INVENTORY OF THE COUNTY ARCHIVES OF OHIO
NO. 5.  BELMONT COUNTY (ST.CLAIRSVILLE)
Prepared by 
The Ohio Historical Records Survey Project
Service Division
Work Projects Administration
Columbus, Ohio
The Historical Records Survey Project
1942
3 1466 00270 4225

Excerpts of portions dealing with Infirmary (poorhouse) Records

[Note: Click here to see portions of important information common to all the county inventories.

Superintendent of the County Home. The county home is located on the Flushing Bannock Road, which leads off from the United States Route 40, about 3 miles west of St. Clairsville, Ohio.  It is a three-story brick building, which is said to be about 50 percent fireproof.  The records are kept in metal file boxes and on wooden shelves in the office of the superintendent, a room 15 by 17 feet in dimensions.  The records are in very good condition, and the accommodations for both officials and the public are adequate.
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   The commissioners of Belmont County on October 18, 1828, under the terms of the act of 1816, purchased for $2,800 a 150 acre farm three miles west of St. Clairsville, Ohio, for the purpose of providing a suitable home for the indigent persons of the county.  A brick building standing on the farm was repaired and remodeled for the first “poorhouse.”  When the institution became crowded in 1843, an addition was built at a cost of $500.  Persons suffering from mental ailments who had been admitted to the “poorhouse” were moved to separate quarters constructed in 1847.  From time to time improvements and repairs were made on the old building until 1870 when a new four-story brick infirmary was erected on the farm at a cost of $63,000.23. 
     The records for this office are located in the office of the superintendent at the county home.
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486.  RECORD OF INFIRMARY PATIENTS,  1878--, 2 vols., 1 f. b.
Records of persons living within the home, showing name and address of inmate, age, sex, date of admission, and date of death or discharge.  Arr. alph. by names of inmates.  No index.  Hdw. on p. f.  Vols. aver.  500 pp.  18 x 12 x 2;  f. b., 6 x 6 x 6. 

487.  CASE RECORDS,  1873--.  22 f. b.
Case records, showing name of inmate, description and history of client, financial statement, record of family, and condition of health.  Arr. alph. by names of inmates.  No index.  Hdw. on p. f.  8 x 8 x 18.

488.  DAILY MOVEMENTS OF INMATES,  1931--.  2 f. b.
Daily record of inmates of the home, showing date of report, number at beginning of day, number of admissions and discharges during the day, and total number remaining at the end of the day.  Arr. chron. by daily reports.  No index.  Hdw. on p. f.  14 x 14 x 24. 

489.  ANNUAL REPORT OF COUNTY HOME,  1931--, 10 reports (dated).
Financial reports for the fiscal year of receipts and expenditures of the institution.  Expenditures, showing amounts expended for utilities, employees, salaries, clothing, groceries and other provisions, medical service, funeral expenses, vehicles, new equipment, livestock, and all other bills incurred in the maintenance of the home.  Receipts, showing amounts received from sale of farm products, livestock, and remuneration from other counties for care of persons from outside Belmont County.  Report also indicates number of inmates who are residents within the county and number being cared for from other counties showing age, sex, color, nativity, and physical and mental condition.  Includes an inventory of estimated value of land, buildings, furniture, livestock, farm implements, with their total value.  Certification of report by superintendent and clerk of board of commissioners is indicated by their signatures.  Arr. chron. by years of reports.  No index.  18 x 10.
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1.  COMMISSIONERS’ JOURNAL, 1810-1827, 1833--.  33 vols.  (three vols.,  1810--27, 1833-62, unlabeled; thirty vols., 1862--, 1-30).  Record of meetings of the board of county commissioners, showing date of  meeting, roll call, and proceedings in all business transactions, including appropriations for various funds, appointments of county officials, orders for issue of vouchers in payment of bills and claims, road petitions, annexation of property by hamlet, village, or city, and action taken on requests by property owners for a review of taxes and refund of excess amounts paid.  Also contains a record of discussion and action taken on proposed buildings including courthouses, jails, children’s home, and infirmary, contracts let for construction of same, fiscal reports of county officials, establishment of miscellaneous relief agencies, registry of officials’ bonds, petitions for incorporation of hamlets, villages, and cities and authorization of purchase of machinery and other equipment for road work.  Arr. chron. by dates of meetings.  For index, see entry 2.  1810-27, 1833-1919, hdw.; 1920--, typed.  
Average. 500 pp. 18 x 13 x 3.  Aud. main ofc. 
                                                                                   *** 

3.  COMMISSIONERS’ JOURNAL INFIRMARY, 1828-73, 1891--.  6 vols.  Title varies:  Infirmary Journal, 1828-73, 1891-1915, 4 vols.  Record of meetings of trustees of county home, showing date of meeting, approval of bills for supplies and other expense for maintenance of the home, and all business transacted in connection with the institution.  Also includes annual inventories of property belonging to the home.  Prior to 1913 trustees were appointed to serve as infirmary directors.  Since 1913 the county commissioners have served in this capacity.  Arr. chron. by dates of meetings.  No index.  Hdw.  Aver. 240 pp. 16 x 12 x 2.  4 vols., 1828-73, 1891-1915, bmt. stg.; 1 vol., 1916-30, aud. pvt. ofc. no. 3; 
1 vol., 1931--.  aud. main ofc.
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23.  BELMONT COUNTY INFIRMARY CLASSIFIED RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES, 1829-53, 1908-23.  3 vols.  Classified list of weekly receipts and expenditures of the county infirmary, showing date of transaction, amount received or spent, to whom paid, for what purpose, and source of receipts, including proceeds from sale of garden products, livestock, hides, wool, and other farm products.  Arr. chron. by dates of transactions.  No index.  Hdw.  Aver. 240 pp.  16 x 12 x 2.  Bmt stg.

*** 

24.  INFIRMARY REPORTS, 1904-14.  2 bdls.
Reports submitted by infirmary directors to county commissioners of receipts and expenditures of institution, showing date of transaction, name of payer or payee, and amount and purpose of transaction.  Also includes report of condition of institution and farm, showing date report filed, date directors not at infirmary, number of inmates at time of last report, number received since last report, number discharged, died, or run away, and number remaining at time of last report.  Arr. chron. by dates reports filed.  No index.  Hdw. on p. f. 8 x 3 x 3.  Bmt. stg.
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35.  INFIRMARY REQUISITIONS.  1928--.  21 f. b.
Requisitions for supplies for county infirmary, submitted by infirmary directors to commissioners for their approval, showing date and number of requisition, to whom directed, itemized list of supplies needed, unit price, total, and signatures of commissioners.  Arr. chron. by dates of requisitions.  No index.  Hdw. on p. f. 11 x 5 x 14.  Aud. main ofc.
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369.  INFIRMARY DIRECTOR BILL DOCKET,  1904--.  4 vols.
Auditor’s docket of bills incurred in maintenance and operation of the infirmary, showing date and number of bill, name of creditor, specific purpose of bill, amount, date filed, date of approval, amount for which approved, date of payment, and number of warrent.  Arr. chron. by dates of filing.  No index.  Hdw.  Aver. 375 pp.  18 x 13 x 2.  Aud. main ofc.
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