The Secret Code of Hobos: A Lost Cultural Heritage

The 'hobo' culture of early 20th-century America was far more complex than we often imagine. They weren't simply homeless individuals, but a group with a unique culture and secret communication system. They used a special symbolic language—the 'hobo code'—leaving markings on walls, water towers, and other surfaces to indicate food, shelter, and danger. While the extent of this code's use is debated, it symbolizes the unique ways hobos created to survive and help each other, and its legacy can be seen in later cultural phenomena like graffiti art.