Over The Hill To The Poor Farm.

*From Will Carleton poem “Adversity” (1872)*

The two stanzas from the 1872 Will Carleton poem Adversity (above) was once a common tale for those living with poverty or a disability in America. Anyone who could not find self-supporting work – due to age, physical or mental disability, dependent children, or other factors – and who had no family to care for them – would find themselves facing the prospect of the poor-house, or here in the Midwest, a poor farm. Originating in the United Kingdom, poor-houses were institutions designed, at their best, to employ the poor and disabled in exchange for food, housing and healthcare. The Charles Dicken’s novel, “Oliver Twist”, however, gives us an honest look at how many of England’s “poor-houses” truly mistreated those in need.

As the British Empire spread, so did its ideologies; and colonial America’s larger cities featured poor-houses and, as the Union formed and expanded, so followed poor-houses, or as was more common in the Midwest, poor farms. Here in Iowa, county governments throughout the state oversaw poor farms where residents – referred to as “inmates” – were expected to complete farm labor and housework for room and board.

As management for poor farms was largely unregulated, quality of life varied greatly among different counties and states. Some superintendents received salaries, while others made only what the farm earnings would allow. Ideologies differed too, on what poor farms were designed for, with some treating them as purely charitable ventures while others sought high profits – leading many residents to experience mental and physical abuse, overwork and unclean and inadequate surroundings. Residents of poor farms sometimes shared one razor, toothbrush and wash basin among themselves. Unsurprisingly, disease spread quickly in these places. To justify such conditions, superintendents would claim they did not want to provide what they saw as luxury items, believing that providing comforts would prevent residents from wanting to leave poor farms – but most never had the ability to leave, regardless of want.

The story of **Iowa City’s Bill Sackter** is one that includes forty-fours years confined to a Minnesota “poor house” – the Faribault State School for the Feeble-Minded and Epileptic – from age 7 to age 51. Read more of Bill Sackter’s story here.

The Johnson County Poor Farm is a window into nineteenth century definitions and policy regarding social problems, both perceived and real. The need to care for the impoverished and people with mental illness was established in the United States in the 1820’s as a duty of the state and local governments. This duty was recognized early in Johnson County history, with the County choosing, first, to contract care, usually from local physicians. But by 1855, Johnson County supervisors decided to procure 160 acres on the western edge of Iowa City (see map above) – today’s 4811 Melrose Avenue – for a “poor farm” to provide systematic care at a low cost.

By 1859, the first “Johnson County Asylum” (see map above) was built. The facility was filled with 7’x7’ wooden prison-style cells (see below) with narrow horizontal openings through which inmates were given food. The building was heated by a single wood stove in the center of the main hall.

The practice of care that took place at poor farms during the nineteenth century – where individuals were required to live and work – is difficult to grapple with. There are first-hand accounts of individuals who felt at home on the farm, but there are, also, family accounts of relatives who “went off to the poor farm” when befallen on hard times because they couldn’t face the shame of being a burden to their families.

In 1886, Johnson County built a new asylum, located east of the original 1859 building. The facilities featured three brick buildings (see below): one for administration, a second for people who were impoverished, and a third for the “mentally insane”.

At one time in its history, the Johnson County Poor Farm housed as many as 70 individuals, with the farmland producing a mix of corn, wheat, hay, oats, potatoes, cabbage, and tobacco. The farm also included an orchard, vegetable gardens, and dairy cows, with residents’ work including the tending of livestock and maintaining gardens. Farm products were consumed by residents and sold to customers to fund day-to-day expenses of the facility.

The 1929 economic crisis that ushered in the Great Depression led to overwhelming need for poor relief. Poor farms lacked funding to care for their already existing residents and were unable to take on further economic burdens.

By 1933, a good amount of Iowa farmland was tax delinquent, and the country was in crisis. In 1935, Congress created the Social Security Act and, with it, federal financial support for the elderly, disabled, dependent mothers and children, and unemployed. These changes, along with a series of housing reforms, allowed many who would have faced poor farms to live independently. By 1964, a third facility (see above right) was built, replacing the 1886 buildings. This new facility, now called Chatham Oaks, presently serves as a private residential care facility.

As methods of social relief changed, so did public opinion. Poor farms were increasingly viewed as inhumane and outdated, and public thought turned toward newer institutions designed to provide for people on an individual level – nursing homes, mental health facilities and schools for deaf and blind students. Many former poor farms around the country were converted into nursing homes, community centers, and hospitals, yet Johnson County ran and operated its farm under the “poor farm” model until 1988!

Today, the Johnson County Historic Poor Farm site is important to Iowa’s history, telling the story of the county’s care for its citizens from the earliest days (1855) until 1988.

*The **Johnson County Historical Poor Farm** is one of the few remaining examples of the county-run poor farm model that was used across the American landscape.*

Today, the only surviving buildings from the original Johnson County Poor Farm are the early twentieth century dairy barn, a late nineteenth century barn built to the west, five smaller buildings, and the original 1859 asylum – which has been restored and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. South of the asylum, in a nearby field (see map above), is the Poor Farm’s cemetery. Over the years, many of those who died at the Poor Farm were buried in this cemetery, but as is typical of the era’s poor farms and asylums, few records of deaths or burials can be found.

In 2023, the Historic Poor Farm is in its sixth year of a master plan implementation. Historic building construction is finished, the farm has become an established part of the local food landscape, and plans for additional elements such as a Commercial Kitchen, farmer education center, and scheduled events are underway.

Obviously, with the asylum and cemetery still onsite, it raises many questions and discomfort for today’s visitors, forcing us to reflect on how the early care for the impoverished and people with mental illness was so inhuman, reflecting the prevailing attitude for the “poor unfortunates.” Thankfully, society has come a long way in our care for individuals with disabilities, yet the farm should also encourage us that we still have a ways to go in compassionately caring for others in need.

In November 2023, the Poor Farm Healing Trail opened. Officials say the half-mile long trail is designed to be an area for reflection after tours of the farm’s asylum. The new trail also features an amphitheater, reflection area, and metal sculptures that frame the view of the farm’s cemetery.