Buzz Shock

📷 Muskogee County, Oklahoma — 1939

A woman agricultural day laborer stands in the doorway of her tent home in Muskogee County.

Captured during the Great Depression, the image reflects the harsh realities faced by many rural and migrant workers—temporary housing, uncertain income, and lives shaped by seasonal labor.

Even in difficult conditions, moments like this show resilience and endurance in everyday life.

🏭 Cleveland’s Wartime & Industrial Legacy

The building that later became the I-X Center in 1985 has a long industrial history, including its earlier roles as the Cleveland Bomber Plant (1942–1945) and the Cadillac Tank Plant (1950–1972).

During World War II, the Cleveland Bomber Plant contributed to American aircraft production for the war effort. Later, during the Korean War era and Cold War buildup, the Cadillac Tank Plant produced armored vehicles, including tanks assembled in the early 1950s.

A 1952 photograph of tank production from this facility is preserved in the collections of Cleveland State University Michael Schwartz Library Special Collections.

Over time, the massive structure transitioned from wartime manufacturing to civilian use, eventually becoming a major exhibition space—reflecting decades of shifting industrial purpose in Cleveland’s history.