Building Bombs on the Plains: Rent — The Sky's the Limit
Adaptation of a flyer circulated by employees of the Hastings Naval Ammunition Depot warning about rent gouging. Adapted from original from the Adams County Historical Society.
It is not too surprising that many local people, who so recently had experienced the Great Depression, would react in their own self-interest when the population skyrocketed. The tremendous increase in population created a housing shortage. Rent doubled almost overnight, causing a division within the community as depot workers resented being gouged by Hastings landlords.
The Daily Tribune estimated that only abut 5 to 10% of Hastings landlords charged exorbitant rents, but the situation was severe enough that depot employees circulated a flyer headlined "Caveat Emptor" (which means "buyer beware") warning workers about rent gouging.
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