Fleeing the Dust Bowl

[TonyB]

I saw this picture on Facebook and thought it deserves a wider audience.
A dust bowl refugee fleeing his homestead in the mid-1930's, Notice he has tires, OVER tires, on the front wheels. A Model TT Ford Truck. He's likely not headed to Beverly Hills, either?

[Ruxstel24]

He looks a little apprehensive about what lies beneath !!

[Steve Jelf]

I'm not sure I buy the dust bowl premise. The way stuff is piled in there it looks more like hauling a load to the dump.

[TFan]

Those dang scrappers are everywhere! I don't see any spotting on the ground, must be empty. Hope he's got some Boyco's somewhere. Jim

[Raoul von S.]

Erik Barrett once posted a story here, where he was asked, while on his way to the dump
with a load on his TT, where he was going. He told the inquirer "To the dump". The inquirer
thought a moment and then asked "How are you getting home ?"

[TWrenn]

The clarity of the picture is outstanding. Nice picture. Thanks for posting.

[Drkbp]

Seems to be a 1936 Tennessee farm license plate on the truck.
Also, a '35 Ford coupe in the far background .
Great photo!

[Rich Eagle]

When I've been to the dump my friends ask "What did you Get?"

[Hap_Tucker]

Tony - thank you for posting the photo!

Steve -- The photo is credited to Arthur Rothstein a photographer working for the Farm Security Administration during the depression. The information with the original photo stated: “Tenant farmer moving his household goods to a new farm. Hamilton County, Tennessee. The photo was taken in 1937. (Page 100 of Sorenson’s “Fords Forever” adds Aug 1937).

Hap’s observation. The belongings are stacked “helter skelter” and are not packed for a long trip. Hap’s guess on why? I think he is going down the road hoping to a new farm not too far away to be a “Tenant Farmer” there and to unload his belongings. But that is just a guess. It sure looks like the suit case on top of the pile near the front would vibrate off if he drove a long distance or slide off if the truck stopped quickly.

Several different resolutions are available as a free download from the Library of Congress. See: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/fsa.8b36061

There is even more detail of the truck available there. Sorenson in his book “Fords Forever” on page 100 has the truck a circa 1922. But zooming in on the photo shows a range of parts. For example, it has the above the axle wishbone and spring perches which were discontinued during 1919. It has an accessory below the axle wishbone support. I do not see a cross bar support at the lower part of the radiator?

I’m not sure what is going on with the front spring to fame mounting. It appears to have has a larger front spring (perhaps a 1926-27 Ton Truck?) with several leaves below the front frame cross member.

It has a wooden steering wheel. So 1919 or so or earlier ref: http://www.mtfca.com/encyclo/S-T.htm#stw 1912-1920
Malleable iron spider, painted black. 12-1/4” I.D., 1-3/8” thick) 14.59” O.D. wood rim painted black until about 1919, then made of “Fordite” composition material. The malleable iron spider was changed to the pressed steel design late in the era (date unknown)

Again, great photo, thank you Tony for sharing it with us.

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off

[Wayne Sheldon]

Sure looks like an early TT. Square felloe non-demountable front wheel, clear glass headlamp lens. Generally appears to be pre-1920. Being over fifteen years old when the photo was taken, it had a lot of time for changes to have been made. The front spring clearly has been modified. The main (first) leaf connects shackles to perch. The second and third leaves (at least!) have been double up. I have had a couple front springs like that over the years. I suspect it was done for TTs more than a few times. The U-bolt front spring clamps are not original Ford issue. They are standard common square corner spring U-bolts used on many cars, wagons, machinery, etc, and available in many sizes at most hardware suppliers in those days. The original Ford issue bolts had a unique shape to clear the edges of the front cross-member, and would have been too short for the taller spring stack. That feature was not needed with the considerably thicker stack of spring leaves.
I suspect that if we look really close at that rear end, we will see the rib on the end of the housing center casting.

Such a wonderful photo! And some personal connections for some of us. My grandparents lost their farm in the immediate aftermath of the '29 crash. Over the next five years, they moved a few times, working farms on a tenant basis. By 1935, they bought the first of three ranches they bought and farmed until my grandfather retired in 1964. I know a couple of the moves were very short, one, less than a mile. I can picture them driving their truck, loaded just about like that one.

[John Warren]

You think about the weight the front axle could pack now on all those springs, still has the same spindle bolts as my t's

[Rich Bingham]

It's an engineering miracle, John. Think about that. Overload the whole carriage 90 years ago, worry about it today. Kinda reminds me about the old saw that tells us according to the laws of aerodynamics, a bumblebee can't fly.

[RustyFords]

This famous photo is my father-in-law's uncle and his cousins.