Hobo Symbols
Trains travel through the most breathtaking vistas on the planet. Throughout the 19th & 20th century, the Hobo hitched rides in the boxcars of these trains simply because he could. An amazing group of symbols developed from this tradition of boxcar travel. Because of the beauty of the landscape surrounding the railroad, this method of traveling born of necessity became an escape for world weary folks seeking a simpler life. During a Hobo’s adventures, the need for food, water and community were ever present. To spread knowledge among other like-minded boxcar hoppers, this system of signs emerged as a code for how the boxcar traveler might find work or food in the towns that bordered the railroad. These symbols are known as Hobo Signs.