The Worst Hard Time

The Worst Hard Time

by

Timothy Egan

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Worst Hard Time makes teaching easy.
– The sheriff of Boise City, Oklahoma. A former “doughboy,” or a World War I soldier who served in the American Expeditionary Force on the western front, Barrick returned to Oklahoma after the war to get rich from the wheat boom. He took on the job as sheriff after being outraged by the sight of the town’s sheriff at the time, who was drunk while on duty. Barrick sold sugar in front of his station, which he had seized from bootleggers.
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Hi Barrick Character Timeline in The Worst Hard Time

The timeline below shows where the character Hi Barrick appears in The Worst Hard Time. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 5: Last of the Great Plowup
Westward Expansion and the Settlement of the Southern Plains Theme Icon
Economic Hardship and Lessons of the Great Depression Theme Icon
Environmental Devastation and the Dust Bowl Theme Icon
...scheme to bid only a dime for farm property—no more. The bank and Sheriff Hi Barrick, who was present to keep order at the auctions, grew wise to the tactic, but... (full context)
Chapter 7: A Darkening
Economic Hardship and Lessons of the Great Depression Theme Icon
...little cash in Boise City. People traded and sold what they could to survive. Hi Barrick, the Cimarron County sheriff, had previously wanted to get rich like everyone else “in the... (full context)
Chapter 12: The Long Darkness
Economic Hardship and Lessons of the Great Depression Theme Icon
...food, such as waiting in a soup line or waiting in line for Sheriff Hi Barrick to hand out roadkill. Some people also stole food. People were committing more serious crimes,... (full context)
Economic Hardship and Lessons of the Great Depression Theme Icon
Barrick still had a salary—$125 per month. Hazel Shaw, on the other hand, could no longer... (full context)
Economic Hardship and Lessons of the Great Depression Theme Icon
...miracle. She was horrified that a baby would be left in the cold, but Sheriff Barrick knew of a family that had abandoned all three of their children. The infant was... (full context)
Chapter 15: Duster's Eve
Environmental Devastation and the Dust Bowl Theme Icon
...they had been hit by a tornado. Still, the family had to leave quickly. Sheriff Barrick said that roads were blocked by huge dust drifts—as soon as the CCC dug one... (full context)