If you missed the 8am broadcast of this Minnesota Public Radio broadcast I hope that you will go to this link and listen to this informative, amazing and powerful broadcast regarding our countries poor people during the 1800's. Linda Crannell a/k/a "The Poorhouse Lady" has done a remarkable job of bringing this information to light genealogically and is interviewed along with Mary Broadwell another noted Genealogist from St. Paul, MN. The show will broadcast again this evening at 8pm via Minnesota Public Radio, but you can hear it now at http://news.mpr.org/programs/midday/listings/md20020729.shtml HOUR 2: (12 p.m.) Over the Hill to the Poor House Listen A new Mainstreet Radio documentary, Over the Hill to the Poor House examines the history of poor farms in Minnesota. We hear from people who worked there, relatives who trace their past to them and historians who are attempting to document them. The documentary is followed by an in studio discussion. Guest: Linda Crannell, who calls herself "The Poorhouse Lady." Mary Bakeman, a St. Paul genealogist. Related Links Over the Hill to the Poor House (MPR News) http://news.mpr.org/programs/midday/listings/md20020729.shtml Over the Hill to the Poor House July 29, 2002 By Dan Gunderson and Chris Julin, Minnesota Public Radio The American dream is freedom and financial security. But it's possible to lose everything. One day you have a job, a family, a house. Then there's an accident, an illness, a poor choice. One misfortune piles on another. One hundred years ago, if you lost your health, or your mind, you might have faced the poorhouse. It was a terrifying possibility - the slide from working, healthy person to the poorhouse, an anonymous death, and an unmarked grave. Thousands of people died in poorhouses, and today we park cars and grow corn on their graves. Poorhouses disappeared after World War II, but some people wonder how far we've come from a time when poor people were simply thrown away. History of the Poorfarm It was thought poorhouses would be a more efficient way of caring for the poor, thus reducing cost for local government. It was also anticipated that by forcing people to go to a less than pleasant place if they wanted public assistance, many poor could be discouraged from seeking help. Working at the Poorhouse The poorhouse is a mostly forgotten part of American history. But a few people still remember - especially those who worked in the poorhouses. Looking for Graves Many of the residents of Minnesota's poorhouses and poorfarms ended up in unmarked graves - in unmarked cemeteries that few people know about. Now some are trying to find and preserve those graves, to provide the dead the dignity they did not have in life. View photos of poorhouse cemeteries http://www.poorhousestory.com