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Poor Farm
Location: Grand Island Nebraska
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Written by the Prairie Pioneer Genealogy Society
In 1879, Hall County purchased 160 acres of land north of Grand Island in the Lake Township area of Hall County. The purpose was to establish a home for the "paupers" as the indigent were called at the time. Later they were called, "inmates of the Poor Farm". In the early days "paupers" were buried in a special plot in the Grand Island Cemetery. In 1881 the County Commissioners voted to set aside a small plot at the "Poor Farm" to be used as a cemetery for the inmates who had no other place of internment.
At the time, no records were kept of the persons who were buried there. Wooden crosses and markers were put up, but have long since been gone. There is no visible identification of the graves, and no positive number of how many people are buried there. Estimates vary from 10 to 20 burials. Many years later, and many years ago, the county decided to use the plot of land as a storage place for their equipment. While excavating on the plot they came in contact with what was presumed to be a coffin. A fence was then put up around the area where the graves are thought to be. A large wrought iron sign has also been placed on the north end of the plot identifying it as "The Poor Farm Cemetery".
General Harris, whose parents lived at the Poor Farm as superintendent, tells about what his mother did at the time. She felt that some type of identification should be made of the person, so she would write a brief resume of each one, place it in a mason jar, seal it, and place it in the coffin with the deceased. The cemetery today is surrounded by cornfields on the south, west and north. Highway 281 borders it on the east. It is regrettable that all information about this cemetery, and the persons buried there, is gone forever.
Located just north of Grand Island on Highway 281
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