Mays Avenue Community Camp, Oklahoma City

In the immediate months and years following the crash of 1929 and the Dust Bowl summers of the 1930s, several hundreds of families who lost their farms migrated to the cities of Oklahoma in search of work…

Squatting on city property near the banks of the Canadian River, these families established communities of make-shift houses. From these locations, they sought odd-jobs in the city’s businesses and factories, surviving one day at a time…

“Sandtown” (Shanty towns) South side of the Canadian River, OKC

One of the most populous locations for these down-and-out OKIEs was the riverbank area, south of the Canadian, near the street of May Avenue. For this reason, the “community camp” became known as the Mays’ Avenue Camp.

Oklahoma City provided community sources of water, either by occasional pumps or hauled in by wagon.

Boy living in camp near Mays Avenue making sandwich Boy living in camp near Mays Avenue making sandwich. This food is distributed by Saint Anthony's hospital after patients have been fed. This was the only foodline left in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

This family had been farmers in Oklahoma until four years ago This family had been farmers in Oklahoma until four years ago. Since then they have lived in community camp getting some food from the vegetable dumps, doing "trashing" and going on the road occasionally as migrant workers.

Resident of Mays Avenue camp under the bridge, covering milk with wet cloth in order to keep it cool. Many residents of this camp sneak into stockyards early in the morning to milk cows.

Mother and daughter picking over crawfish which they catch to sell for bait.

Source: Library of Congress Created by: Pam Merrill, Edmond Public Schools