Livingston Co., Missouri Poor Farm

[Livingston Co. Poor Farm]

Thanks to Barbara Sizemore of Chillicothe, Missouri for sharing this information!

The County Poor Farm was located in Cream Ridge Township, about four miles north of Chillicothe on the west side of what is now Highway 65. It contained 210 acres, roughly the southern third of Section 36 in Township 59 North, Range 24 West. The land was purchased August 10, 1867. The frame house, built before 1870, is a large one and one-half story structure. Now a single family dwelling, it is still standing in 2004 (see photo above) though slightly changed. The front porch (at far left) and back porch have been enclosed and siding added to the house. This building was originally inhabited by medical patients whose families were unable to care for them, indigents, unwed mothers and the mentally infirm. It received continuous use until 1901 when it was sold and replaced by an infirmary located about one mile southwest of Chillicothe, near the Burlington railroad tracks.

County physician (and future Missouri Governor) Dr. Alexander M. Dockery kept a ledger of Poor Farm residents from January 4, 1871 until about 1878. This incomplete list was compiled from that ledger and from the Federal census of 1870, 1880 and 1900.

DOB is the approximate date of birth. In some cases the resident was legally insane and that person's age was difficult or impossible to determine accurately.

NAMEDOBNATIVITYADMITTEDRELEASED
, Rose Ann     Oct. 5, 1872  
Anderson, James     bef. June 1900  
Anderson, Nancy P. 1843 Tennessee Dec. 11, 1872 bef. June 1880
Austin, Amos 1835 Tennessee Oct. 1, 1868 aft. June 1880
Baker, Cornelius 1850 Ohio Sept. 2, 1872 bef. June 1880
Baker, Jennie   Indiana March 27, 1872 Sept 18, 1872
Baker, J. W. May 17, 1872 Missouri May 17, 1872 July 11, 1872
Boone, Edward     bef. June 1900  
Brodstock, John 1833   Oct. 3, 1872 bef. June 1880
Bronson, Sarah 1850 Missouri bef. June 1880 bef. June 1900
*Canfield, Susan 1840 Missouri Dec. 1, 1867 bef. June 1880
Cobb, Mary 1845 Pennsylvania Aug. 18, 1870 Jan. 31, 1871
Conerly, Margaret 1848 Missouri Feb. 1, 1870 Feb. 12, 1871
Conerly, Martha April 1, 1870 Missouri April 1, 1870 Feb. 12, 1871
Cook, Jesse April 1872 Missouri Aug. 6, 1872 bef. June 1880
Cook, Mary E. 1853 Ohio Aug. 6, 1872 bef. June 1880
Cooper, John 1876 Missouri bef. June 1880 bef. June 1900
Cooper, Mary 1840 Missouri Oct. 1, 1867 aft. June 1880
Cooper, William 1879 Missouri bef. June 1880 bef. June 1900
Craighead, Amanda     bef. June 1900  
Davis, Isaac 1833 Indiana July 25, 1872 Aug. 7, 1872
Davis, Mahala 1842 Missouri July 25, 1872 bef. June 1880
Delano, Samuel 1852 Missouri Aug. 1, 1870 Feb. 13, 1871
Delano, Sarah 1856 Missouri Jan. 2, 1871 Jan. 22, 1871
Dyke, Frank     bef. June 1900  
Emerson, Elizabeth 1825 Ohio bef. June 1880 bef. June 1900
Ficklin, John 1800 Kentucky June 13, 1872 aft. June 1880
Fisher, John 1870 Ohio Nov. 14, 1872 bef. June 1880
Fisher, Mary 1849 Ohio Nov. 14, 1872 bef. June 1880
Goodman, Nancy 1808 Kentucky Aug. 1, 1869 Sep. 6, 1871
Grossby, Lewis     bef. June 1900  
Hampton, John     bef. June 1900  
Hays, Thomas 1855 Canada Nov. 30, 1872 bef. June 1880
Herman, Louis 1840 Missouri Nov. 1, 1870 March 20, 1871
Irwin, Harry Feb. 1870 Missouri Feb. 1870 bef. June 1880
Irwin, Rosanna 1848 Kentucky Dec. 25, 1869 March 20, 1871
James     bef. June 1900  
Johnson     bef. June 1900  
Jones, Frank     bef. June 1900  
Kuner, Lucy 1845 Missouri bef. June 1880 bef. June 1900
Leed, Sallie 1840 Missouri bef. June 1880 bef. June 1900
Maberry, Emma 1849 Missouri Aug. 4, 1870 aft. June 1880
Maberry, Margaret July 1870 Missouri Oct. 1, 1870 aft. June 1880
Maberry, Nancy 1831 Missouri Aug. 4, 1870 aft. June 1900
Maberry, Theodore 1828 Missouri Aug. 4, 1870 aft. June 1880
Marlow, Abner     bef. June 1900  
Martin, William 1795 Virginia Aug. 27, 1872 bef. June 1880
McBride, Ann 1867 Missouri bef July 26, 1870 bef. June 1880
McBride, Jennie E. 1866 Missouri July 25, 1872 bef. June 1880
McBride, John 1863 Missouri bef. July 26, 1870 bef. June 1880
McBride, Lizzie 1865 Missouri bef. July 26, 1870 bef. June 1880
McBride, Mahala 1842 Missouri bef July 26, 1870 bef. June 1880
McDonald, Jacob     bef. June 1900  
Medley, Benjamin 1848 Kentucky bef. July 26, 1870 bef. June 1880
Medley, Julia 1848 Kentucky bef. July 26, 1870 bef. June 1880.
Miller, Charles 1800 Virginia Feb. 1, 1870 May 24, 1872
Payne, Louisa I. 1864 Virginia bef. June 1880 bef. June 1900
Payne, Mary A. 1836 Virginia bef. June 1880 bef. June 1900
Payne, Maud E. 1866 Missouri bef. June 1880 bef. June 1900
Payne, Melvin O. 1877 Missouri bef. June 1880 bef. June 1900
Payne, Priscilla O. 1871 Missouri bef. June 1880 bef. June 1900
Payne, Saint L. 1874 Missouri bef. June 1880 bef. June 1900
Payne, Thomas A. 1866 Virginia bef. June 1880 bef. June 1900
Payne, William D. 1862 Virginia bef. June 1880 bef. June 1900
Ross, Henry     bef. June 1900  
Runion, Mart     bef. June 1900  
Ryan, Michael 1830 Ireland bef. July 1870 bef. June 1880
Shea, Annie 1853 Missouri Feb. 1, 1869 Jan. 30, 1871
Shea, Catherine 1835 Tennessee Feb. 1, 1869 March 20, 1871
Shea, Daniel 1865 Missouri Feb. 1, 1869 March 20, 1871
Shea, Emmett June 1868 Missouri Feb. 1, 1869 March 20, 1871
Shea, Margaret 1866 Missouri Feb. 1, 1869 March 20, 1871
Shea, Robert E. March 1870 Missouri March 1870 bef. June 1880
Shirkey, Annie 1855 Missouri bef. July 1870 bef. June 1880
Stubbs, Elizabeth 1878 Missouri bef. June 1880 bef. June 1900
Stubbs, Emeline 1848 Missouri bef. June 1880 bef. June 1900
Stubbs, Joseph 1873 Missouri bef. June 1880 bef. June 1900
Stubbs, Lewis 1830 Missouri bef. June 1880 bef. June 1900
Taylor, Jennie 1845 Missouri bef. June 1880 bef. June 1900
Thomas, Andrew 1840 Massachusetts bef. July 26, 1870 bef. June 1880
Utterback, Mary 1802 Virginia 1872 Jan. 25, 1873
Vanderpool, Louisa 1860 Missouri bef. June 1880 bef. June 1900
Vanderpool, William G. 1879 Missouri bef. June 1880 bef. June 1900
Welker     bef. June 1900  
Wilcox, Rosana 1843 Missouri bef. June 1880 bef. June 1900
Woods, Amanda 1866 Livingston Co. Jan. 11, 1873 bef. June 1880
Woods, Elizabeth 1837 Kentucky Jan. 11, 1873 bef. June 1880
Woods, Jo Shelby 1870 Livingston Co. Jan. 11, 1873 bef. June 1880
Woods, Susan M. 1864 Livingston Co. Jan. 11, 1873 bef. June 1880
 
*Susan Canfield was described as a blind lunatic. The county was unable to care for her at the poor farm, so they paid Elizabeth "Granny" Holcomb to care for her in the Holcomb home.