A Pahokee bluesman entertains a group of fans.
Entirely devoted to a slice of life in Pahokee as the town prepared for World War II, a new photo exhibition will open July 9 at the S.D. Spady Cultural Heritage Museum. “Pahokee Prepares for War,” featuring the trials and tribulations of the people of Pahokee, an agricultural center of the Glades area in Palm Beach County, will run through Sept. 30.
The exhibition is by an unknown photographer who captured the images of Pahokee life starting in the late 1930s. Vegetable fields, black and white migrant workers who worked the fields Christmas to April, the packing plants, refrigerated train cars, stores, bars, and even gambling houses were taken by the unknown photographer.
That photographer also took photos of heightened security around Lake Okeechobee and Bahamian labor, imported to help harvest snap beans, the main crop of Pahokee at that time.
Dr. Cunningham of the U. S. Employment Service conducting registration of Bahamians as they arrive at Camp Everglades. Next to him is the Migratory Health assistant clerk.
“The Glades area has such a rich history, known for its fertile soil and corps, the stories of the people who worked and live there are just as rich. This exhibit is an opportunity to look at the community, its history and the contributions of the migrant workers,” museum educator Brandy Brownlee said.

The Spady Cultural Heritage Museum is at 170 NW Fifth Ave. in Delray Beach. Museum hours are Monday – Friday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Saturday – 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and free for students and members. For more information, call 561-279-8883 or visit www.spadymuseum.com