La Porte County Asylum for the Poor
"County Farm"

County Home about 1886

In the thirties, a few years after the organization of the county, the commissioners made provision for an asylum for the poor. They purchased land and built a county poor house and from time to time improved the possessions circumstances required. The poor farm originally consisted of the southeast quarter of section twenty-two in Center township, the left hand lower corner of which extends in Pine Lake. One of the men who served longest as superintendent of the county infirmary was Joseph M. Hoffman, who served sixteen years, having been selected by the county commissioners for that position in 1873. It is said that during his administration holidays were observed, and Sunday services held regularly at the poor farm. The southern half of the poor farm was purchased by the Pine Lake Cemetery Association as stated in the preceding chapter. After this is was found that the farm was not adequate to the county's growing needs, and hence on February 7, 1886, the present county farm was purchased which contains large tracts in sections three and ten of Scipio township. After a new and commodious home had been erected for an infirmary, and other buildings had been provided, the poor and those who cared for them were removed to the new establishment, which has ever since been conducted successfully.

Among the most satisfactory administrations was that of Mr.
Concannon. The total cost of maintaining the poor farm for 1891 was $3,500. Besides this there is the township poor relief in which Michigan township in 1891 stood at the head, relieving 223 persons; Center came next relieving 197, then Kankakee with 20, New Durham with 13, Noble and Cass with 11 each, while those of the other townships were not as many as ten, each. The total was 528.
Considering population and everything, LaPorte county has little poverty as compared with many other counties. And this has been so from the beginning. The same industrial conditions, bringing poverty in their wake, have not prevailed here. The "slums" are not in the county, to any great extent. In an early day, in Michigan City, the foreign element was limited to a few Irish and German families. There was but little suffering from poverty. Even what existed was caused more by sickness and misfortune then anything else, and the needs of the sufferers were soon found out and relieved by those who were more fortunately situated.

Ref: A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of LaPorte County Indiana - Author Rev. E. D. Daniels, 1904 - pages 304 & 305.

Webmaster notes:   And even today, in 2006 the County Home provides shelter to many of our area residents. It is located across from the Fair Grounds on state road 2.
Many of our mentally unstable inhabitants were sent to Logansport State Hospital (formerly Northern Indiana Hospital for the Insane) commencing the completion of the building of the hosptial at Logansport in about August of 1888. Logansport is also known as Longcliff.

COUNTY POOR FARM RESIDENTS, 1898, Scipio Township, La Porte Co
Simon Effner, old age
Thomas Behrens, young but blind due to fight he was involved in.
Dr. Redding, insane and paralyzed
Frank Hederman, veteran, application has been made to Marion Soldiers' Home for him
Michael Fox, old age
Margaret Reddinghouse, had previously been in the Old Poor Farm near Pine Lake Cemetery
Michael Borzkoka
Andrew Scharwalds
George Sweitzer

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COUNTY POOR FARM RESIDENTS, 27 June, 1900, Scipio Township, La Porte Co.
AHLSCHLAGER, Wm. (Head, age 43);
AHLSCHLAGER, Lena (Wife, 38);
AHLSCHLAGER, Benjamin (Son, 19);
AHLSCHLAGER, Emma (Daughter, 14);
AHLSCHLAGER, William L. (Son, 10);

Residents (Boarders);
BRINGELSON, August (27);
MEADOWS, Elizabeth (80);
JOHNSON, Mrs. John (67);
BOLERIS/BOBRIS, Andrew (56);
ROGUSKI, Frank (38);
HOESTEN, Alexander (41);
VAN AKIN, Mary (60);
STILES, Jacob (79);
BECK, Gotlieb (74);
SENT, Nancy (52);
MACKEAN, Anna (59);
ARNEY, Emanuel (78);
MARONEY, Margaret (85);
RILEY, Daniel (45);
SHOWER, Michael (68);
WESBERG, Catherine, (69);
SILVERSTOFF, Fred (80);
HILL, Frank (74);
HECKER, Fred (66);
SCHLOWENSKI, Michael (79);
DAGNER, Anna (78);
WALLS, Anna (63);
LYONS, John (76);
SHERWOOD, William (74);
REAGER, Amproes (71);
PALEN, Bell (20);
COLLINS, Catherine (90);
HAVENS, Lucy (26);
FISHER, Frank (80);
PLASKI, Minnie (80);
MILLER, Charles (50);
SHARIN/SHANN, Julius (74);
MENKA, Martha (40);
HOCKNEY, Rebecka (90);
VANHELM, Rosa (34);
PELKA, Andrew (54);
SICKINICK, Mary (46);
BRYANT, John (43);
BRYANT, Lydia (Sister of John,) (38);
DUDLEY, Roy (40);
MARISKA, Tena (105);
FOX, Mickey (100);
PALASKI, Edward (38);
FREMAN, Jane (64);
ILLEGIBLE, Mary (45);
COULTER, Silas (69);
RETTINHOUSE, Margaret (69);
ALLEN, Lillie (56);
HECKLEY, Elizabeth (50);
NORRIS, Dorthey (60);
SCHULTZ, Mary (73);
HUNTLEY, Frona (90);
ELLY, John P. (74);
BOEH, Benedict (58);
CLARK, Rebecca (65);
JOHNSON, Andrew (60);
DOYLE, Mary (65).
NOTE: If questionable, compiler recorded Heritage Quest index spelling.

County Home Obituaries and News

Harper, Thomas - Thomas Harper, for four years an inmate of the county asylum, died shortly after noon today of old age. His exact age is not known but he had passed his 90th birthday. He was a native of Ireland and had been a resident of this county for at least 40 years. The funeral services are to be held from the Kingsbury Baptist church Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock. The cortege will leave the asylum about 1:30 o'clock. The remains will be laid at rest in the Kingsbury cemetery where the deceased wife was laid some years ago. The Herald, Friday, July 19, 1895.

Hunter - - - James S. Hunter - DIED OF NOSE BLEED - Michigan Cty Man Passes Away at County House. James S. Hunter of this city died at the county asylum Wednesday night of hemorrhages of the nowse. The deceased was taken to the county house about a month ago. He was 29 years old and is survived by a brother and a sister. If the body is not claimed by reltives, it will be turned over to the state anatomical board. Michigan City Evening News, Thursday 23 July 1903, p. 2, c. 3

INGRAM, William - The funeral of William Ingram, who died at the county poor asylum, took place yesterday afternoon, the interment being in Pine Lake Cemetery. The deceased was 76 years of age and had been at the asylum for the past 12 years. He died from old age and a complication of diseases. A niece, Mrs. Moore, lives in Hanna, and he is said to have left two sisters, the exact whereabouts of whom could not be learned. L.A. Decker & Bro. were in charge. (La Porte Daily Herald, October 24, 1917)

Johnson - - - Andrew Johnson - Michigan City Evening News, 2 March 1920 Andrew Johnson, 72, an inmate of the county farm for the past 40 years died there Friday, a victim of heart failure. He was born in Sweden, February 25, 1848, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Jons Johnson. He is survived by a brother, Swan of Crystal Lake, Ill., who came to attend the funeral services which were held Sunday afternoon from Weir and Ebberts parlors. Rev. Axel Nelson officiating. He was buried at Pine Lake cemetery. Inmates of the county asylum acted as pallbearers.

Nichols - - Hattie Nichols - Michigan City News, 4 March 1908    THOUGHT DEAD; SHE REVIVES Poor Farm Superintendent Fooled by Hattie Nichols Monday, March 2. Superintendent Alschlager at the county infirmary was about to telephone for the undertaker last night when Hattie Nichols, an inmate, who he thought had died came to life again. The case is a most unusual one. After supper last evening Mrs. Alschlager called her husband with the startling information that the Nichols woman had dropped over dead. Mr. Alschlager hurried to the women’s ward and found the inmate on the floor. She was perfectly quit. He made a hasty examination. She appeared pulseless and there appeared to be no heart action. With the assistance on one of the men Mr. Alschlager carried her into another room and she was laid down, in order that efforts might be made to resuscitate her if possible. There was nothing to indicate that there remained a spark of life in her body, but just then all were startled to see the woman open her eyes and look up. In a few minutes she was all right. Hattie Nichols comes from Galena Township and has been in the insane hospital in Logansport several times.

RASSEAU - Daily Herald - Monday, November 27, 1893 - Frederick RASSEAU, an inmate of the county asylum, who died Friday night from the effects of cancer of the stomach, was buried this afternoon in Patton's Cemetery.

REECE - Ernest Reece, aged 95 years, dying with consumption, and his wife, Sophia Reece, bearing the weight of 107 years, were received at the county asylum Tuesday evening to spend the remainder of their days of life. They were taken over the hills to the refuge of the poor and unfortunate of life by the trustee of Wills township, where the aged couple lived for many years, where the father hewed a home out of the wilderness and where his wife, her figure bent with age, her hair as white as the driven snow, witnessed a century pass into forgotten oblivion. The condition of Mr. Reece made it necessary to remove him to the asylum that he might receive the proper care, while the mental condition of Mrs. Reece, her mind tottering under the infirmities of age, required that she be ministered unto as a public charge for the days she is fated to live. This venerable couple has had a long and interesting history. They have lived to behold Amer ican achievement and development, to witness the triumph of genius in mechanical invention. Mrs. Reece was a young girl during the progress of the war of 1812, and when her mind was strong and vigorous she could recount much of the stirring history which was written in the early years of the nineteenth century. The lives of both have been filled with content, and life, despite the fact that the sun is now deep on the other side of the hill, has had its sweet mingled with the bitter. (Michigan City Evening News, 2 Oct. 1902)

Schaefer, Ferdinand - Ferdinand Schafer, an inmate of the county asylum, 65 years of age, died yesterday afternoon after a lingering illness of about two years. He came to the asylum six or seven years ago from Michigan City and formerly was a carpenter. He is said to have a son but up to this afternoon the superintendent of the asylum had been unable to locate him. The son is said to have lived in Michigan City, and Superintendent Ahlschlager heard later that he was not in Benton Harbor. I.A. Decker & Bro. are in charge of the body. (The Daily Herald, June 30, 1917)

SCHWENK, Fred - Fred Schwenk, an inmate of the county house, died yesterday morning and was buried today at Pine Lake Cemetery. (La Porte Daily Herald, January 5, 1892)

Smith, Toby - Daily Herald, Monday, FEbruary 11, 1895 - Toby Smith, an inmate of the county asylum, died Saturday night at 9:30 o'clock of dropsy. The remains were laid to rest yesterday. Deceased was a resident of Michigan Township.

Snyder - - Jule Snyder,  Michigan City News, 22 January 1908 SNYDER A COUNTY CHARGE In County House Friday, January 17     Jule Snyder, a well known man about town who some weeks ago used a liberal application of carbolic acid and glycerine with about ten times too much of the Acid, in hopes of relieving an itching of the skin is now a county charge. The unfortunate man has been in the county house for some days past and although recovering from the effects of the overdose is none too well and his friends fear that his days are numbered.

Wollmarath - - - - Adam Wollmarath - Daily Herald, Friday, December 21, 1894 - Adam Wollmarath, aged 94 years who resided in the fifth ward, has been taken to the county asylum. He was removed on his bed. The old gentleman was the father of Maggie Wollmarath, who died Wednesday, from the affects of drinking sapolio dissolved in a cup of water. Mr. Wollmarath is very feeble and is unable to keep himself. The death of his daughter left him destituteAdam Wollmarath also spelled as Wallmerath and Wollmerath on various census reports. (webmaster added notes - Feronica Wollmerath was his wife she died
8 Dec 1884 Laporte 80 yr Female - Maggie Wollmarath d. Dec 19, 1894 at age 50 I believe that Adam died the next year after entering the nursing home.

WHALEN, Gus - Gus Whalen, 53 years of age, died at 6 o'clock this morning at the county asylum. He had been there for about 6 weeks and had come from Michigan City. He told the Superintendent, William Ahlschlager, that he had a wife, but would not tell where she was. Mr. Ahlschlager does not know the names of any of the relatives or where they are living and unless they are heard from the body will be interred in potter's field. Whalen's death was due to dropsy with which he was suffering when taken to the asylum. The body was taken in charge by L.A. Decker & Bro. (La Porte Daily Herald, November 13, 1917)

Witte - - -   Wm. Witte - Taken to the County House - Township Trustee Chas. Walters yesterday took Wm. Witte to the county house. Witte is old and feeble and has lately been residing with his children, but for some reason he was not suited and applied to Trustee Walters to be taken to the poor farm. Trustee Walters had some business to transact and took Witte over with him. The trustee has lately settled accounts with the numerous grocerymen for provisions supplied to the poor during the past year. Michigan City Evening Dispatch, Fri. 19 June 1896, p. 1, c. 4

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