This wooden sculpture was created by Fred Myers during the Great Depression. This artist had no formal art training. Myers worked in the West Frankfort coal mines where he was introduced to "whittlin" by a fellow miner. In 1939, Myers was hired by the University Museum through monies provided by the Works Progress Admininstration to create this and other woodcarvings of prehistoric animals and historic figures which are still used in many Museum displays. Myers was with the Museum until 1942 when the project ended. The Museum has 25 of Myer's sculptures in its' collection.

Internet Resources: Here are some links which will get you started in your quest for knowledge. The Internet is growing at an astounding rate. This list does not include every Website on the Great Depression, only the best of the sites that we visited! Plainfield High School Webquest: The Great Depression Web page at: http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/ hschool/webq/webq1/webquest.htm Library of Congress American Memory (America from the Great Depression To World War II) Web page at: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ ammem/fsowhome.html and (American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers' Project 1936-1940) Web page at: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ ammem/wpaintro/wpahome.html Mark S. Underwood's Black Thursday Web page at: http://sac.uky.edu/ ~msunde00/hon202/p4/nyt.html Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum Exhibit Gallery Six: The Great Depression: http://hoover.nara.gov/ gallery/gallery06.html New Deal Network Homepage at: http://newdeal.feri.org/ Paul Alexander Gusmornio's the Main causes of the Great Depression Web page at: http://www.escape.com/ ~paulg53/politics/great_depression.shtml

Museum Loan Kits: A kit is not are available for the topic of the Great Depression. Kits can be checked out by Illinois School Teachers free of charge. For a complete list of kit topics please visit: educational loan kits For more information please contact Bob DeHoet at (618) 453-5388 or email him at: drhoet@siu.edu

Printed Resources: At this time, the Museum Explorers Library contains no books on the Great Depression. Please check back. Books in this special library can be checked out by Museum Explorer teachers free of charge. Please see our Museum Explorers Library Web page. The following is a list of printed materials about the Great Depression which may be available through your library: No materials available at this time. Please check back.

Previous Explorer Projects: This is a list of Museum Explorer Projects completed by teachers and students in the past three years. Welcome to Lovington Junior High School's Backyard History Homepage at: http://www.museum.siu.edu/university_museum/ museum_classroom_grant/ Museum_Explorers/school_pages/ Lovington/history/homepage.html To view other school pages please visit our Museum Explorers School Pages.

"Arkansas Home" was painted by Aaron Bohrod. Bohrod was employed by the Works Progress Administration, Federal Art Project and was known as one of the leading "American Regionalists" based on his ability to capture the life and arena of the Great Depression.