The Last of the Great American Hobos
Hop a train to Iowa, where proud vagabonds gather every summer to crown the new king and queen of the rails
Every August, travelers and train enthusiasts convene in Britt, a town of 2,000 in north central Iowa, to celebrate Hobo Days. As visitors and locals enjoy a traditional small-town festival on Main Avenue, members of the National Hobo Convention assemble in the Jungle, a gathering place alongside the train tracks on the edge of town. They come together to see old friends and to ensure that the history of the hobo will be honored and remembered.
Photographed for the Smithsonian Magazine
Iowegian, 62, originally from Waterloo, Iowa
Crowned Hobo King in 2006
Dutch, 60, “nowhere is home”
Crowned Hobo King in 2018
Half Track, 61, of Little Falls, Minnesota
Crowned Hobo Queen in 2005
King Tuck, 58, of Minneapolis, Minnesota
Crowned Hobo King in 2007 and 2017
Jenny “Sassy” Fox, 50, of Baltimore, Maryland
Stumpy, 59, of Hatfield, Wisconsin
Mo of Gurley, Alabama
Cindy “Miss Cindy Lou” Pacheaco, 66, of Hastings, Minnesota
Crowned Hobo Queen in 2014
Tim “Train” Dittmar, 47, of Southern Minnesota
Minnesota Jim, 89, of Oakdale, Minnesota
Crowned Hobo King in 2012
Ward “Charlie” Slavik, 60, of North Minneapolis, Minnesota
Ava "Willow" Miller, 12, of St. Peter, Minnesota
Granddaughter of Ricardo, crowned Hobo King in 2016
Slim Tim, 77, of Rochester, New York