THE POOR FARM.

At the session of the Board of Supervisors in January 1867, a committee of three members was chosen to look up a suitable site for a Poor Farm, the cost not to exceed $4,000, and if an eligible location could be found, a special session was to be called. The committee visited various tracts of land within a radius of eight miles from Centerville, and finally fixed upon the land owned by W.C. Ewing, it being the southeast quarter of Section 32, Township 69, Range 18 (Bellair), lying about four miles west of Centerville, together with twenty acres of timber one mile south. This was to be had for the exact sum specified, and the Board met March 2, but adjourned to the 14th, on which day the committee's report was approved and the deed was made out on the 16th, but the land was not surrendered till the following November. A new building, 14 X 28 feet in size, and two stories high, has been erected during the present year, and the old Ewing house has been thoroughly repaired for the use of the paupers, of whom there are usually twelve to fourteen. There is also a good barn. Henry C. Baker is the present Steward.

SOURCE: The History of Appanoose County, Iowa; Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1878. p. 433. (This file was compiled and contributed to the IAGenWeb by Mona Sarratt Knight, August 2009.)

The 1870 and the 1880 US Federal Census reveal the following residents listed during these census years:

US Federal Census, 1870, p. 10, Appanoose County, Iowa, Bellair Twp., P.O. Centerville, enumerated 20 July 1870:

Dwelling 64, family 64:

Richardson, Sargent, age 49, farmer, b. Vermont (apparently the Poor Farm steward)

Richardson, Maria, age 48, keeping house, b. New Hampshire

Richardson, Ida W., age 19, b. New Hampshire

Richardson, Mary, age 13, b. Iowa Richardson, Winnie, age 10, b. Iowa

Snediker Hamilton, age 19, farm laborer, b. Ohio

Eastburn, Benjamin, age 20, farm laborer, b. West Virginia

Latridge, Sylvia, age 19, domestic servant, b. Iowa

Farer, Edward P., age 71, b. North Carolina

Sandy, Uriah, male, age 52, b. Ohio

Shepard, Sarah, age 45, b. New York

Inman, Augusta, female, age 23, b. Ohio

Link, Lafayette, male, age 3, b. Iowa

US Federal Census, 1880, Appanoose County, Iowa, Bellair Twp., P.O. Centerville, enumerated 1870:

Dwelling 265, family 280:

Baker, Henry C., age 33, farmer, b. Illinois

Baker, Catharine A., age 30, wife, keeping house, b. Indiana

Baker, Flora E., age 11, daughter, b. Iowa

Appanoose County Poor Farm, Henry C. Baker, Steward:

"no name," George, male, age (5), b. Iowa

Smith, Samuel, male, age 87, b. Virginia

Skinner, Thomas, age (35), b. Indiana

Martin, John, age 47, b. Indiana

Martin, Delila, age 41, b. Indiana

Mahoney (Malmey?), Mahala, age 49, b. Illinois

Mahoney, Mary E., age 7, b. Iowa

Gowers, Artemia, female, age 41, b. Indiana

Gowers, William, age 6 months, b. Nov., b . Iowa

Everett, "not known", male, age (55), b. Germany

Brown, Nettie, age 3, b. Iowa

Burton, Amanda, age 37, b. Illinois

Lieck, Mary, age 47, b. Indiana

Dye, Mary, age 22, b. Illinois

Inman, Augusta, age 31, b. Ohio

Buson, Margaret, age 23, b. Iowa

Frost, Joseph, age (88), b. Tennessee (end of enumeration)