Records document the last few years of the City Poor Farm (1876-circa 1895), much of the life of the County Poor Home and Farm (circa 1895-1933), through the administration of welfare by the county under the Superintendent of the Poor (circa 1895-1933) until the time of state aid for poor relief (1932) and federal relief (1933). The records are arranged into two series: Poor Home and Farm (1876-1933), and Outdoor Relief (1891-1933).
Poor Home and Farm records document the superintendent's financial and personnel (employees and residents) administration of the institution. The superintendent's outgoing correspondence consists of photocopies of the original letterpress books and covers all aspects of administration including information about specific cases. Although the correspondence gives a good overview of the conditions at the home and the people it served it spans only a short amount of time: 1892-1894, 1900-1904. Poor Home and St. Francis Hospital registers is a log of residents reporting to the poor house infirmary and being admitted either to the Poor Home Hospital or the St. Francis Hospital. Entries are arranged by admission date and give name, age, color, cause of admission, if a county or city charge, where discharged to, nationality, and remarks. The volume for 1888-1894 includes a few entries for the "Old Woman's Home" and a section labeled "important cases" (1891-1895) which is a detailed account of certain cases. The Superintendent's daily logs provide insight into the problems of those seeking help and the action taken. Entries give the person's name, circumstances, residence, nationality, and resolution or action. The Inmate register is arranged chronologically by date of admission and give the person's name, age, birthplace, marital status, cause of poverty, when discharged or deceased, and if buried on the premises, the headstone number. Also included is a summary of burials, 1895, 1915-1933. Entries in the Pauper's register are arranged alphabetically and thereunder by year and records the name, age, when and where born, nationality, information about children, and address.
Financial aid to county residents in need of assistance and not living at the Poor Farm was termed Outdoor Relief. The Superintendent, as representative of the Trustees of the County Poor Home and Farm or the Board of Supervisors, submitted accounts to county clerk who issued orders on the county treasurer for their payment to individuals: Orders, 1881-1933. Entries are usually arranged chronologically and thereunder alphabetically, and give the order date, order number, recipient's name, address, total amount, category of expenditure, and remarks.
