PHOTOS: After decades homeless, Ogden man spends his first year off the streets
Doug "Boy Scout" Harding started 2016 homeless, with plans to move into an Ogden apartment after three decades of hopping trains and living on the streets. Standard-Examiner photojournalist Benjamin Zack documented Harding’s last days living out of a backpack in January, as well as his move into stable housing. Over the next year, Zack followed Harding, — who describes himself as a “retired hobo” — as he adapted to his new life indoors.
Doug "Boy Scout" Harding, a self-described "retired hobo," heads to Marshall White Park after picking up an early morning beer Jan. 15, 2016. After several decades hopping freight trains and working odd jobs around the West, Harding spent about two years camping out and living in homeless shelters in Ogden. When the photo was taken, Harding was in the final steps of getting his own apartment.
Doug Harding shows off a tattoo featuring the fleur-de-lis, a symbol of the Boy Scouts of America on his forearm. Harding says he earned the nickname "Boy Scout" for giving away supplies to other homeless people at a trackside camp in Spokane.
Doug Harding smokes a cigarette in downtown Ogden while waiting to hear whether he'll be able to move into an apartment Jan. 15, 2016. Harding says he enjoyed the hobo life for decades, but began thinking of settling down when a fellow train rider asked him if he was still going to be riding the rails at 75.
Doug Harding shares a smoke and laugh with a fellow homeless man, "Frosty," in downtown Ogden in early January 2016. Harding planned to move into his new apartment that evening, but a problem with the inspection left him without a home until the following week.
Melanie Shumway from Diamond J. Management, left, goes over tenant rules with Doug Harding, center, after he signed an apartment lease Jan. 19, 2015.
Doug "Boy Scout" Harding sets down his backpack with all his belongings and looks out the window of his future bedroom as he enters his new apartment for the first time Jan. 19, 2016.
Doug Harding, left, and John Flores move a new mattress and box spring into Harding's apartment after signing a lease earlier in the afternoon Jan. 19, 2016. Flores, a case manager with Weber Human Services, spent the day driving around with Harding to pick up a bed, sheets, food and some basic home supplies.
Three days after moving into his new apartment, Doug Harding, center, hangs out on his balcony with his brother, David Harding, left, and "Cowboy," a homeless friend of Doug's who was working to get an apartment as well.
Doug "Boy Scout" Harding's central Ogden neighborhood is reflected in a screen door as he works on his bike on his apartment's porch May 25, 2016.
Doug Harding has been living in the Highland Apartments in central Ogden since January. Harding was initially hoping to move into a small home so he wouldn't have people immediately next door, but settled for an upstairs, corner apartment.
Doug Harding picks up his monthly allotment of groceries at the Joyce Hansen Hall Food Bank on May 25, 2016. Four months after moving into his apartment, Harding was working odd landscaping and maintenance jobs.
Homemade signs cover Doug Harding's front door Mar. 23, 2016. Harding said he had to keep some former homeless friends away who he felt were trying to take advantage of his new home. At that time, he said he'd recently kicked out a woman who was staying with him because she was loud in the middle of the night. He didn't want to risk upsetting his neighbors and get evicted.
Doug Harding, left, watches as "Bam Bam," a homeless friend, works on his bike on Harding's porch May 25, 2016. Bam Bam had stopped by Harding's place to see if he could store some bicycles that he "found."
Old friends and strangers hang out in Doug Harding's living room as the weather gets cold in early December. When the weather gets bad, homeless people regularly stop by looking for a place to warm up. Harding said he has lost many friends because they tried to take advantage of his living situation.
Doug Harding's couch sits in the dumpster behind his apartment as he prepared to move out Aug. 29, 2016. Harding compared the grey cinderblock walls of his apartment to a prison cell. "I'm tired of being in prison," Harding said. "I'm breaking out."
Doug Harding takes a break from cleaning out his living room as he gets ready to abandon his apartment and return to camping on the outskirts of Ogden Aug. 29, 2016. "Society didn't give up on me," Harding said. "I gave up on them." After seven months in housing, Harding was broken down by what he saw as his homeless friends took advantage of him and his apartment.
Doug Harding takes off his dress shirt as he leaves court and heads to the FrontRunner station in Salt Lake City on Sept. 6, 2016. After the surprise of getting off relatively lightly, Harding said he'll be staying in his apartment long enough to find a place in the country where he can move.
Doug Harding catches a coat tossed down from his second story apartment by his girlfriend before heading to work on Dec. 23, 2016. Harding had lined up a few days of work digging out a new basement beneath a nearby apartment building.
Steven Flattree, left, and Doug Harding dump a wheelbarrow full of dirt and building scraps into a garbage can behind a central Ogden apartment Dec. 23, 2016. The two men worked together shoveling snow while they were both homeless 15 years earlier. Flattree, who now works as a contractor, recently found Harding and hires him occasionally to help out.
Doug Harding takes a smoke break while helping out on a friend's construction job. Harding got $60 and some whiskey for helping to dig out a new room in a basement.
Doug Harding pulls Christmas decorations out of a dumpster behind DaVinci Academy on Dec. 23, 2016, in Ogden. Harding collects cans to sell out of dumpsters but will also hold onto anything else he likes or thinks might be valuable. For Christmas, his apartment had two trees, ornaments and a front porch decoration, all of which were found in dumpsters.
Doug Harding and Kris Walker lean on one another in Harding's apartment Dec. 7, 2016. Harding and Walker live in the same apartment building and met over the summer. They have been dating on and off ever since.
Kris Walker cooks Doug Harding a turkey dinner in his apartment on Christmas Day. Walker and Harding were unofficially living together for a time. At the end of the year, they were still together but living in separate apartments.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.