The Pacific Coast Drought, 1931

During the harsh drought of the 1930s, countless Americans fled their homes along the Pacific coast in search of brighter prospects, hoping for a fresh start amid the economic turmoil. Yet, their arrival often stirred resentment among locals who feared competition for scarce resources. While California offered promise, job opportunities were quickly seized by those already entrenched in the community.

The grip of the Great Depression left many in dire poverty, with meager wages from seasonal agricultural work barely enough to eke out a living. In the poignant photo above, a drought refugee and his son, hailing from Polk, Missouri, await the onset of the orange picking season in Porterville, California, captured in 1931.