Penny auction at foreclosed Michigan farm (1936). At penny auctions farmers would conspire to offer low bids, resulting in a low return to the creditor. The final buyer would then return the property to the destitute farmer. Hangman nooses served as a warning to squirrelly bidders.
This haunting photograph from 1936 captures a penny auction at a foreclosed farm in Michigan, one of the most defiant and ingenious acts of resistance to emerge during the Great Depression. When banks repossessed farms after families could no longer meet their mortgage payments, local communities often took matters into their own hands.
Farmers would gather in large groups and agree beforehand to bid only pennies on each item — from livestock to land — driving the auction prices down to virtually nothing. The final “buyer,” usually a trusted neighbor, would then return the property to the original owner, ensuring the family could remain on their land.
The nooses seen hanging in the background weren’t decorative; they served as chilling warnings to outsiders who might attempt to outbid the crowd. These were not empty threats — solidarity and survival left little room for betrayal.
The penny auctions became powerful symbols of rural unity and defiance. They weren’t just about saving one farm, but about preserving a way of life, one desperate bid at a time.
Added Fact: By 1933, more than 200,000 farms were foreclosed across the Midwest, sparking organized movements like the Farmer’s Holiday Association, which fought to halt foreclosures entirely.
I will have less of a presence on The Torrid Tribe Community. We have very little activity here. This is a sign to me that members have found other social media resources that they are spending more time in. I am happy to see less censorship on social media in general. I started The Torrid Tribe 4 years ago when we were in a state of censorship and lockdowns. It was a difficult time and this was a haven and sanctuary for so many.
I will be lightly posting things here to give you all content to see. This community will always be open to everyone and will resurrect to its full capacity if subscribers show they want it fully operational again with full time administration.
Thank you for being a part of this community. Sending each of you hugs.
K-
Creator of The Torrid Tribe
Passion is the vibe that I want to bring to this community. I want to enjoy your passion for whatever it is you are into. Let's share what we learn - and learn what each other shares. Foodies unite. I love to cook and share recipes. I will regularly post pictures and recipes are available upon request. I would enjoy discussing your past, present and future journeys. Nature is God and Mother Earth's exquisite gift to us. Share a picture and we will enjoy the beauty through your eyes. Let's get deep and consensual with great subjective matter. This is a non judgemental safe place to let everything hang out.
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Thank you and hugs.
Torri
Are The Clintons Above The Law?
Both Bill and Hillary Clinton refused to comply with the House Oversight Committee’s subpoena that required them to testify about Jeffrey Epstein. It only underlines the hypocrisy of the Democrats, who repeatedly stated ‘nobody is above the law’ as they concocted bogus charges against Trump. The Clintons are above the law. Hillary committed egregious crimes, and her comrade James Comey let her off the hook.
If by remote chance the Clintons are charged, look for Bill to show up wheeling a defibrillator by his side and Hillary in a wheelchair with an oxygen tank and tubes running up her nose. They will try to drum up sympathy and outrage from fellow Democrats. Come to think of it, it would great to see the Clintons acting infirm and near death. A tube going up Hillary’s nose would be a hilarious spectacle.
Someone should remind the Clintons that no one is above the law!
