As we look at what’s ahead for Arkansas in 2016, it’s still very important to remember where our great state has been. The Natural State made it through the Great Depression despite years of struggling, and it speaks to the tenacity of our residents that we’re the descendants of hard work and faith in progress. Looking at photographs of homes and families in Arkansas during that period of time reminds us to be proud of where we’ve been and gives us strength to face whatever comes at us in the future.
- Marianna Ark
photogrammar.yale.edu A testimony to perseverance, this Marianna family built this ark for themselves after being flooded out of their homes. Photographer Edwin Locke took this picture in February 1937.
- Lakeview Project Barn
photogrammar.yale.edu Although it’s not a house, this Lakeview barn photographed in December 1938 by Russell Lee is a unique reminder of the improvements and projects that took place around Arkansas during the Great Depression to assist farmers and residents in need.
- Lakeview Project House
photogrammar.yale.edu This house built in Lakeview as part of a housing project was photographed in December 1938 by Russell Lee.
- Sharecropper’s Shack
photogrammar.yale.edu Carl Mydans took this June 1936 photograph of a sharecropper’s shack on a farm in West Memphis.
- Cottonworker’s Cabin
photogrammar.yale.edu Famed Great Depression photographer Dorothea Lange took this picture of a cotton farmer’s cabin near Blytheville in June 1937.
- Plum Bayou Homestead House
photogrammar.yale.edu As part of a project for sturdier and more permanent homes, the Plum Bayou township in Jefferson, Arkansas saw the construction of houses like this one photographed in April 1937 by Arthur Rothstein.
- Sharecropper’s Cabin
photogrammar.yale.edu This Washington County sharecropper’s cabin was photographed in November 1935 by Arthur Rothstein. The well-worn path on the property shows that despite its disrepair, this cabin had to make do as a home for an entire family.
- Pulaski County House
photogrammar.yale.edu Ben Shahn took this October 1935 photo of an unnamed woman (“Mother Lane”) outside of her house in Pulaski County.
- Hollow Log Chicken Roost
photogrammar.yale.edu This chicken roost outside a Boone County log cabin was photographed in October 1935 was made from a hollowed log, showing one example of the ingenuity and creativity of the farmers of the age who had to get by on nearly nothing.
- Temporary Log Cabin House
photogrammar.yale.edu Photographer Ben Shahn took this photo of a Boone County family in October 1935 outside of their temporary log cabin house, a part of the local rehabilitation project that housed farmers and their families.
- Canning Kitchen Interior
photogrammar.yale.edu The interior of a canning kitchen in Johnson County was photographed by Arthur Rothstein in August 1935.
- Mississippi County Company House
photogrammar.yale.edu Arthur Rothstein took this August 1935 photograph of a Mississippi County sharecropper and his family in front of a company house at the Wilson cotton plantation.
It’s one thing to hear about the hard times from our relatives who lived in this difficult era, but photographs from the 1930s always send a clear message about how Arkansas residents struggled during the Great Depression. Share your memories and thoughts about this era. What feelings do these photos from the Great Depression evoke in you?
photogrammar.yale.edu
A testimony to perseverance, this Marianna family built this ark for themselves after being flooded out of their homes. Photographer Edwin Locke took this picture in February 1937.
Although it’s not a house, this Lakeview barn photographed in December 1938 by Russell Lee is a unique reminder of the improvements and projects that took place around Arkansas during the Great Depression to assist farmers and residents in need.
This house built in Lakeview as part of a housing project was photographed in December 1938 by Russell Lee.
Carl Mydans took this June 1936 photograph of a sharecropper’s shack on a farm in West Memphis.
Famed Great Depression photographer Dorothea Lange took this picture of a cotton farmer’s cabin near Blytheville in June 1937.
As part of a project for sturdier and more permanent homes, the Plum Bayou township in Jefferson, Arkansas saw the construction of houses like this one photographed in April 1937 by Arthur Rothstein.
This Washington County sharecropper’s cabin was photographed in November 1935 by Arthur Rothstein. The well-worn path on the property shows that despite its disrepair, this cabin had to make do as a home for an entire family.
Ben Shahn took this October 1935 photo of an unnamed woman (“Mother Lane”) outside of her house in Pulaski County.
This chicken roost outside a Boone County log cabin was photographed in October 1935 was made from a hollowed log, showing one example of the ingenuity and creativity of the farmers of the age who had to get by on nearly nothing.
Photographer Ben Shahn took this photo of a Boone County family in October 1935 outside of their temporary log cabin house, a part of the local rehabilitation project that housed farmers and their families.
The interior of a canning kitchen in Johnson County was photographed by Arthur Rothstein in August 1935.
Arthur Rothstein took this August 1935 photograph of a Mississippi County sharecropper and his family in front of a company house at the Wilson cotton plantation.
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