The Great Depression left deep and lasting scars upon the people of Nebraska, especially the farming families who were forced to leave their homesteads in search of a living. The droughts and locusts left the land barren and infertile, causing much of Nebraskan agriculture to cease. Here are some heart-wrenching photographs taken in Nebraska during the Great Depression.
- Farmers were forced to auction off their possessions due to drought rendering their homesteads barren.
Arthur Rothstein/ Yale
- Workers cut fence posts in Pine Ridge.
Arthur Rothstein/ Yale
- A drought committee inspects a dam in Chadron.
Arthur Rothstein/ Yale
- A farmer and a child relax for a moment.
John Vachon/ Yale
- People doing light shopping in Lincoln on a Saturday afternoon.
John Vachon/ Yale
- Farmers in Lincoln load a truck with their beet crop.
John Vachon/ Yale
- A women looks thoughtful on her homestead in Lincoln.
John Vachon/ Yale
- A house built entirely of bales of hay in Lexington.
John Vachon/ Yale
- A man in Omaha is unable to find employment.
John Vachon/ Yale
- This pencil salesman in Omaha is also a war veteran.
John Vachon/ Yale
- This truck in Omaha is carrying a poster for a film.
John Vachon/ Yale
- A blind man loiters in downtown Omaha.
John Vachon/ Yale
- A girl carries her father’s lunch pail in Omaha.
John Vachon/ Yale
- Farmers bid at an auction in Hastings.
Arthur Rothstein/ Yale
- Workers erect a snow fence in York County.
John Vachon/ Yale
- Horses take a drink in Scottsbluff.
Marion Post Wolcott/ Yale
Wow. Do you have a family legacy from this era? Share your story below.
Arthur Rothstein/ Yale
John Vachon/ Yale
Marion Post Wolcott/ Yale
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