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Caption: Cairo near the Catskills, New York County Alms
House
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The notes below have been abstracted from the following reports.
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YATES REPORT
1824 LAW
1857 REPORT EXPLANATION
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YATES REPORT:
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| 1824 LAW (required establishment of poorhouse vs. exempted):
Exempt
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1857 INVESTIGATION:
The building is of
wood, in size equal to two hundred feet in length. Connected is a farm of one hundred and thirty acres, yielding a revenue
of $800 to $900. In the building
are twenty rooms or wards, warmed by stoves, but destitute of ventilation. The number of inmates
was eighty-eight; forty-four males and forty-four females. Of these, forty are foreign and forty-eight native born. Nineteen are under sixteen years of age. The sexes are separated at night. The keeper has no
assistants. The average number of
inmates is one hundred and thirty, supported at an average weekly expense of
seventy-five cents each. The able
bodied paupers are employed on the farm and about the house. A committee from the board of supervisors has visited the house once
during the year. It is supplied
with Bibles, but no provision is made for other religious instruction. A common school is taught in the house during most of the year. The superintendents of the poor furnish supplies, regulate the system
of diet, bind out the children and exercise the power of discharging lunatics. The fare of the paupers consists of meat, fish, vegetables, milk, and
tea and coffee. A physician is
employed by the year, who visits the house when his services are needed. During the past year have occurred four births and thirteen deaths. They have no pest
house. Of the inmates eleven
are lunatics--six males and five females. All are paupers. But one
has been admitted with the year. Their
only attendance consists in the care bestowed by a male pauper on both sexes. Six are confined in cells, five of them are in chains, including two
women. They are restrained by
confinement, and by wearing chains about their legs and arms. Some are chained to the wall. While
visiting the house the committee observed two men and one woman taken from
their cells to the yard for air; there they were all chained to the fence,
within a few feet of each other. These
confined in cells are without air except from the small hole in the door. They are in a wretched state. None are cured or improved, a
result certainly to be expected from their present treatment. In the house are nine
idiots--five males and four females, none under sixteen years of age. There are two blind and
one deaf and dumb. It is estimated that
three-fourths, at least, of the paupers are made such by their intemperate
habits. This whole house is
most illy constructed, without ventilation and with low ceilings. As a certain consequence the air is most impure.
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Transcribed by PHS-Volunteer, Cheramie Breaux in Louisiana
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LOCAL NOTES:
See the history
of the Cairo Almshouse  -- Extracted
from page 209 of J.B. Beers' "History of Greene County" published in
1884.
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PERSONAL NOTES FROM READERS:
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| RECORDS:
Poorhouse INMATE REGISTRATION CERTIFICATES
Microfilm Series A1978 Roll
Number(s) 38-39
more information
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CEMETERY:
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| We are hoping to build this base of information about the poorhouse in GREENE county through the helpful participation of readers. All are requested to submit items of interest by sending
e-mail to The Poorhouse Lady.
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