USA > New York > Monroe County > Rochester > History of Rochester and Monroe county, New York, from the earliest historic times to the beginning of 1907 > Part 30
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During the past few years several generous ad. ditions have been made to the endowment and the income received from that source aids very ma- terially in carrying on the work, but the cost of living has increased even more rapidly than the endowinent and the managers are still dependent on the generosity of the public. Once each year they ask the friends of the Home for cash con- tributions and they are met with the liberality that has always characterized Rochester people. The capacity of the Home is limited to fifty-two, and not only is it always full, but there is always a waiting list of those whose applications have been accepted, but for whom there is no room. The conditions of admission require that the ap- plieant shall have been a resident of Monroe coun- ty for at least a year, shall be at least sixty-five years old and of good moral character. She must pay for her life admission $250 if she is a resident of the city or $300 if she resides outside the city, and she is assured of a comfortable home during her life and Christian burial. The interest on any
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HISTORY OF ROCHESTER AND MONROE COUNTY.
property she may possess is paid to her regularly during her life, but afterward it belongs to the Home. Each member of the family has her owa soom, where she can enjoy the peace and seclusion of her own home, surrounded by her own pos- sessions, while in the large cheerful dining-room, the sunny sitting-room and the two spacious porches she finds ample opportunity to exercise Her social instincts. The Home is under the con- stant supervision of a wise and judicious matron, while committees from the board of managers share her responsibilities and the weekly visitor keeps the board in touch with the life of the family by ber report of what she has observed. Every effort is put forth to make it really a home, the wants of the family are generously supplied, they are cheerfully cared for in health and tenderly nursed in sickness, receiving the care both of resident nurses and of visiting physicians. The Home is undenominational and each Sunday, ex- cept through the hot weather, service is conducted by the various clergymen of the city, assisted by a faithful volunteer choir of young people. Two lots in beautiful Mt. Hope have been given to the Home by the commissioners of the cemetery, on one of which stands a monument given by friends and on the other a memorial which was the generous gift of Peter Pitkin and it is not the least of the benefits conferred by the Home that each old lady may feel assured of a last resting-place in that sacred and beautiful spot.
THE CHURCH HOME."
In the later sixties the city had developed a population of fifty thousand sonle, and there was an evident need for further provision for caring for the worthy poor. The Episcopalians, who for thirty years had heartily joined with their friends of other religious bodies in the beneficent work of the orphan asylum, and for twenty years in the kindred objects of the Home for the Friendless, undertook with commendable enterprise to meet this need. A fund for this purpose was begun by the local parishes making an annual offering. Early in 1868 five ladies from each of the five churches were appointed to inaugurate the work and a little later these twenty representatives, un- der the leadership of Mrs. G. Il. Mumford, re-
ceived from George R. Clark and George E. Mum- ford the donation of a house and lot on Mt. Hope avenue, valued at $3,300. Thus auspiciously launched, the Church Home quickly attracted other wise friends to its support. On July 21st the house was ready for inmates, and a meeting of the lady managers was held there that day, the officers being: President, Mrs. G. Il. Mum- ford; vice president, Mrs. D. M. Dewey; corre- sponding secretary, Mrs. E. M. Smith; recording secretary, Mrs. J. L. Booth, and treasurer, Miss Mary J. Clark. The other members of the original board of lady managers were: Mrs. F. A. Whit- tlesey, Mrs. S. G. Andrews, Mrs. M. M. Mathews, Mrs. II. Sibley, Mrs. G. Ellwanger, Miss C. Roch- ester, Miss Maria Smith, Mrs. S. F. Witherspoon, Mrs. G. Arnold, Mrs. J. M. Smith, Mrs. W. C. Rowley, Mrs. J. H. Martindale, Mrs. F. Brown, Mrs. William McArthur, Mrs. C. E. Upton and Mrs. S. Goss. The first matron was Miss Harriet Cunningham. Furniture and all household requisites were donated from the estate of Mrs. Asa Sprague and by others, and the house was at once fully occupied by grateful imnates. Indeed the applications for admittance were so far in ex- cess of the available rooms that immediate steps were taken to erect an adequate building. A com mittee consisting of J. H. Rochester, D. M. Dewey, E. M. Smith and H. F. Atkinson undertook to raise the money and serve as building commit- tee. On April 1st, 1869, they reported collections amounting to $14.091 in suma ranging from $1.00 to $5,000. On the 20th of April the corner-stone of the new edifice was laid with appropriate cere- monies; on July 24th the institution was duly in- corporated, the certificate providing for thirteen trustees, and on October 26th the lower stories were ready for occupants and the Home was form- ally opened, the clergy of the city uniting in the joyous exercises. On All Saints' day, 1869, there were fifteen persons in the family circle; the ex- penses for this year being about 83,300 and the receipts 83,600. The original board of trustees consisted of: President, George R. Clark; vice- president, Rev. Israel Foote; secretary, George H. Humphrey; treasurer, John H. Rochester, and Rev. Henry Anstice, Rev. C. H. W. Stocking, Rev. W. W. Battershall, G. E. Mumford, D. M. Dewey, G. H. Perkins, H. F. Atkinson, C. E. Upton and S. F. Witherspoon. From its inception the pro-
*This sketch of the Church Home was furnished by Rev. Dr. Washburn.
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ject was fostered by Bishop Coxe, who accepted the er-officio honorary position of visitor, and thus emphasized the purpose to make the Home the joint concern of all the Rochester churchfolk. A small admission fee was expected from each aged woman who should become a life inmate, and a payment of one dollar a week was exacted for every orphan child received; for all the rest of the current expenses the managers have depended upon the voluntary contributions of their friends, which they have systematically secured by a band of co !- lectors who have canvassed each parish by an of- fering in each church every year on Trinity Sun- day and by cash given at the annual donation. For thirty-nine years this noble charity has wel- comed a steadily increasing number of benefici. aries. In 1826 the property was extended by the purchase of a lot in the rear. In 1880 the ac- commodations were doubled by the erection of the north wing at a cost of $12,000, which was me: partly by the appropriation of certain bequesta then in hand and partly by solicited subscriptions, and in 1901 the handsome chapel and cottage wing on the south was added at an expense of over $13,- 000, generously donated by some fifty friends. One of the indispensable sources of income is the general fund, which includes the invested legacies and gifts and the life inmate fund and amounts at present to about $50,000. Among those who have remembered the Home in their wills have been : Mrs. Caroline Ely Steinberger, Mrs. Anne Eliz1- beth Mumford, Mrs. Mary C. Proctor, Joseph Field, Julius T. Andrews, Mortimer F. Reynolds, Mrs. Sarah A. Jones, Almeron J. Johnson, George Moore, Edward H. Vredenburgh, Mrs. Emma C. Herrick, Mrs. Lois W. Andrews and Mrs. W. L. Halsey. In location, construction and arrange- mient the property is a model, and the efficient ad- ministration of the domestic affairs has frequent- ly elicited the approbation of the state authori- ties. The board of lady managers consists of twenty-eight representatives from eight of the local churches. They meet monthly and consider the work. which is apportioned to the executive com- mittee. the advisory committee and the commit- tees on admissions, on collections, on clothing, on children and on adults. The present able super- intendent is Mrs. E. R. Wood and the two capable teachers are Mrs. Albert Wood and Miss Bertha Wood. The household normally includes twenty-
five elderly women and fifty orphan boys and girls and ten caretakers, and is excellently main- tained at the remarkably low rate of an average of about one hundred dollars apiece per year. The total expenditure last year, including extensive repairs. amounted to $11,514.70. Frequent re- ligious services are supplied by Rev. Dr. Wash- burn and constant medical attendance is gratu- itously provided by Drs. Young, Grant and Pot- ter. The officers of the board of lady managers are: President, Mrs. Clinton Rogers; vice-presi- dent, Mrs. F. A. Ward; corresponding secretary, Mrs. W. C. Morey; recording secretary, Mrs. R. M. Myers ; treasurer, Miss Julia Griffith. The offi- cers of the board of trustees are: President, H. F. Atkinson ; vice-president, Rev. Louis C. Wash- burn, D. D .; secretary, Joseph L. Humphrey : treasurer, J. C. Powers.
St. Ann's Home for the Aged .- This is the out- growth of a very beneficent institution known as the Home of Industry, having for its object the protection of young girls, their education in house- hold work and the procurement of employment for them as domestic servants. Founded in 1873, it was located at first on Sonth avenue, but after some twenty years it was removed into a new and commodious building on East Main street, near Prince; in spite of its flourishing condition it was, for some reason, changed in its character and its objects a few years ago, so that the institution is now simply a home for aged women, Sister M. Ensebius, as superior, being in charge; its loca- tion has been recently changed from East Main street to the Charlotte boulevard.
German Home for the Aged .- This came into existence in 1898 under the anspices of St. John's charitable association, an organization represent- ing all the German Protestant denominations in the city. The building, which is on the corner of South and Highland avenues, was greatly en- larged last year by the addition of a large dormi- tory, with a beautiful chapel and other rooms, constituting the Cook memorial, provided for by the bequest of $25,000 by the late Frederick Cook, supplemented by other gifts from the family. The present officers of the society controlling the Home are Rev. J. F. W. Helmkamp, president; Rev. G. P. Hausser, vice-president ; Rev. C. A. Daniel, re-
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cording secretary ; Rev. Carl Betz, corresponding secretary ; of the board of trustees William Bausch is chairman, Jacob Boss financial secretary and George F. Roth treasurer.
Besides these a similar institution has just been started on Howell street by the Liberty mission, which will for the present hold its Sunday services there instead of, as heretofore, on South avenue. but these will eventually be held elsewhere, as the deed conveying the property provides that it shall never be used for any purpose other than as an abode for homeless women.
THE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL OF ROCHESTER."
Rochester is indebted to Mrs. Ebenezer Griffin for the establishment of this charity. In 1856 she witnessed the successful operation of an in- dustrial school for vagrant children in Brooklyn, N. Y., and after her return to Rochester held an informal meeting of ladies at the home of Mrs. Henry A. Brewster to consider the practicability of such an enterprise in this eity. On December 17th, 1856, a meeting was called in Plymouth church, and the Industrial School association was organized with the following officers: First di- rectress, Mrs. David C. Alling; second directress, Mrs. Alfred Ely; treasurer, Mrs. George H. Ely; corresponding secretary, Mrs. Seth H. Terry; re- cording secretary, Mrs. Gilman H. Perkins. Of these ladies two remain in office at the present time -- Mrs. Alfred Ely, as second vice-president, and Mrs. Gilman H. Perkins, in her original of- fice of recording secretary. t'ommittees were ap- pointed to carry on the work and a reception was held in the old Rochester House, on Exchange street, on the 23d, 24th and 25th of December. when gifts of fruit, vegetables, or useful house- hold articles were received. On Christmas day. at the same place, a dinner was given to more than 300 poor children, and on January 5th, 1857, a school was opened for the destitute children of Rochester. On April 15. 1832, the society was incorporated under the name of The Industrial School of Rochester, with this board of directors: Henry A. Brewster, president ; Edwin Scrantom, secretary ; Ebenezer Griffin, Adolphus Morse, Ar- istarchus Champion, Samuel P. Ely, Henry R.
Selden, Aaron Erickson, Elias Pond, Samuel D. Porter, John M. French, Edward M. Smith and Joshua Conkey. In the following year Mr. Morse and Mr. Erickson resigned and Seth II. Terry and Charles J. Hayden were elected in their places, Mr. Hayden was president of the board until his death, in 1888. The school continned in the Rochester House for a year with great suc- cess, the work being carried on by a board of man- agers composed of women from the various churches of the city. A matron cared for the affairs of the household, with such assistance as the children could afford, all other services being rendered by the managers, who taught in the school, solicited donations, visited the homes and gave the children a substantial dinner each day. In 1858 a commodious house was purchased at the present location, 133 Exchange street. Addi- tions were made, adjacent lots procured, and in 1880 donations of $5,000 each from Hiram Sibley and Don Alonzo Watson permitted the enlarge- ment of the building to its present capacity. The objects of this organization, according to its original constitution, were "to gather into the school vagrant and destitute children, who, from the poverty or vice of their parents are unable to attend the public schools, and who gather a pre- carious livelihood by begging or pilfering ; to give them ideas of moral and religious duty; to in- struct them in the elements of learning and in different branches of industry, and thus enable them to obtain an honest and honorable support, and to become useful members of society." It was not originally intended to keep any child in the house after school hours, but cases of great need occasionally required temporary shelter, and in time a large household of children was gathered within the building, the force of domestic help- ers being gradually increased to meet the demand. In 1872 a day nursery was established for the in- fants of working mothers. In 1894, npon advice from the board of health, the work of making a home for children was discontinued, the day school, kindergarten and nursery remaining to rep- resent the work of the institution. Suitable homes were found for the children at that time inmates of the house. In 1890 manual training was in- troduced through the efforts of Mrs. Gilman H. Perkins, and has ever since been an important feature of the school work, forming in the chil-
"This sketch was prepared by Miss Harriet Grosvenor, the assistant secretary of the Industrial School.
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dren habits of accuracy and industry which prove invaluable in after years. In the early period of the institution a strawberry festival was held each June for the purpose of adding to its revenue, but in 1864 this was superseded by an annual donation reception in October, which for forty years was an event in the social life of Rochester. In 1905 it was discontinued and yearly collections of funds are now made by the managers. This charity has received bequests which form an endowment fund, and from this there is some interest available. It has had occasional appropriations from the state and for many years the board of education hired its school-rooms and supplied teachers. This aid having been withdrawn in 1900, it now depends for support entirely upon the small interest from its endowment fund and the contributions of gen- erous friends. The needs and progress of the school are presented in the Industrial School Ad- rocate, which was originally a small paper pub- lished for the Soldiers' Aid society during the Civil war. At the close of the war it was given to the Industrial School managers, and since 1865 has been published monthly in the interests of the school. Mrs. George Gould was for many years its efficient treasurer, and its editors have been women prominent in educational work in Roches- ter. Mrs. Francis Little is now its editor and treasurer. An annual report in pamphlet form has been published since 1858.
The Industrial School enters upon the fifty- first year of its existence most excellently equipped for its work. Its large, light, well-ventilated building is supplied with modern and sanitary conveniences. Nine committees from the board of managers supervise the work. A matron, Miss A. R. Frink, is in charge of the premises, with va- rious household helpers. In the day school a prin- cipal is employed, with five assistant teachers, and a regular public school course is given as far as the seventh grade. Two pleasant rooms have been fitted mp as shops, where the boys receive in- struction in manual training, while in other rooms prepared for the purpose the girls are carefully taught in cooking and sewing. A warm, nutri- tions meal is given each noon to every child, and breakfast is served to any who come to school hungry. Cleanliness is insisted upon, and in case of need a child is bathed before school hours. The
number of meals served in 1906 was 30,799, and the number of baths given 700. The day nursery is in charge of a nurse and one helper and is open every day of the year except Sundays and holidays. Infants are cared for, bathed, and fed for the small charge of five cents a day ; 7,669 little ones were thus enred for the past year. The kindergar- ten teacher is also the visitor for the school, mak- ing over one hundred calls a month upon the fam- ilies of the pupils and reporting monthly to the managers. She suggests who shall be received as pupils, only children of the most poverty-stricken households being accepted. She goes into the homes as a friend and counsellor, ever ready with help in exceptional cases of sickness or destitution. A mothers' club meets in one of the rooms of the building each Friday evening, in charge of one of the managers, when simple refreshments are served to the women while they sew materials for rugs or quilts. Music and friendly conversation cheer them after their day of toil. In 1889 a committee was organized for the purpose of sell- ing new and second-hand clothing to the mothers at a very low price instead of giving it away. A sale is held every month. In cases of extreme por- erty clothing is provided without charge. In 1901 a penny provident fund was started for the pupils and has been most successful, there now being a number of small depositors, whose occasional pennies are carefully saved and added to their hoard. Thus the Industrial School is endeavoring to carry out the purpose of its founders, in caring for destitute children and instructing them in cleanliness, thrift and morality. The fruits of its labor may be seen in poverty lightened, in distress relieved, and in numberless instances of children who, through its influence, have developed into self-respecting. self-supporting men and women. The officers of the board of managers for the pres- ent year are: President, Mrs. John W. Oothout; vice-presidents, Mrs. Oscar Craig; Mrs. Alfred Ely, Mrs. M. E. Chapin, Mrs. D. M. Hough, and Mrs. Charles S. Baker; treasurer, Mrs. George Moss; corresponding secretary, Mrs. H. F. Huntington ; recording secretary, Mrs. Gilman H. Perkins. The present corporate officers are: President, William R. Seward ; vice-president, Granger A. Hollister; secretary and treasurer, John Craig Powers; at- torney, William B. Lee.
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THE WORK OF HUMANITY.
To mitigate, and as far as possible to prevent, the practice of cruelty toward animals, the "Bergh association of Rochester" was formed in 1873, with William H. Cheney as president. In 1875 the "Rochester society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children" was incorporated under an act of the legislature passed that year. The ex- istence of both these societies was largely owing to the indefatigable efforts of Miss Elizabeth, P. Hall, whose efforts of benevolence have been men- tioned elsewhere. The work of the incorporated society on behalf of children and of the voluntary association on behalf of animals was prosecuted for a number of years under the same set of officers and under the popular name of "The Humane society," of which Rev. Newton M. Mann was the first president. Its declared objects were "to pro- vide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals and children; to enforce all laws en- acted for the protection of dumb animals and children, and to secure by lawful means the arrest. conviction and punishment of all persons violat- ing such laws; also, the prevention of all cruelty by humane education." "The Humane society of Rochester, N. Y., for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals" was incorporated in 1888 under a law enacted that year which, for the first time in the history of the state, authorized the formation of such corporations separate from the Bergh society of New York. By the will of Mary G. Rand, who died in 1888, the sum of $10,000 was devoted to the purposes of the last named society in establishing a shelter for animals. Accordingly, in 1891 that society purchased a house at 90 Ply- mouth avenue North. For several years the two societies had headquarters at that place and prose- ented their work with common officers. The or- ganizations of the two societies were then sepa- rated, as their corporate existence had always been. In 1903 the society for children acquired from the society for animals the property referred to and has since maintained it for the temporary care and protection of children. The following named are the present officers of the society for animals (or Humane society) : President, J. B. Y. War- ner ; vice-presidents, L. P. Ross, J. B. Bloss, D. C. Hebbard, Rev. Nelson Millard; recording secre- tary, Miss Sara Hyatt ; corresponding secretary, Miss Ella I. Gould; treasurer of the permanent
fund, Mrs. W. H. Gorsline; treasurer of the soci- ety, Raymond H. Arnot. W. J. Boyink is the agent of the society.
PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO CHILDREN.
The nature of the society for children is fully described in the following statement, furnished by its president :
"It is a corporation unique in its object, as it is neither a charitable, a penal, or a reformatory corporation. It was organized 'for the prevention of cruelty to children.' By that term was not meant the excessive use of force or physical vio- lence upon children by parents or others, as those offenses remained, as theretofore, the crime of common assault. Acts defined as 'cruelty to chil- dren' began to be forbidden by the legislature through laws enacted in the early seventies, and incorporated in our penal code, adopted in 1881. under the title. 'Abandonment and other acts of cruelty to children.' In brief, some of the forbid- den acts are abandonment of a child under four- teen, unlawful omission to furnish food, clothing, shelter or medical attendance; endangering the life, limb, health or morals of a child under sixteen; admitting children under that age to concert halls, saloons, theaters, etc .; employing a child as an acrobat, or in begging, or in singing, or dancing, or any theatrical exhibition, or in any practice dangerous to life, limb, health or morals, etc. Furthermore, any child under sixteen found beg- ging, or without any home or proper guardianship. or living with a person convicted of crime, of fre- quenting evil places, may be arrested and its cus- tody disposed of by the court. The society, with others like it, was incorporated with the sole primary purpose of enforcing the above mentioned laws. While the society is authorized by law to re- ceive and retain a child upon commitment, I have never known a case of that kind in Rochester, and they are very rare in New York city. The deten- tion of children at the Shelter is wholly incidental to final disposition of them after trial, and others are sometimes detained as witnesses. It is not. therefore, a penal or reformatory institution. Nor is it a charitable institution. In 1900 our Court of Appeals decided a controversy which arose between the New York society and the State Board of Charities, which latter body sought to exercise powers of visitation and control over the New York society P. C. C. The court decided that the state board had no power of visitation, because the society was not a charitable institution. For the purpose of fitting the society for its work, its agents are made peace officers by the law, that is, they have the same standing as police officers and constables."
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