Finding Lost Relatives at the County Poor Farm
Mary Clement Douglass, CG
Appeared originally in Everton's Genealogical Helper, May/June 2006
Some of the most fruitful, but hardest to find records concerning our ancestors are the records of the county poor farms in operation before the enactment of Social Security legislation in 1935. Most states made provision for the care of its poor, mentally incompetent, orphans, blind, deaf, and dumb. But sometimes, when the institutions set up for these unfortunates were packed to overflowing, the incoming clientele were redirected or returned to the local poor farm.
The Kansas state constitution, 1860, provided for public responsibility for those unable to provide for themselves, i. e., orphans, the aged, and infirm.1 The poor farm became the characteristic public institution in Kansas in an effort to make the poorhouse a workhouse. This effort, to make the farm self-supporting, was in opposition to its constitutional mandate to care for the helpless. Poor farms were leased to the lowest bidder, usually a local farmer and his wife. County Commissioners did not require the poor farm superintendents to have any special training in the care of geriatric or mental patients. Their goal was to house, feed and clothe the county’s paupers at the lowest possible cost. Inmates were often housed in miserable conditions. The Kansas Board of Administration showed almost 300 insane and feeble-minded people being cared for on county poor farms in varying degrees of discomfort. Poor boys were bound out until they reached their 18th birthday.2
Extant records have been found in the county clerk’s office, the state historical society archives,3 the local library, the local historical or genealogical society collections and in private hands. Some records have been published in local society quarterlies4 or posted on county web sites affiliated with USGenWeb. Linda Crannell, also known as “the poorhouse lady,” has established a clearinghouse for information on poor houses at http://www.poorhousestory.com/index.htm. Most commonly it’s the names of inmates interred in the poor farm cemeteries that get posted.
With some digging you can find the names of inmates of the local poor farm in state and federal censuses. The federal census usually treated the Poorhouse as a household, and in that household, might have listed employees (i.e. Keeper or Superintendent, and his family, and other people who may have worked in the poorhouse doing laundry, farm work, etc.) as well as inmates.5 Check local histories and county plat maps for the locations of county poor farms.
In Kansas many of these county or poor farm registers have been lost or destroyed. Those that remain reveal significant data about the migrations of our ancestors, connections with other family members, community health, and often, vital records of birth and death. Headings for the printed register used in Saline County Kansas show date of admission, name, birth, age, township or city from which removed to county farm, by whom sent, condition when admitted, time of discharge, inmate years, months, days, condition when discharged, total amount of relief, and remarks.
Some typical Saline County Kansas entries are 3 May 1873, J. M. Quotin, born Sweden, age 40 years, from Liberty Township, sent by Chas. P. Gunnerson, ill with consumption, discharged 29 June 1873, inmate for 1 month, 26 days, died. Here we have an “official” date of death before Kansas began keeping such vital records.
Another entry shows a migration pattern. 18 October 1873, Almeta Lacy, born York State, age 25, from Salina, sent by H. F. Wooly, condition good, discharged 22 Dec 1873, inmate for 2 months, 4 days, left well, total amount of relief $8.20, left to work. Her son Benj Lacy, born Minnesota, age 3, was with her.
April 1888 George Anderson, of Salina, age 3 was adopted by Calerhins (sic) Beach. Check the Probate Court records for an official adoption proceeding.
23 Oct 1879, Hans Anderson, born Sweden, age 34, from Falun Township, sent by Probate Judge Weaver, insane, discharged 20 Aug 1882, gone to asylum at Osawatomie, Kansas. Here is a clue that a court record, probably sealed, exists in Saline County District Court and that there may be further records at the State Asylum or the Kansas State Archives.
2 March 1883 Mrs. Rosa Yeager, born Switzerland, age 22 years sent by D. J. Addison, Mayor of Salina, pregnant, discharged 15 April 1884, baby girl born July 16, 1883, gone to work, another vital record before the official records began.
2 Jan 1888 Mrs. Sarah Brown, born PA, age 65 years from Salina, sent by C. W. Banks, mayor, no home, discharged 13 May 1888, sent to Portland, Oregon, paid by son.
Here’s an interesting entry. 21 October 1922, Van Stepha Hile, born Penn., age 37, from Salina, sent by Commissioners, blind (killed his wife in 1920, shot himself severing nerves which caused blindness; a treacherous man) remaining columns are blank. Check the newspapers for this one!
22 May 1923 Mrs. Gertrude Watkins, born Kansas, age 22, from Salina, sent by Commissioners, with two children, all in good health, 100% nerve, discharged 20 July 1924, husband finished serving six mo. sentence for bootlegging—left for him.
A maiden name is revealed in this entry. 20 Nov 1924, Anna Taylor, born Kansas, age past 60, from Salina, sent by Commissioners, not well, no one to care for her, discharged 2 Dec 1924, went to brother Bruce Trosper near Solomon.
In McPherson County, Kansas, the poor register did not survive, but the vouchers paid to the poor house superintendent 1881-1886 did. On July 5, 1881, vouchers were paid for Mrs. Olson and two children for the period April 12 to June 28. Under remarks she was an inmate for 234 days, extra care for Mrs. Olson, blind, extra care for her child, and 50 cents for burying Olson’s baby. January 7, 1884 voucher for Frank Sheldon, paid for 12 and 4/7 weeks at county rates [$3.50 week], additional care, getting coffin, digging grave, washing and dressing and burying Frank Sheldon, $10.
If you have exhausted all other record sources, search for the records of the poor farm. It may be that your ancestor spent some time there and left a record.
End Notes
- State of Kansas Constitution, Article 7, Public Institutions and Welfare, http://www.kslib.info/ref/constitution/art7.html
- Esther E. Twente, Social Work Day, May 2, 1966, One Hundred Years of Social work in Kansas: Beginning Before 1866 and Ending After 1966, archives of the KSHS. This paper refers to the Fifth Biennial Report, State Board of Control, 1913-1914, p. 34
- Kansas State Historical Society Center for Historical Research, Jefferson County, Poor house records, 1885-1938 microfilm [AR 4995], available through interlibrary loan. Johnson County Poor Farm Commissioner Expense reports, 1926-1934 [MF 1280], Record of paupers in poor house, 1888-1942 [AR 4231], Record, 1885-1901, 1910-1946 [MF 1280]
- Saline County Kansas register of poor farm inmates was published in the Smoky Valley Genealogical Society’s quarterly Tree Climber, volumes X, XIV, and XV, covering April 8, 1873 to May 20, 1938.
- Linda Crannell, http://www.poorhousestory.com/tips.htm. See also 1910 US Federal Census, population schedule, Kansas, Saline County, Ohio Township, SD 5, ED 131, page 11A, dwelling 119, family 125, McInnes household. Ancestry.com http://content.ancestry.com/Browse/view.aspx?dbid=7884&path=Kansas.Saline.Ohio+Twp.131.11&rc=&zp=75
|
