This is an excerpt from http://www.poorhousestory.com : " The commissioners of Belmont County on October 18, 1828, under the terms of the act of 1816, purchased for $2,800 a 150 acre farm three miles west of St. Clairsville, Ohio, for the purpose of providing a suitable home for the indigent persons of the county. A brick building standing on the farm was repaired and remodeled for the first “poorhouse.” When the institution became crowded in 1843, an addition was built at a cost of $500. Persons suffering from mental ailments who had been admitted to the “poorhouse” were moved to separate quarters constructed in 1847. From time to time improvements and repairs were made on the old building until 1870 when a new four-story brick infirmary was erected on the farm at a cost of $63,000.23. The records for this office are located in the office of the superintendent at the county home." I contacted the County Health Dept about a year ago concerning the records from the Infirmary. They have some records beginning in 1907, but nothing earlier. Can anyone tell me where the records are now? Especially the following: 486. RECORD OF INFIRMARY PATIENTS, 1878--, 2 vols., 1 f. b. Records of persons living within the home, showing name and address of inmate, age, sex, date of admission, and date of death or discharge. Arr. alph. by names of inmates. No index. Hdw. on p. f. Vols. aver. 500 pp. 18 x 12 x 2; f. b., 6 x 6 x 6. 487. CASE RECORDS, 1873--. 22 f. b. Case records, showing name of inmate, description and history of client, financial statement, record of family, and condition of health. Arr. alph. by names of inmates. No index. Hdw. on p. f. 8 x 8 x 18. Charles A. Steinman

Some years back I was looking through some St. Clairsville newspapers, about the year 1836, and saw that my ancestor John Bishop was mentioned as having been paid for putting new shingles on the poorhouse. So there's something like a yearly Commissioner's report that appeared in the newspaper and would list the people who the county (Belmont) paid for various services. I pretty sure it didn't list the 'inmates' or 'patients', though. But the newspapers are available on interlibrary loan from the Ohio Historical Society and you never know what you might find. Tom Bishop "Charles A. Steinman" wrote: > This is an excerpt from http://www.poorhousestory.com : > " The commissioners of Belmont County on October 18, 1828, under the > terms of the act of 1816, purchased for $2,800 a 150 acre farm three > miles west of St. Clairsville, Ohio, for the purpose of providing a > suitable home for the indigent persons of the county. A brick building > standing on the farm was repaired and remodeled for the first > “poorhouse.” When the institution became crowded in 1843, an addition > was built at a cost of $500. Persons suffering from mental ailments who > had been admitted to the “poorhouse” were moved to separate quarters > constructed in 1847. From time to time improvements and repairs were > made on the old building until 1870 when a new four-story brick > infirmary was erected on the farm at a cost of $63,000.23. The records > for this office are located in the office of the superintendent at the > county home." > > I contacted the County Health Dept about a year ago concerning the > records from > the Infirmary. They have some records beginning in 1907, but nothing > earlier. > Can anyone tell me where the records are now? Especially the following: > > 486. RECORD OF INFIRMARY PATIENTS, 1878--, 2 vols., 1 f. b. > Records of persons living within the home, showing name and > address of inmate, age, sex, date of admission, and date of death or > discharge. Arr. alph. by names of inmates. No index. Hdw. on p. f. > Vols. aver. 500 pp. 18 x 12 x 2; f. b., 6 x 6 x 6. > > 487. CASE RECORDS, 1873--. 22 f. b. > Case records, showing name of inmate, description and history of > client, financial statement, record of family, and condition of health. > Arr. alph. by names of inmates. No index. Hdw. on p. f. 8 x 8 x 18. > > Charles A. Steinman