Just a thought, did you check for estate/probate and land records as well? They may provide additional information. Michael http://www.rootdig.com On 9/21/06, Sue Harnish <sueharnish@rockfordlinear.com> wrote: > Thanks Jane, > > I have been trying to locate Geo W Brown in 1880. In 1870 he was living > in Bear Creek Township near Basco on a Farm Valued at $6000. with his > wife Martha Eads and some of his family members.....family records show > he died Sept 18 1881 tho I can not locate this record. He is buried in > west Basco Cemetery with his wife with a very nice headstone. He would > have only been 41 yrs old..... > > In 1880 I can find a Martha Brown working as a Cook at the > Sanitarium...and their daughter living with her Grandfather Perry > Eads....she is listed as still married....it would be strange for a > woman to be working in those days unless she needed to support > herself.... > > I have not been able to find her husband Geo in 1880 that fits exactly. > except there is a George Brown approx the same age listed in Alms House > near Carthage. Since he died at a young age it's possible he was sick or > something...he had a brother that died earlier that was listed as an > idiot...so maybe mental illness?.....I have been trying to find records > from the Alms House to find out more about the George Brown listed there > in 1880... > > Any help appreciated...I checked the courthouse records when there last > year but didn't find his death record....thought maybe the residents of > the Alms House could be listed somewhere else..... > > > > > Susan A. Harnish > Rockford Linear Actuation, Inc > Phone:815-986-4407 > Fax:815-986-4410 > sueharnish@rockfordlinear.com > > > -----Original Message----- > From: ilhancoc-bounces@rootsweb.com > [mailto:ilhancoc-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of infoexchange > Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2006 11:58 AM > To: ilhancoc@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [ILHANCOC] Alms House-outside Carthage > > > One way to gather information on the residents of the Hancock County > Poor Farm is to use census data. For example, in the 1900 U.S. Census > for Carthage Township, Hancock County, Illinois, Supervisor's District > No. 9, Enumeration District No. 14, Sheet No. 8, B, you will find the > names of the the manager of the poor farm, his family, and other staff > as well as all the "inmates" living there. Residents range in age from > 2 to 90 years of age. Unless you¹re searching a specific name, you have > to go page by page through the township census to find these entries. > I've come across it in other censuses as well when doing other research. > > There is a chapter on the poor in Hancock County in the History of > Hancock County by T. H. Gregg, which was published in Chicago by Chas. > C. Chapman & Co. in 1880. Here is an excerpt from the book. > > "...At length a farm was purchased and a plain frame building put up for > the accommodation of the county's paupers; and the system adopted of > letting the farm and the keeping and maintenance of the poor to the > lowest bidder. This system in its very nature offered a premium to > injustice; and it is not saying too much to assert that under it these > unfortunates never have received and never will receive that kind care > and attention their condition requires. As a rule, perhaps, their > keepers have been ordinarily kind and humane; but human nature will > assert itself, and self interest thwart men's best intentions and > instincts. > > In May 1859, a committee of the Board of Supervisors reported the > cost of the poor farm and house, to date, as follows: house, $3000; > barn, $800; fencing, $500; breaking ground, $250; incidentals, $350; > total, $4,900; claims and allowances for the past nine years, $11,000; > total cost, $15,900. The farm consists of 114 acres, with a small timber > tract north of town.... > > As the number of paupers increased, it became more and more manifest > that the building was too small and too poorly arranged and the means at > command of the keeper too limited, for their proper accommodation. Much > dissatisfaction was felt among the people; and at length, May 6, 1873, > the committee declared the poor-house 'a disgrace to the county, and > unfit for the purpose.' The Board took measures at once to prepare for > the erection of an additional building. The chief complaint was of a > small building know as the "Mad House," in which the idiotic and insane > were confined, and which was declared to be ill-ventilated and in every > way unfit for this purpose. > > The new "Mad House" or Insane Asylum, was built in 1874, and togeher > with the original frame structure, furnishes ample accommodations for > the unfortunates of all classes, and for the family of the > superintendent...." > > The chapter goes on to describe laws and policies that were enacted both > at the state and local level to insure the poor were properly cared for, > as well the author's ideas about how to make the farm a positive and > beneficial place for its residents. > > I checked the several other Hancock County histories, but this was the > only one where I found it described. I skimmed quickly, though, so may > have missed something. > > Good luck in your search. > > Jane > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > ILHANCOC-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ILHANCOC-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > -- ------------------------------------ Michael John Neill 2007 Salt Lake City Research Trip http://www.rootdig.com/slctrip.html