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Date: 10/27/2021
CHESTER — Hobo reenactors Jay Blain of Springfield, Bill Stroud of Westfield and Rich Martin of Hatfield set up camp on the Chester Railway Station grounds while traveling musician brothers Stan Svec of Southwick and Steve Svec of West Springfield played railroad songs. Meanwhile, Chester Foundation members Thomas Huntoon, Barbara Pease Huntoon and Jessica Sakaske were preparing beef stew and corn pudding for the Oct. 23 Hobo-to-Go dinner in the vintage 1976 Blue Caboose, which was converted into a kitchen.
The reenactors, calling themselves the Chester Rascals, said the hobo culture began in the early 1800s and lasted until about 1950, forming around the railroad lines as people were driven for economic reasons to follow the harvest. Rails were the best way to get from place to place, and it was possible to hop on without being noticed.
While camps began as temporary living for a day or two, by the 1920s a whole culture of hobo life developed, and during the Great Depression the camps began to take on semi-permanence. The reenactors also displayed typical tools and the symbols hobos used to communicate the amenities and dangers in each location.
The Svec brothers, both teachers in West Springfield, said they play songs from the 1580s to the 1880s as the Ne’er do Wells. Stan Svec, who teaches history, said he has long supported the Chester Railway Station and their other historical events, including Chester on Track in May. Steve Svec teaches biology.
Barbara Pease Huntoon said 98 tickets were sold for the second Hobo-to-Go dinner, which also included apple and pumpkin pies. Reservations were required, and diners could take the dinners home or eat them inside the Railway Station or on the grounds, and enjoy the music and the ambiance.