1

POORHOUSE HOLDINGS of the MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

The following was found on the website for The Minnesota Historical Society with the URL http://www.mnhs.org/

Only counties for which MHS has poorhouse holdings are listed (in alphabetical order) below.

[Note: Poorhouse records for other Minnesota counties may have been preserved but are archived elsewhere. PHL ]

A complete list of all the counties in Minnesota is on our next webpage (which you reach by clicking on this link) -- there you will find contact information for local sources of information about poorhouses in counties whose poorhouse records are not currently held by the MHS.
This page takes quite a while to load because the resource list is so long.

1 BELTRAMI County

The specific page on the MHS website (for this material) has the following URL http://www.pals.msus.edu/cgi-bin/pals-cgi?SET%20WEB%20MHSCAT____/MAXDI%2024/te%20%20poor%20farm/di%200021

Library:	MN Historical Society
Location:	SEE STATE ARCHIVES NOTEBOOKS
Author:	Beltrami County (Minn.). Poor Farm.
Title:	Records, 1901-1942.
Description:	0.9 cu. ft. (2 partial boxes).
Summary:	Superintendent's annual (1931-1937) and monthly (1904-1908, 1931-1937) reports, financial records (1925-1931), furnishings inventory (undated, 1924-1942), list of inmates dead and discharged (1920-1929), proposed physicians fees (1920-1937) and report on medical services rendered to the county and poor farm (1930, 1936), photographs and miscellany, and poor farm record books (1901-1909, 1920-1937). The latter include inmate registers, a 1926 diagram of the poor farm, and expenditure register (1924-1935), and a register of articles sold (1903-1909).

2 BLUE EARTH County

The specific page on the MHS website (for this material) has the following URL http://www.pals.msus.edu/cgi-bin/pals-cgi?SET%20WEB%20MHSCAT____/MAXDI%2024/te%20%20poor%20farm/di%200011

[Note: Unlike most of the entries similar to this one, this is not a register of inmates, but a financial record. However, these often mention specific inmates in entries which involve expenses incurred by the institution for services or products purchased on their behalf (i.e. purchase of coffin, etc.) PHL ]

Library:	MN Historical Society
Location:	SEE STATE ARCHIVES NOTEBOOKS
Author:	Blue Earth County (Minn.). Poor Farm.
Title:	Ledger, 1902-1903.
Description:	1 folder.
Summary:	Detailed record of accounts kept by poor farm manager.

3 CROW WING County

The specific page on the MHS website (for this material) has the following URL
http://www.pals.msus.edu/cgi-bin/pals-cgi?SET%20WEB%20MHSCAT____/MAXDI%2024/te%20%20poor%20farm/di%200019

Library:	MN Historical Society
Location:	SEE STATE ARCHIVES NOTEBOOKS
Author:	Crow Wing County (Minn.). Poor Farm.
Title:	Record book, 1895-1912.
Description:	1 oversize folder.
Summary:	Contains an inmate register (1895-1912) and a register of articles sold from the farm (1908-1912).
	The inmate register gives date received, name, age, residence, condition (health), where born (state or country), date born, date of discharge or death, and remarks (usually circumstances of discharge).
	The articles sold are categorized by type of livestock or product, hay, oats, wood, and miscellany, and note date delivered, purchaser, and total price.

4 GOODHUE County

The specific page on the MHS website (for this material) has the following URL http://www.pals.msus.edu/cgi-bin/pals-cgi?SET%20WEB%20MHSCAT____/MAXDI%2024/te%20%20poor%20farm/di%200010

Library:	MN Historical Society
Location:	SEE STATE ARCHIVES NOTEBOOKS
Author:	Goodhue County (Minn.). Poor Farm.
Title:	Inmate register, 1869-1963.
Description:	1 v. in partial box.
Restrictions:	Contains private data. Researchers may apply to use this register in accordance with the State Archives access statement.
Summary:	Information provided: name of pauper, sex, age, race, place of nativity, place of residence, reason for admittance, occupation, dates of admittance and discharge, and miscellaneous remarks.
	The Poor Farm closed in October 1963.

5 HENNEPIN County

The specific page on the MHS website (for this material) has the following URL http://www.pals.msus.edu/cgi-bin/pals-cgi?SET%20WEB%20MHSCAT____/MAXDI%203/te%20%20poorhouse/di%200001

Library:	MN Historical Society
Location:	HV99.H42 H477 1987
Author:	Stevens, Kelly.
Title:	Hennepin County Poorhouse / Kelly Stevens.
Publisher:	1987 May.
Description:	[25] leaves : ill. ; 28 cm.
General-Note:	[220199]
Subject:	Hennepin County Poorhouse--History.
Subject:	Poor--Minnesota--Hennepin County.

6 HOUSTON County

The specific page on the MHS website (for this material) has the following URL
http://www.pals.msus.edu/cgi-bin/pals-cgi?SET%20WEB%20MHSCAT____/MAXDI%2024/te%20%20poor%20farm/di%200022

Library:	MN Historical Society
Location:	SEE STATE ARCHIVES NOTEBOOKS
Author:	Houston County (Minn.). Auditor.
Title:	Records, 1861-1988.
Description:	2.5 cu. ft. (2 boxes and 2 partial boxes).
Summary:	Trial balances (1907-1960) and journal (1861-1874), record of sale of school land (1876-1914), school district bond and order register (1885-1916) and officers register (1942-1964), textbook accounts (1883-1893), wolf bounty record (1893-1899, 1931), bank and elevator statements (1909-1920, 1922), petitions urging a cattle tuberculosis testing program (1926-1932), county poor farm records (1902-1903) and inventory record books (1932-1944), township officers list (1988), insurance investigation report (1932), and orders for relief of the poor (1925-1930).

7 KITTSON County

The specific page on the MHS website (for this material) has the following URL
http://www.pals.msus.edu/cgi-bin/pals-cgi?SET%20WEB%20MHSCAT____/MAXDI%2024/te%20%20poor%20farm/di%200023

Library:	MN Historical Society
Location:	SEE STATE ARCHIVES NOTEBOOKS
Author:	Kittson County (Minn.). Poor Farm.
Title:	Register, 1909-1937.
Description:	1 v.
Summary:	Volume A. Information includes date of application; applicant's name, nationality, marital status, age, birthplace, length of residency in state and county, and occupation.

8 KOOCHICHING County

The specific page on the MHS website (for this material) has the following URL
http://www.pals.msus.edu/cgi-bin/pals-cgi?SET%20WEB%20MHSCAT____/MAXDI%2024/te%20%20poor%20farm/di%200016

Library:	MN Historical Society
Location:	SEE STATE ARCHIVES NOTEBOOKS
Author:	Koochiching County (Minn.). Poor Farm.
Title:	Records, 1909-1952.
Description:	2 v.
Subject:	Almshouses--Minnesota
Subject:	Poor Farms--Minnesota

9 LYON County

The specific page on the MHS website (for this material) has the following URL http://www.pals.msus.edu/cgi-bin/pals-cgi?SET%20WEB%20MHSCAT____/MAXDI%2024/te%20%20poor%20farm/di%200009

Library:	MN Historical Society
Location:	SEE STATE ARCHIVES NOTEBOOKS
Author:	Lyon County (Minn.). Poor Farm.
Title:	Inmate register, 1911-1935.
Description:	1 v.
Summary:	Information recorded: application date, name, commissioner's district number, nationality, marital status, age, where born, duration of state or county residence, occupation, cause of application, whether sick or well, and occasionally death date or other remarks.
Subject:	Almshouses--Minnesota.
Subject:	Poor farms--Minnesota.

10 REDWOOD County

[Note: This appears to be records for a nursing home which evolved from a poorhouse in St. Louis County. PHL ]

The specific page on the MHS website (for this material) has the following URL http://www.pals.msus.edu/cgi-bin/pals-cgi?SET%20WEB%20MHSCAT____/MAXDI%2024/te%20%20poor%20farm/di%200004

Library:	MN Historical Society
Location:	SEE STATE ARCHIVES NOTEBOOKS
Author:	Redwood County Nursing Home (Redwood County, Minn.).
Title:	Agency history record.

12 ST. LOUIS County

[Note: This appears to be records for a nursing home which evolved from a poorhouse in St. Louis County. PHL ]

The specific page on the MHS website (for this material) has the following URL http://www.pals.msus.edu/cgi-bin/pals-cgi?SET%20WEB%20MHSCAT____/MAXDI%203/te%20%20poorhouse/di%200003

Library:	MN Historical Society
Location:	SEE STATE ARCHIVES NOTEBOOKS
Author:	Cook Nursing Home (Duluth, Minn.).
Title:	Records, 1889-1958.
Description:	25 v.
Restrictions:	Access to vols. 19-21 is restricted. Researchers may apply to use these volumes in accordance with State Archives Access Statement.
Summary:	Includes registers and censuses, records of deaths and burials, and movement of population records. The records concern tuberculosis patients, almshouse or poorhouse residents, and nursing home residents.

[Note: The following appears to be another (different) holding for the same county. PHL ]

The specific page on the MHS website (for this material) has the following URL http://www.pals.msus.edu/cgi-bin/pals-cgi?SET%20WEB%20MHSCAT____/MAXDI%2024/te%20%20poor%20farm/di%200003

Library:	MN Historical Society
Location:	SEE STATE ARCHIVES NOTEBOOKS
Author:	Cook Nursing Home (Duluth, Minn.).
Title:	Agency history record.

13 WASHINGTON County

The specific page on the MHS website (for this material) has the following URL http://www.pals.msus.edu/cgi-bin/pals-cgi?SET%20WEB%20MHSCAT____/MAXDI%2024/te%20%20poor%20farm/di%200002

Library:	MN Historical Society
Location:	SEE STATE ARCHIVES NOTEBOOKS
Author:	Washington County (Minn.). Poor Farm.
Title:	Agency history record.

[Note: The following appears to be another (different) holding for the same county. PHL ]

The specific page on the MHS website (for this material) has the following URL http://www.pals.msus.edu/cgi-bin/pals-cgi?SET%20WEB%20MHSCAT____/MAXDI%2024/te%20%20poor%20farm/di%200013

Library:	MN Historical Society
Location:	SEE STATE ARCHIVES NOTEBOOKS
Author:	Pine Point Nursing Home (Minn.).
Title:	Pine Point Nursing Home records, 1950-1990.
Description:	0.75 cu. ft. (15 folders in partial box).
Summary:	Minutes of the nursing home's governing board (1954-1974), audit reports (1955-1961) and a financial statement (1977), reports on income from patients (1955-1961), historical data (1990), and sample patient documents and miscellany. The nursing home was formerly the county poor farm.
Location/call#:	128.B.17.4F
Location/call#:	Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, MN.

[Note: The following appears to be another (different) holding for the same county. PHL ]

The specific webpage where it was found is http://www.pals.msus.edu/cgi-bin/pals-cgi?SET%20WEB%20MHSCAT____/MAXDI%2024/te%20%20poor%20farm/di%200014

Library:	MN Historical Society
Location:	SEE STATE ARCHIVES NOTEBOOKS
Author:	Washington County (Minn.). Poor Farm.
Title:	Poor Farm records, 1864-1954.
Description:	5 v. and 10 folders in 2 partial boxes.
Summary:	Register of inmates (1864-1954), financial records (1864-1924), property inventories (1914-1950), a sketch map (ca. 1915), payroll records (1894-1898), and a visitors register (1916-1919).
Location/call#:	Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, MN.
Location/call#:	118.E.14.6F-1 (ov)
Location/call#:	128.B.17.5B

14 WILKIN County

The specific page on the MHS website (for this material) has the following URL http://www.pals.msus.edu/cgi-bin/pals-cgi?SET%20WEB%20MHSCAT____/MAXDI%2024/te%20%20poor%20farm/di%200012

Library:	MN Historical Society
Location:	SEE STATE ARCHIVES NOTEBOOKS
Author:	Wilkin County (Minn.). County Auditor.
Title:	Miscellaneous records, 1884-1975.
Description:	0.75 cu. ft. (1 v. and partial box).
Summary:	Record of appropriations to townships and villages (1884-1927); register of seed grain applications (1893-1933); statements of amounts of grain handled by elevators (1937-1946); petitions for eradication of cattle tuberculosis (ca. 1924) and summaries of tuberculosis retests (1926-1942); wolf, fox, crow, lynx, bobcat, and bear bounties (1928-1965); a map showing road conditions (1936); miscellaneous petitions (1922-1946); sample election ballots (1922-1936); lists of city officers (1971-1975); a survey of county allowances for burial of paupers (1930); applications for county aid (1932-1936); and a compilation of poor farm maintenance costs (1928).

15 WINONA County

The specific page on the MHS website (for this material) has the following URL
http://www.pals.msus.edu/cgi-bin/pals-cgi?SET%20WEB%20MHSCAT____/MAXDI%2024/te%20%20poor%20farm/di%200020

Library:	MN Historical Society
Location:	SEE STATE ARCHIVES NOTEBOOKS
Author:	Winona County (Minn.). Poor Farm.
Title:	Records, 1904-1941.
Description:	1.0 cu. ft. (4 v. in box).
Summary:	Register of residents (1904-1941), giving background information, and receipts and disbursements record books (1909-1941).

16 YELLOW MEDICINE County

The specific page on the MHS website (for this material) has the following URL
http://www.pals.msus.edu/cgi-bin/pals-cgi?SET%20WEB%20MHSCAT____/MAXDI%2024/te%20%20poor%20farm/di%200018

Library:	MN Historical Society
Location:	SEE STATE ARCHIVES NOTEBOOKS
Author:	Yellow Medicine County (Minn.). County Auditor.
Title:	Records, 1872-1961.
Description:	10.5 cu. ft. (7 boxes and 32 v.).
Restrictions:	Access to some welfare records is restricted.
Summary:	Includes agricultural reports, court orders, census records, town road records, election records, bounty claim records, county welfare records (including records relating to the poor farm), and warrant registers and other financial records.