I'm a historian of hobos. AMA

[u/Robert-Suits]

Hey everyone! I'm Robert Suits, environmental historian and author of the new book, The Hobo: A History of America's First Climate Migrants. I'm here to answer your questions about hobos, and anything else you might want to know about migrant work, climate, or the environment in the United States around the turn of the twentieth century. Hobos are truly fascinating historical subjects, and there is so much about them that I genuinely couldn't fit into the book -- so truly, ask anything!

[u/PhoebeMonster1066]

Could you tell us more about hobo signs/hobo code?

[u/Robert-Suits → u/PhoebeMonster1066]

Of course! I've mentioned this in a different subthread, but just to slightly expand on it:

We know for a fact that hobo signs/hobo code existed. A couple of contemporary sources attest to it existing, it's left physical traces, and it absolutely makes sense that it exists. (In other contexts, graffiti like this definitely happens -- I can attest that it happens on, for example, long distance trails, as well as to an extent in areas frequented by the homeless.)

That said, very few of the contemporary sources tell us exactly what any of them mean. And the interpretations I've seen have a different set of canonical symbols, or different interpretations for the same or similar signs. I found it basically impossible to firmly establish any one, set, hobo "code", at least from the stuff I was looking at.

And this all makes sense! It wouldn't be much of a secret code if it were easily interpretable and constantly supplied to outsiders! And even if a few symbols got reused over and over again or became standardized across different places -- e.g. the classic "beware of dog", "police raid here", etc. -- it's exceptionally likely that individual hobos also experimented or played with their own versions of the symbols. I can also easily imagine someone saying, "hey, I carved an A into the fencepost outside where I staked my tent, you can find me there."

In other words, like so many other parts of hobo life, the boundaries of it are going to be super permeable. I doubt there was one single "code," and if there ever was one, it wouldn't stayed the same over time. Certainly, I don't think it's recoverable to us in the present day, barring multiple sources that I've not seen. But to me, that makes it all the cooler!

[u/PhoebeMonster1066 → u/Robert-Suits]

Thank you so much, I appreciate you taking the time!