October stock market crash. The worst economic downturn the United States has ever seen, the depression lasted until the late 1930s with the start of the second world war. Poverty and unemployment were widespread and the impact of the Great Depression on New Jersey was undeniable. By 1933, 10% of our state’s population was dependent on Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. New Jersey issued begging licenses to the poor and unemployed and the Works Progress Administration was in full force, leading to the development of projects including the expansion of Fort Dix, Roosevelt Park in Edison and Rutgers Stadium in Piscataway. The following rare photos, many just recently released by the Library of Congress, capture life in New Jersey during the Great Depression.
- A tar paper house off of Amwell road in Franklin Township, near Bound Brook, 1936.
Carl Mydans/Library of Congress/LC-USF34-001266
- An aerial view of Fair Lawn, taken in 1935.
Carl Mydans/Library of Congress/LC-USF344-000872-ZB
- The slums of Newark, 1939.
Arthur Rothstein/Library of Congress/LC-USF34-027170
- A squatters camp, also in Newark, taken in 1939. Called “Jersey Meadows,” the land was located on a city dump.
Arthur Rothstein/Library of Congress/LC-USF34-027171
- Jersey City at the close of the Great Depression, 1939.
Arthur Rothstein/Library of Congress/LC-USF33-003046
- The Manville Works, Manville, Somerset County, 1936.
Carl Mydans/Library of Congress/LC-USF34-001197
- Workers in Hightstown, 1935.
Ben Shahn/Library of Congress/LC-USF33-006498
- New Brunwick circa 1936.
Carl Mydans/Library of Congress/LC-USF34-001222
- A boarding house in Freehold for migrant potato pickers, 1938.
Arthur Rothstein/Library of Congress/LC-USF34-026679
- A migrant worker’s dinner, 1938.
Arthur Rothstein/Library of Congress/LC-USF34-026647
- L.H. Adams being presented with a check for five thousand dollars. Adams was the first farmer in the region to receive a loan under the tenant purchase program. Taken in Burlington, 1938.
John Vachon/Library of Congress/V
- Vacant lots are used as gardens in Glassboro, 1938.
Arthur Rothstein/Library of Congress/LC-USF34-026676
- Seabrook Farms, between Vineland and Bridgeton, supplied beans and peas to much of the Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington DC area, 1936.
Edwin Rosskam/Library of Congress/LC-USF33-005003
- A US customs house in Bivalve.
Arthur Rothstein/Library of Congress/LC-USF33-002868
- Factory and workers’ homes in Camden, 1938.
Arthur Rothstein/Library of Congress/LC-USF33-002884
- Another side of Camden, farm workers picking carrots, 1938.
Arthur Rothstein/Library of Congress/LC-USF33-002848
- The Traymore Hotel in Atlantic City circa 1930.
Wikipedia/Public Domain
- A textile factory in Paterson circa 1936.
Wikipedia/National Archives And Records Administration
- The shanty homes of textile workers on the outskirts of Paterson, 1936.
Wikipedia/National Archives and Records Administration
- Edgewater in 1931.
Wikipedia/Public Domain
- An unemployed women’s camp near the Palisades. A controversial program developed by Eleanor Roosevelt as part of the CCC, these women worked mainly on wilderness conservation projects.
Wikipedia/National Archives and Records Administration
- South River circa 1936.
Wikipedia/Public Domain
- Unemployed protesters on South Broadway in Camden, 1935.
Wikipedia/National Archives and Records Administration
Though the Great Depression may seem so far in the past, many from the era are still alive. We’ve probably all heard stories of the Great Depression from our parents and grandparents, if we didn’t live through it ourselves. My grandmother worked as a seamstress, supporting her 10 brothers and sisters. Do you have a depression-era story? Please share in the comments below, and share photos to the Only in New Jersey Facebook Page.
Carl Mydans/Library of Congress/LC-USF34-001266
Carl Mydans/Library of Congress/LC-USF344-000872-ZB
Arthur Rothstein/Library of Congress/LC-USF34-027170
Arthur Rothstein/Library of Congress/LC-USF34-027171
Arthur Rothstein/Library of Congress/LC-USF33-003046
Carl Mydans/Library of Congress/LC-USF34-001197
Ben Shahn/Library of Congress/LC-USF33-006498
Carl Mydans/Library of Congress/LC-USF34-001222
Arthur Rothstein/Library of Congress/LC-USF34-026679
Arthur Rothstein/Library of Congress/LC-USF34-026647
John Vachon/Library of Congress/V
Arthur Rothstein/Library of Congress/LC-USF34-026676
Edwin Rosskam/Library of Congress/LC-USF33-005003
Arthur Rothstein/Library of Congress/LC-USF33-002868
Arthur Rothstein/Library of Congress/LC-USF33-002884
Arthur Rothstein/Library of Congress/LC-USF33-002848
Wikipedia/Public Domain
Wikipedia/National Archives And Records Administration
Wikipedia/National Archives and Records Administration
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