The 1920s craze of flagpole sitting

Long before TikTok, the 1920s peaked with flagpole sitting. It was the era's ultimate clout-chasing move: people would climb a literal pole and just stay there for weeks.

It started when a stuntman named Shipwreck Kelly sat on a pole for 13 hours on a dare. Soon, everyone wanted that main character energy. Crowds gathered to watch professionals eat, sleep, and even shave while balancing 50 feet in the air.

It was a bizarre endurance test that turned doing nothing into a massive spectator sport. If you think influencers are extra now, just remember your ancestors paid to watch a man live on a stick.

Wait, how did they sleep up there without falling to their death?

It wasn't just pure balance; they had some sketchy life hacks. Most pros used a tiny wooden platform, barely the size of a pizza box, bolted to the top of the pole.

To sleep, they’d loop canvas straps around their legs and torso. If they started to tilt, the tension would jerk them awake. It was basically a DIY seatbelt for a very high-stakes nap.

As for the bathroom, they used buckets and ropes. If you were in the crowd, you definitely didn't want to be standing downwind when nature called.

Did they use those same ropes to haul up their lunch too?

Exactly. It was basically a low-tech elevator system. They’d lower a basket on a rope, and ground crews—or even local fans—would load it up with supplies.

It wasn’t just random snacks, either. Local diners would sponsor the sitters, treating the pole like a 50-foot billboard. They’d send up full roast dinners and hot coffee just to get their restaurant’s name mentioned to the crowd.

It was the ultimate 1920s brand deal. The sitter got a free meal, the restaurant got clout, and the crowd got to watch a guy eat soup while dangling over a sidewalk.

Were these guys actually making bank, or was it all just for clout?

Shipwreck Kelly was basically the MrBeast of his day. At his peak, he was pulling in $1,500 a week from appearances and endorsements. In 1920s money, that is 'never work again' wealth just for vibing on a stick.

But for the average Joe, it was mostly about the dopamine hit of being the town's main character. They would get a few free steaks and their name in the paper, then climb down with a sore butt and zero savings.

The party ended when the Great Depression hit in 1929. When the stock market crashed, people stopped caring about a guy on a pole and started worrying about their next meal. Clout does not pay the rent during a global financial meltdown.

What happened to Kelly once the clout and the money dried up?

Kelly’s life is the original influencer downfall arc. He didn't invest his bags wisely. When the fad died, he tried to pivot, but the public had moved on to surviving the Great Depression.

He spent his final years working as a bouncer, far from his high altitude glory. He actually died on a New York sidewalk, clutching a suitcase of old newspaper clippings from his peak sitting days.

It’s the ultimate cautionary tale. One day you’re the most famous man in America, and the next, you’re just another person on the street holding onto your old receipts.