USA > Indiana > Grant County > Centennial history of Grant County, Indiana, 1812 to 1912 : compiled from records of the Grant county historical society, archives of the county, data of personal interviews, and other authentic sources of local information > Part 77
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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY
with the care and maintenance of children whom they themselves are able and in duty bound to keep and maintain. I. M. Elliott was the first probation officer of the county, holding that office about four and one-half years. His successor was Gilbert A. Morris, who is still the probation officer of the county, and is doing splendid work in his capacity as such officer.
During these later years Indiana as a state has taken a rapid forward movement for the betterment of the conditions of neglected, dependent and delinquent children, and is still leading her sister states in her laws and activities along these lines. One of the great agencies through which the state's work among children is being done is the Board of Childrens Guardians in each county. Such a board was created in Grant county in March, 1903, by the appointment by the Circuit court of the follow- ing named persons as members of such board, viz .: Mrs. Elizabeth Bogne, Mrs. David Barker, Mrs. Mary Wall, Burthey W. Ruley, 11. M. Elliott, and Robert Houston. This board promptly organized by eleet. ing II. M Elliott as its president and Robert Houston as its secretary Mr. Elliott confined in office as president of the board for more than six years Under the law this board was invested with many duties and considerable authority, among which were the care and supervision of all neglected and dependent children in the county under the age of lifteen years It had the power to take charge and control of children who had been abandoned, neglected, or ernefly treated, as well as of those who were dependent upon the public, those found begging on the streets. those whose parents were habitual drunkards or vicious, or nulit to have their custody, and those who were kept in immoral associations, or who were incorrigible, and to make them public wards through the medium of the Circuit court, and to look after their interests after they had been made such wards. Prior to the organization of the Juvenile court, this board turned over most of these wards, with the approval of the firent court, to the Orphans' Home Board, giving this latter board Y'all control of them. In the performance of its duties this Board of Guardians, as it is commonly called, could not permit sympathy for the parents, who often expressed great sorrow because the neglected child was being taken Trom them, to interfere with its work of child-saving. Heartrending conditions sometimes arose, but the board met them with such justice. firmness and fortitude as would remedy conditions and would be for the highest welfare of the child. The work of the Board of Guardians is not only philanthropic, but it looks forward toward the future of the state and nation. Its efforts are directed solely to the developing of the neglected and dependent child into higher life and good citizenship. The fact that the parents of most of these children are poor in material things does not signify that the law is bearing down on the poor as a class, but, on the contrary, il signifies that the state and people are using their best endeavors to uplift and encourage children of unfortunate environment into higher and better conditions to the end that they may become useful and beneficial citizens of this great commonwealth. Dur- ing these years the Board of Guardians worked in harmony with the Orphans Home Association and much good was accomplished by their joint efforts for the wards under their charge, and the citizens of the county took great interest in these endeavors. Previously, children were made wards of the Orphans Home Association by order of the town- ship trustees, or by parents or guardians indenturing the children dircet to the association, but on the creating of the Board of Guardians the mat- ter of determining what children should be made public wards largely devolved upon the Board of Guardians, and the Orphans Home Board thereafter received the wards into the home and cared for, boarded,
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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY
clothed, educated, sought homes for and placed them as before, that is to say, the Orphans' Home Association thereafter continued to have the future of their wards in their own keeping, and an incentive still existed for carrying on their work as originally intended. The Board of Chil drens' Guardians is now comprised of the following persons: William Miller, president and treasurer ; Mrs. Frank 11. Rigdon, secretary ; G. .. 11. Shideler, Mrs. William Doyle and Mrs. Mattie Cammack-Gibson, Gil- bert A. Morris acts as agent of the board. Since the creation of the Juvenile court it has been the policy of that court to make all children entitled to public care and support wards of the Board of Guardians instead of wards of the Orphans' Home Association. In the development of this policy the wards of the Orphans' Home Association gradually decreased, while the wards of the Board of Guardians correspondingly increased, until in the autumn of 1912, when the Juvenil court, by its order, relieved the Orphans' Home Association of all its wards and made all these children wards of the Board of Guardians. As matters now stand all children of the county entitled to public support are wards of the Board of Guarchans. The duties of this board are therefore many and onerous, and for which the members receive no compensation, but are supposed to give of their time, attention and means for the good of the cause. For these reasons the fact that, at times, the work is permitted to go with but little attention is not to be wondered at. It is a regretable Taet in the minds of many that the Juvenile court and Board of Guar- dians could not have devised some plan or policy in the handling of the juvenile wards of the county, which would not have worked so disas trously to the endeavors, activities and ambitions of the Orphans' Home Association, and whereby the association might have been permitted to carry forward the good work it had in hand and for which it was organ- ized, in harmony with the work of these other institutions.
From June. 1587, to June, 1913, no institution in Grant county com- manded greater respect or was more closely affiliated with the social, business and charitable affairs of the county than the Grant County Orphans Home. Every one who visited the home during those years, and there were many, had nothing but words of praise and commendation for the institution and the efficiency of those having it in charge. Located on the high grounds to the northwest of Marion, it has a commanding view of the city, splendid sewerage facilities, and the purest of air. There the wards were found under the direet supervision of an amiable and competent matron. Not much of the justitutional life usually found in such homes could be noted. It has always been a real home for children. and not an institution in the common acceptation of that form. Such rules and regulations were in force as were necessary for its proper control and management, and none other. Early in the year 18h7, when Marion was but a small town, and the county had not even anticipated its present state of development, a number of kind-hearted and philan thropic citizens observed and became deeply interested over the fact that Grant county had no facilities outside the infirmary for the care of her orphan children, and that the "poor house" was indeed a poor place for the training, education and maintenance of these innocent dependents. These observations and impressions so weighed upon the minds and hearts of the people that after much prayerful thought and study they were impelled to formulate and put into operation plans for the organization of a private voluntary association under the laws of the state for the purpose of providing a reasonably suitable home for orphan children. The first meeting was held on June 6, 1887, in the Washington Street Christian church (now The Temple Congregational elmureh), in Marion, and an organization was finally completed. The
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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY
association was duly organized and incorporated during that sankt month, and a home was opened in the following October. Of the original thirty nine members who formed the association the following persons were named in the articles of incorporation as directors for the first year ; Joseph Small, Martha Coggeshall, Mary Jane Morrow, Jane Cubberly, Ennna St. John, Maria J. Webster, Cornelia V. Squier, Susannah Hockett and Pheriba A. Graves. Mrs. Martha Coggeshall was the first president of the association, and Mrs. Gonna H. Sweetser the first seere tary. The presidents in their order were Mrs. Cogeshall, Mrs. Mier Woods, Mrs. Deborah Wall, Mrs. Sarah Aun Small and Mrs. Emma ( Hutchinson. Other prominent women who have been actively connected with the association are Mrs. Adeline V. Turner, Mrs. Sabrina Willson, Mrs. Georgia Goldthait, Mrs. Hannah O'Farrell, Mrs. Lydia Ann Jones, Mrs. Emily E. Flim, Mrs. Mary Ludlum, Mrs Rachel Lomas, Mes. W. D. Sweezy and the second Mrs. W. D. Sweezy, Mrs. J. F. Eshelman. Mrs. Sarah B. Lytle, Mrs. Ama Gunder. Mrs. Viola Dickey, Mrs. Clara S. Anderson, Mrs. Mary T. Buchanan, Mrs. Mary (. Sweetser, Mes. Edith Sweetser Dale, Mrs. Caroline IL Webster. Mrs. Lena Wall Rasehbacher, Mrs. . Nettie R. Halderman, Mrs. Flowery. S. Willser. Mrs. Gertrude M. Beard, and Mes. Nettie B. Holling with. Men as well as women were actively interested in the organization, and the Women were much indebted to Rev. Madison Swadener, sludge Joseph 1. Custer and JJoseph R. Small, who aided them in formulating the original constitution and by-laws. Mrs. Turuer and Mrs. Goldthait are two charter members who remained in the organization during its entire history.
The matrons at the Orphans Home in their order were Miss Clark, Miss Jackson, Miss Merriman, Mrs. Malsby, Miss Dora Edebuan, Mrs. Wallace, Miss Mary Morell, Miss Carrie Thrall, Miss domnie Porter, Miss Carrie Uline and Miss Ama E. Wennning. Misses Clark. Merri- man, and Edelman left the institution to become brides. Miss Porter, while matron at the home, married Fred Pfeffer, superintendent of the farm and heating plant, and a year later she died there. Mrs. Porter-Plieffer served the institution several years and her death was a signal loss to the community. Miss Morell was killed in a run-away accident.
By the articles of incorporation the member of the board of county commissioners who had been in continous service the greatest min- ber of years was, ex officio, a member of the board of directors of the association, the association was named "The Grant County Orphans' Home and Industrial Training School." The objects of the associa tion were stated to be "to establish and maintain an asyhon for the care, support, discipline and education of orphan children of Grant county. Indiana, within the age of sixteen years, who have been deprived of parental care by the death of either father or mother, or both." The capital stock was placed at five hundred shares of $1.00 each ; the term of existence was fixed at twenty-five years; directors and officers were provided for who should hold their offices for one year; ten diree- tors were to constitute the board of directors, nine of whom should be members of the association, and one county commissioner should be the tenth director. Later on the number of directors was increased to fifteen, but the county commissioner still remained a member of the board. After the first year or two, however, the county commissioner entitled to serve as director never attended the board meetings, and the remaining members of the board were left to carry on the work of the association without mneh attention from the commissioners. The monthly meetings of the board were hell on the first Monday of each
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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY
month, and the annual meetings of the association on the second Mon- day in June in each year. All these meetings were religiously attended by those whose duties required their presence there. In fact the whole work of the association was assumed and carried forward by the mem bers and officers as a conscientious Christian duty, in the spirit of loving charity, and without compensation or hope of pecuniary reward. At first the Orphans' Home was established and maintained in the Boswell property on the Delphi pike, near the belt line railroad, in Franklin township. In 1889 the county commissioners, through the aid and under the influence of the association, purchased for the use of the association the tex acres of land where the home buildings are now situated, taking the title to the land in the name of the county. Later on the women, who were constantly raising funds through special efforts, acquired twenty-five acres of additional farm land m close prov imity to the home, without any expenditure whatever of public funds, the title to which was also unselfishly taken in the name of Grant county. The county now has title to about thirty -live aeres m that vicinity, which constitutes the Orphans' Home farm, all of which is under the control of the county commissioners.
About the time of the purchase of the first tract of land the asso- ciation endeavored to secure from the county commissioners an appro- priation for the erection of buildings thereon for the use of the associa- tion in its work, but for some cause was not successful. During these years the home was maintained by subscriptions and donations, in part, and the deficiencies were met by the efforts of the women themselves, who met together and quilted comforts and sewed carpet rags and patched old clothes given to them for the children's wear, and by these means raised funds and clothed their wards sufficient to keep the insti tution from failure. The county commissioners did not seem to appre- riate the actual needs for such a home and were slow to inform themselves concerning the existing exigencies in this direction, probably being of the opinion that the county could ill afford to build and equip an orphanage, or to hear the expense of its operation and maintenance. After much importiming and delay, and meeting with no success, some of the shrewd women connected with the association hit upon the plan of having the matron invite the commissioners to the home for a dinner, which invitation, as usual, was promptly accepted. The dinner was prepared in a manner to gratify even the appetite of a county commis- sioner, and the commissioners came promptly at the appointed hour and were partaking of the especially good things which had been set before them, when in walked the board of directors, all women, and at once began pleading for an appropriation for a new orphans' home building. The commissioners were fairly swept off their feet, and before they could finish their dinners, which they hurriedly attempted to do, the women had succeeded in securing a promise from them to immedi ately appropriate $5,000.00 for a new orphanage building, which prom ise the commissioners faithfully kept. With this sum and a like amount raised by subscription the association constructed and equipped the first building on the present site. From that time forward the county fur- nished the greater part of the funds for carrying on the work. When the building was completed the association moved in, and bad control and possession of the premises thereafter until in June, 1913, the real estate continuing in the name of the county, while the personal property and funds received and acenmulated by the board of directors was the sole property of the association. No definite contract way ever entered into with the county, and for about twenty-six years the county treated with the association as with a private corporation, paying the association
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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY
a per diem allowance for the maintenance of cach child in the hond during the period of its stay there.
In June. 1912, the old Orphans Home Association Levante eximel by limitation of its charter, and the association, composed of the same persons who then constituted the old one, with such additions as were necessary to lill vacancies, was reorganized under articles of incorpora tion, changing the name to that of "Grant County Orphans Home As- sociation." providing for no capital stock, and that the association should be operated without profit to any one, and granting it an exist ence in perpetuity, and having about the same objects as the old associa lion. The incorporators had it in mind by such reorganization to so arrange that the good work the old association had been doing might be carried forward by the new one for the beneht of children of Grant county for all time to com.
The association cared for, boarded, clothed, educated. found homes for and placed its wards as it deemed best. No accounting was made to the commissioners for the moneys received, but the same was handled and expended in such manner as the board of directors thought wise. The officers and directors were always women of integrity and miques tioned honesty of purpose, and whatever was done by them in carry ing on their work was done with an eye single to the one purpose of serving the best and highest interests of the children committed to their charge.
Among other gifts the association received substantial bequests from the estates of J. H. Wigger and Chapman Fling. The Lincoln street property in Marion, which has been under the control of the Orphaus Home Board, was a gift to the association from Poter (. Flinn. Mr. Ilian had provided in his will that the association should have the control and use of the property for the benefit of the orphan chil- dren of Grant county. It has been conveyed by deed to Grant county. The home farm has always been operated by the association at a profit. and the children were better cared for there than most of them would have been had they been permitted to remain under the influences of their own homes. The question has often arsen as to whether institu- tional or private family life and care is the better for publie wards. and under the frend of recent public option institutional life has sul fered in the comparison. During the quarter of a century that the Orphans Home was operated by the association, many children who were placed in private homes well clothed and in good physical condi- tion, were later returned to the honte by those who took them out, in rags and in wretched condition, physically. Many a good word may I said in favor of institutional life for dependent children, notwith- standing the recent upheavals against it, and Joeal sentiment has always been with the women of this association who were so unselfish in their service for so many years. While the Grant County Orphans' Hante Association was the first organized charity in the county, and had such a splendid career, its opportunities for usefulness came to a most unhappy ending. With the coming of the Board of Childrens' Guar dians and the Juvenile court, there came also changed methods and policies in the matter of handling, making, placing and disposing of the county's dependent children. In the consummation of these changes in methods and policies, all the wards of this association were finally taken from it, and by order of the Juvenile court, were made wards of the Board of Guardians. Before the making of this order by the court, a secret investigation is said to have been made by the Board of Quar dians concerning the wards of the Orphans' Home Bre at, and as to the manner in which the home was being conducted. I'm Home Asso.
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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY
ciation had no knowledge of this investigation and was not represented therein. Immediately following this investigation much undue and unfair publicity and criticism was given concerning the affairs at the home through the public press. Glaring newspaper accounts of alleged improper conditions and conduet at the home were the first intimations the association had that its affairs there were subjects of criticism. These published reports came like a thunderbolt from a clear sky. The association publicly announced these reports to be false, but the dam age had been completed. Then came the loss of all their wards. By this last move the association became merely the landlord of a board- ing house for such county wards as the Board of Guardians and the Juvenile court might thereafter see fit to place in its temporary care and keeping. All further authority over these wards remained with the Board of Guardians and the Juvenile court, and the Home Associa tion was thereby deprived of the priveleges of performing any of the many other duties and objects for which it was organized, and all incon tive for carrying on the work as originally intended was thus summarily taken from it. The women of this association had always been actuated by the spirit of true philanthropy. They were conscientions, and everything had been done by them after careful and prayerful con sideration. Their hearts were in the work and they had enjoyed it. Those women who through so many years had looked after the sub- sequent history of their wards had no further control of them conld . ouly meet them at the door, and say adiens when they were leaving. without knowing where they were going or what might become of them. They became utterly disheartened. The undertaking had simply resolved itself into a boarding house proposition. After a few months trial of these conditions, the women were wholly discouraged. All incentive had been taken from them, and there was no further induce- ment for carrying on the work. Then came. the beginning of the end. They had had a successful career of more than a quarter of a century. They had acenimitated and built an institution valued at more than $30,000. It was a faithful band of women. who, with saddened hearts and tear-bedimmed eyes, met together on the 16th day of June, 1918. and after carefully considering the situation. as a final action, resolved to lay down their cherished labors, and to surrender to the county the possession and control of the Orphans' Hour and all the property of every nature belonging to or in the custody of the association. This resolution was pod into immediate operation, and the home property and all their aveuundations were surrendered and released to the county commissioners, who took charge of the institution.
When vacancies occurred on the board of directors the places were always filled, but for several years there had been no stockholders out- side the directors. At the time the association relinquished its control of the Orphans Home, Mrs. Eunna C. Hutchinson was president, Mrs. Clara S. Anderson, first vice president ; Mrs. Mary T. Buchanan, score- tary, and Mrs. Mary C. Sweetser, treasurer. Mrs. Lena Wall-Rasch- bacher, foreseeing the coming results, had resigned her office of second vice president and her place on the board of directors some months before the association's final action. Mrs. Buchanan had served six- teen years as secretary, and Mrs. Sweetser twenty years as treasurer. Mrs. Sarah Ann Small, Mrs. Georgia Goldthait, Mrs. Edith S. Dale, Mrs. Lydia Ann Jones, Mrs. Adeline V. Turner, Mrs. Caroline H. Webster. Mrs. Nettie R. Halderman, Mrs. Florence S. Wiltsce, Mrs. Gertrude M. Beard and Mrs. Nettie B. Hollingsworth were the other directors. There were not many changes on the board during all these years, most of the women serving while they lived. As the end
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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY
approached and the opportunities for the further activities of the asso ciation were eliminated, the women frequently gave expression that they felt as though they were laying down their life work when they discontinued their charitable activities in the name of the orphan and dependent children of Grant county.
There are men and women in this community who still look back upon the Orphans' Home as a friendly shelter when they were in need of it, and if "any kind of a home is better than an institution," it would be hard to convince most of them of that fact. Mrs. Deborah Wall, who served the institution as its president for twelve years and who was recognized as a capable official, once said. " While there is no royal blood we have some tine children. A foundling asylum is not a mansion of wealth, and the children here are not from the best homes, but among them are some boys and girls of good intellect." During her term of office, Mrs. Wall carried on subsequent correspondence with all wards who went out From the institution and were placed in private homes. She was deeply interested in this philanthropy, and her death occurred while in the discharge of duty connected with it. She served as president longer than any other member of the association, and was fatally stricken at the home of Mrs. Anderson on January 2, 1900, while making her report to the board of directors concerning the work of the association.
The Grant County Orphans' Home is now being operated by the county commissioners, with Mrs. Emma 6. Hutchinson as acting matron in immediate charge.
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