Back in the mid-19th century, a new class of Americans emerged: hobos. Unlike derogatory terms such as “tramp,” the word “hobo” referred to a nomadic individual who traveled around different cities in search of work. However, life on the road could be dangerous. And as such, the community developed a series of symbols that they could mark on buildings and roads. These would indicate, for instance, safe places to camp, or areas where work was available. But to the untrained eye, they no doubt appeared incredibly cryptic, or indeed, meaningless. In fact, each and every symbol, no matter how simple, had its very own mysterious meaning…
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