@Nusiance : I agree, we were poor but clean. I grew up near the San Jac and the river bottom folks lived like the pictures posted, and not too ft from where we live now. When it would flood, one family came to our general store to buy air fresheners. My mom said, I'll sell you pine sol to clean with, but not air fresheners (they bought on credit until their government $ came in).
It was a generational form of ignorance. I'm not sure how else to explain it. The kids went to school until they either quit or ran away. Sad way of life for sure.