An 1888 visit to the Lucas County "poor house"

Someone asked the other day when the Lucas County Home was torn down --- and I said I'd check. I've done that now --- and the year was 1986. After that, the first phase of the massive Hy-Vee Perishable Distribution Center was built on the site. Now, the only remaining trace is the County Home Cemetery, located along the Burlington Northern & Santa Fe tracks to the northwest.

That's the county home I remember, above, built in 1904 at a cost of $17,200 to replace a rambling and badly outdated frame structure that had served with additions and considerable remodeling since Lucas County's supervisors acquired the 200-acre county farm and its existing dwelling in 1869.

When Chariton Herald editor and publisher John Lee Brown visited the county home during December of 1888, practically every Iowa county had a similar institution designed to care temporarily for those who had experienced financial reverses and become dependent on the county (often widows with small children) and had no place else to go as well as to offer long-term care for people living with a variety of handicaps and no family to care for them.

Brown's report offers a snapshot of how such institutions operated at the time it was written. Mr. Brown, who recently had served two terms as state auditor despite Gov. Buren Sherman's attempt to oust him, was an opinionated kind of guy. So you'll note a couple of barbs --- one directed toward Chariton clergymen and the other toward members of the Board of Supervisors.

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A Herald representative visited the County farm one day last week and found Mr. B.F. Nolen, the gentlemanly superintendent, engaged in separating some shoats, 8 of which he wished to put in the fattening pen, having already fattened 20 head this fall, 14 of which were put up for home consumption and 6 were sold. The hogs on the farm are full blooded poland china. When he got through with the hogs Mr. Nolen very courteously took us around to look at the other stock, showed us through the house and gave us a good deal of information that was interesting to us, some of which will doubtless interest our readers, and therefore condensed as follows:

At the present time there are 18 inmates, half males and half females, being a less number than for several years, the average being about 22. Two thirds of them do enough work to pay their way, the balance being practically helpless, six of whom are insane. Two of the insane have improved very much since they were returned from the Asylum. One man, who has been an inmate for 15 years, never speaks, does not know how much he ought to eat, has to be allowanced, if left to himself would eat until his stomach rebelled.

The larger number of the inmates are protestants and enjoy divine worship very much. Mr. Nolen has prevailed upon some of the preachers to conduct religious services at the farm house a few times during the past year, but they seem to be very reluctant to do so from some cause or other. It would be uncharitable to infer that it is because they do not get any pay for so doing.

Mr. Nolen thinks that if the Board would put up a suitable building, the greater portion of the 21 persons in the insane hospital from Lucas county could be cared for at the county house at much less expense that it is costing the county now. He says that the amount now being expended in one year would erect a good building. For a family of 25 persons, Mr. Nolen is of the opinion that 200 acres of land is not sufficient to furnish a good living independent of outside help, and that the board should purchase more land. The health during the past year has been excellent and the services of a physician have scarcely been necessary.

We noticed that the house is badly arranged for convenience or health and the wonder is that the latter has been so good. There seems to be much waste room that might be utilized by a little remodeling. The men are all obliged to sleep in the same room, which is bad. Only three cells are provided for insane persons. The jail is of no practical use except for a store room.

The stock on the farm consists of cattle, 40 head; horses, 5 head; hogs, 22 head; all in good condition. The poultry yard is being stocked up with plymouth rocks of which a fine start has been made.

Between 500 and 600 pounds of tobacco was raised on the farm this year. We found the cellar well filled with vegetables, an abundance of seed corn hanging in the barn and everything in apple pie order. While there, dinner was announced and we were invited to partake. Accepting the kind invitation we found the table spread with an abundance of good wholesome food which we enjoyed along with the county wards.

The cash receipts for the current year have been $1,100. the expenses will be larger than usual this year, owing to the purchase of stock for the farm, but will not exceed $1,800. In taking account of receipts and expenses a value is placed upon every item, even to every chicken killed, every head of cabbage or dozen of radishes used or sold.

Mr. Nolen seems to take an unusual interest in his work and from our observations we should judge him to be a very excellent man for the position he occupies. Mr. Nolen is not a subscriber for the Herald although he thinks it is the best paper in the county. From his conversation we inferred that he would like to take it but for the fear of offending certain members of the Board to his own disadvantage. Sympathizing with him in his fears we tendered him our thanks for the courtesy shown us and bid him good day.