I have a few more pictures from my wildflower jaunts earlier this week, but first I want to show a couple from the Lamont-Arvin area. There are many Okies in Kern County – and it’s a term we use affectionately. During the 1930s, right on the heels of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl occurred. During the dust bowl, people from the affected areas of the Great Plains streamed into California and Kern County. There were rumors of jobs in the fields, yet folks weren’t much better off once they got here than they had been at home. For a quick history of the dust bowl, click on the link above – it’s the Wikipedia article and it’s pretty good. Do click on the link if only to look at the photos if you’ve never seen a dust storm. Unbelievable. AND read the bottom of the article about the influence on the arts of the great Dust Bowl migration, where there is a mention of the Bakersfield Sound! Yes indeedy, here in Bakersfield we have a brand of music all to our own and it’s known worldwide.
The Weedpatch Camp right here in Kern County was a bright spot for those lucky enough to secure a tent spot. A few of the buildings have been preserved and restored and are now on the National Register of Historic Places.
I drove by and took a few photos the other day. John Steinbeck’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath featured Weedpatch Camp, which has also been known as the Arvin Labor Camp and Sunset Camp. The buildings in the picture are the library and the post office, and the movie Grapes of Wrath was filmed right here.
These buildings formed the community center where dances and other activities were held. Tom Collins was head of the camp and a better administrator couldn’t have been found. He had compassion for the migrants in their terrible situation. He also was helpful to John Steinbeck. This article has a great review of their roles. I was lucky enough to read Collin’s original journal of the Weedpatch Camp and I wish I could remember more details. He is a man whose name should be widely known.
I went through Weedpatch the other day – remember?
The migrant children suffered terrible discrimination so the Kern Superintendent of Schools, Leo B. Hart, said that if no one would accept them in their schools, he’d build them a school, and he did – known then as The School at Weedpatch Camp and now as Sunset School. You can read the whole story in Children of the Dust Bowl – it’s a young person’s book so a quick read but a great history.
When we moved to Kern County in 1979, I was astounded to learn that this historic site was right here in my new backyard. I’ll bet that most residents of Kern County don’t know we have this significant historical landmark. It thrilled me then and it still does. It’s quite a story.
Kern County residents (and others) can find a wealth of information at the Lamont Library and from local Dust Bowl historian Doris Weddell. Contact information is on this page. Also, there is an annual Dust Bowl Festival in Lamont every year. Info on that can be found also at that link.
Tags: CED2010, Creative Every Day, Dust Bowl, Grapes of Wrath, Kern County, Sunset Camp, Sunset School Leo B. Hart, Weedpatch Camp
Susan….Great article! I am always happy to have our subject brought up to as many people as possible, in as many ways as possible.Good job……Doris Weddell
Great story….
I went to Sunset School in the 50′s. Grades 5-9. I also lived in the camp you speak about. Although we were poor, it wasn’t bad there. I made some very good friends. My father got a better job and we moved just down the street. I missed living around my friends but the house we got was much bigger and nicer. The camp furnished only the bare necessities. I do miss those days.
[...] posted not too long ago about the Sunset Labor Camp, or Weedpatch Camp. Here’s one of the wonderful things about the internet. I received a comment from Judy [...]
When I was a 7-year-old child my parents took us to live at Weedpatch Camp for 4 months. My dad, an auto mechanic, then decided he could make a lot more money elsewhere other than picking grapes. Someone had suggested the notion he could make easy money there. Mistake! But, those 4 months for me and my siblings were fun. I do remember attending church at the simple wooden community hall. The house we lived in (all 4 of us kids plus dad & mom who was pregnant) was just a 1-room cabin, no bathroom at all but there was a stove or burner of some sort for mom to cook on. Bathroom facilities was located centrally in the midst of the camp. It was an experience I will never forget, like living in the 1800s.
Hi Susan,
I’m a teacher at Sunset School, and like to ask permission to use your photos of Sunset School, the Weedpatch Camp Buildings and supermarket in a grant I’m writing. For more information about the grant visit http://www.discoverbing.com/education. I could go out and take my own photos, but yours are so much better than mine would ever be. We are hoping to get a $100,000 technology grant for our school.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Donna Kehl
6th grade teacher
Sunset School
My family moved to sunset camp 1953-54 I went to vineland school beginning 2nd grade then to sunset school to 8th grade then to arvin high school to graduate 1967 Lived in sunset camp till I was in 10th grade then moved to weedpatch Weshopped at the weedpatch supermarket As maria Buckley says the house at sunset camp was 1-room tin cabins though there were 8 of us kids and we lived in 3 of those cabins The bathrooms was in a tall big building in the center of our road-street A lot of kids get together to play Annie Over, that is we would be two teams and throw the ball over the building I hope the 6th grade teacher Donna Kehl reads this and email me if you like Ps. I live in Denver Co now..dorcar47@gmail.com
buen reportaje y grandes recurdos, vivi en el Weedpatch Camp muchos años, y estuve en la escuela sunset tambien en el 90, grandes amigos y recuerdo mucho a mi maestro Fred Cruce una persona mayor de edad pero con un gran corazon, desgraciadamente tuve que dejar de ir a weedpatch en el 91 , pero nunca olvidarle el famoso campo de lamont ni a todos los amigos que tuve por alla
Muchos gracias Alejandro, for writing. There are so many memories associated with that camp. As camps go, it was a great one thanks to the superintendent. Such hard times for people.
We study “Weedpatch School” as part of our 7th grade English Dust Bowl curriculum in Lincoln, NE. It’s cool to see this historic site is still being used.