Dorothea Lange Depression Era Photos
Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection (Library of Congress)
The following photographs were taken by famed photographer Dorothea Lange during her depression era work for the Farm Security Administration (FSA). All of the photographs were taken during 1939 and capture various scenes in the downtown area of Siler City.
The intersection of Raleigh Street and Chatham Avenue. The Chatham Bank is located on the right corner.
This photo was taken on Chatham Avenue looking towards Raleigh Street. To the left of the Rose’s store is BC Moore & Sons.
This angle looks down the sidewalk of North Chatham Avenue towards Raleigh Street. Almost out of frame to the right would be W.T. Collins’ restaurant and to the left is the Belk Yates store before it moved to it’s larger location down the street a few years later.
This image was taken behind the Farmers’ Alliance store looking towards the railroad tracks. To the left we can see the back of the former Siler City Grit office, behind that the train station, to the right of the train station we can see the Oval Oak Mfg. building, and finally the trees that are in the seemingly empty lot once surrounded the old Hotel Chatham.
This image is of the right side store front of the Farmers’ Alliance Store on South Chatham Avenue.
This image is of former Siler City Mayor and local bottler Oren B. Reitzel. This picture was taken in front Brooks’ which was located on Raleigh Street to the left of the current hardware store. Note you can see a customer inside the on the right and the original metal ceiling.
Another view on Chatham Avenue. This photo most prominently shows the J.C. Gregson office building and the Hadley Hotel.
This is another image of Oren B. Reitzel. This picture also in front of Brooks’. Note that you can see inside the business and to the left is an ad for the Elder Theater which was located a couple of doors down.
Another view looking down Chatham Avenue towards Raleigh Street. This one again shows Roses but with a gathering of people near the entrance.
This photograph looks west down Raleigh Street. There are several people that can be seen standing to the right of the building around the entrance to the basement shoe repair shop.