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.