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Hobo signs were cryptic symbols left by travelers on fences, sidewalks, and train stops from 1880 to 1940 in the US. They provided information on hospitality, food, law enforcement, and shelter. Some signs warned of police presence or lack of hospitality, while others indicated a homeowner’s hospitality or the availability of necessities like medical care and clean water. Some signs were used for scams or burglary. Many of these signs still exist today, but modern travelers use other forms of communication to avoid law enforcement.
From roughly 1880 until 1940, hobos traveling the railroads across the United States left cryptic symbols on fences, sidewalks, street signs, and train stops for other hobos to discover. These symbols, known as hobo signs, would provide vital information useful to other travelers, including the city’s level of hospitality, potential food and beverage outlets, the status of local law enforcement, and the best approaches for a pantry. Whenever a hobo arrived in a new city, he would first look for these signs to see if a stop was worth it.
Most hobo markings are simple line drawings created with chalk, charcoal sticks, or possibly carved into the ground. There are regional variations on many of the more common hobo markings, but an experienced traveler should be able to recognize their basic meaning. In an effort to prevent detection by law enforcement or the creation of false or misleading symbols by outsiders, many of the original signs of the wanderers have changed over the years, much like modern street slang.
Some signs are used to warn other drifters of the presence of law enforcement or a general lack of hospitality for drifters. A set of pound signs, for example, indicated a nearby prison. A dot below a curved line would indicate an active police force, while a dot above a curved line would indicate a lack of police activity. A coiled spring would alert wanderers to the presence of a judge, while a spring drawn inside a box would indicate a nearby courthouse.
Other hobo signs informed travelers of a homeowner’s relative hospitality. A simple cross meant that the wanderer had to engage in religious discourse in order to receive food or shelter. A rudimentary drawing of a cat or a stick figure in a voluminous skirt indicated the presence of a gentle woman. The letter “M” suggested a wanderer to tell the owner of the house a story of bad luck to increase his chances of a meal or lodgings. One of the worst hobo marks to discover was a triangle with the club “arms” raised. This meant that the owner of the house owned a gun.
The signs also enabled the homeless to find other necessities such as medical care, clean drinking water, and a suitable area for camping. A “plus” sign with a man’s face in the corner meant a doctor would provide free medical care. A large letter “r” would also indicate that free health care was available.
A wavy line indicated a safe water supply, while a wavy line between two straight lines indicated unsafe water. A large letter “U” represented a safe place to sleep, while circles with arrows suggested a hasty exit from the area. Two small dots on a curved line meant that sleeping in a barn or barn was allowed.
However, not all signs of the wanderers were benevolent in nature. A large letter “V” informed wanderers that a feigned illness would receive sympathy. Two sticks placed as a “T” to the side indicated an easy sign for a scam, or scam, being lived in the home. A circle with a diagonal line often meant the house was worth burglarizing. Other signs indicated wealthy occupants or the absence of the owner.
More substantial lists of vagrant signs and symbols are available in books devoted to the history of the vagrant or railroad era and the times of the Great Depression. Some of these tramp marks still appear today. Many modern travelers prefer to use other forms of covert communication with each other to avoid attracting the attention of law enforcement agencies.
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