Great story, Lester! Thanks! When are you going to let me show you around Evergreen Cemetery?? Joe --- Lester M Powers <lesterps@juno.com> wrote: > I got interested in whatever the "Los Angeles County > Farm" was too, especially after someone posted its > location > as Downey, thus giving hope that it could be > located. > > Here is some info I discovered today. > > Lester Powers > lesterps@juno.com > > > Los Angeles County Farm (Rancho Los Amigos, today > the Rancho Los Amigos > hospital) at Downey: > > "Los Angeles County Farm [in the year 1923] -- > This great > institution is situated sixteen miles southeast of > Los Angeles, and three > miles south of Downey. It contains four hundred > acres of fine farm land, > 210 acres of which are now being cultivated. The > twenty-six buildings on > the place cost the county $400,000. The daily > average attendance, > including 225 harmless insane persons, is a total of > 766. Ninety > civilian employees and 250 working residents do the > labor for the place. > One hundred and ten of the inmates receive a fixed, > but low wage, for > their work. The buildings are two-story concrete > structures. Chapel > services are held each Sabbath. A talking machine > [radio] placed on > wheels is moved from one ward to another daily for > the amusement of the > inmates. Concerts and speeches are greatly enjoyed > by the inmates of the > institution. The Women�s building has large porches > on the east, west > and north sides. A hospital ward is provided. No > room has more than two > beds. Each room has hot and cold running water with > steam heat, rugs on > the floors and good furniture. All food is cooked > in the main kitchen > and transferred to the Women�s wards in little steam > wagons. Most of the > men eat in the large dining room, next to the main > kitchen. The farm has > its own sewer plant, makes its own electricity, has > a herd of 150 > Holstein-Freisian milch [sic] cows. Ordinarily > there are milked each day > 115 cows producing 500 gallons of milk -- over 38 > pounds per cow. The > net cost per day for each inmate, last year, was > sixty-two and four > tenths cents." > As of 1923 the Farm was operated by the Los > Angeles County > Department of Charities. > Source: "History of Los Angeles County," John > Steven McGroarty, ed., > The American Historical Society, Chicago and New > York, 1923, vol. 1, p. > 20. > > A whole chapter is devoted to the Farm in the > book "History of > Downey: The Life Story of a Pioneer Community, And > of the Man who > Founded it -- California Governor John Gately Downey > -- From Covered > Wagon to the Space Shuttle," by Charles Russell > Quinn, published by Elena > Quinn, Downey, California, 1973, copyright by the > City of Downey. The > book describes the County Farm as originally an > almshouse and poor farm, > also including shelter for the aged, physically > disabled, and insane, > that over time became a county hospital. There were > three phases in its > development. The first phase, from its founding in > 1887 to 1915, was a > decline from a work camp for the poor to something > less than that. The > second phase, beginning with William R. Harriman�s > 1915 appointment as > superintendent, was a time of rehabilitation both > for the Farm (as a > farm) and for its residents. Improvements to the > real estate came first, > both the land and buildings, then to medical > facilities (clinic built > 1923; hospital built 1933). The third phase was > conversion to a > long-term medical care facility for polio beginning > in 1944. > > > ________________________________________________________________ > YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! > Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! > Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE > software, visit: > http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? From homework help to love advice, Yahoo! Experts has your answer. http://experts.yahoo.com/