USA > New York > Kings County > Brooklyn > The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884 Volume I > Part 110
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It was, also, made the duty of the Supervisors of the county, at their annual meeting, to choose, by plurality of votes, not less than three, or over five persons, to be denominated Superintendents of the Poorhouse of the County of Kings. Their duty was the management, direction and superintendence of said poorhouse, and of everything relating to the same ; the making of such prudential rules and by-laws for the well ordering of the same, and the employment, relief, management and government of the persons therein placed, and the offi- cers and servants therein employed ; and the correction of the refractory and disorderly by solitary confinement therein, and feeding them on bread and water only, as they might deem expedient for the good government of the same. It also empowered the said Superintendents
to contract with a suitable person for the support of those placed in the poorhouse. After the completion of the said house, the overseers of any town or city in the said county might make application to a Justice of the Peace, who might, if circumstances permitted, make an order sending any indigent person needing relief to such poorhouse, and forcibly (if necessary) remove such person to such poorhouse, to be provided for as his or her necessities should require. It also provided that the Overseers of any town might arrest any child over fifteen years of age found begging in the streets and send them to this poorhouse, there to be kept, employed and instructed in some useful employment, as he or she should be able to perform, until able to provide for himself or herself. There are other humane and thoughtful provisions in the said act for the employ- ment of persons able to labor. The expense of main- taining and supporting such poor persons, and of the said poorhouse, was to be provided for in like manner as all the other county expenses were, by a tax on the personal and real estate of the freehold inhabitants of the same county, in proportion to the number and ex- pense of paupers which the several towns respectively shall have in the Poor-House.
We have been thus particular to give the substance of the said act, because it is the foundation-the begin- ning-of the office of Superintendents of the Poor-the most important of county officers, out of which came, nearly fifty years later, the present Board of Commis- sioners of Charities and Corrections.
County Poorhouse Established .- At a meeting of the Board of Supervisors, held March 14th, 1829, a committee was appointed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a County Poor-House, with power to ascertain whether the almshouse of the town of Brooklyn, could be made use of until a county poor- house could be completed.
At a meeting, held March 28th, 1829, this committee reported favorably, and were given time to make fur- ther examinations.
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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.
At the annual meeting of said board, held August 4, 1829, the Supervisors passed a resolution favorable to erccting a county Poor-House, under the provisions of the Act of November 27, 1824.
At a subsequent mecting, held January 2, 1830, Hon. Jeremiah Johnson, Supervisor from Brooklyn, Chair- man of the committee to which we have referred, sub- mitted a very able and exhaustive report on the subject of pauperism in the County of Kings, and in favor of keeping paupers profitably employed.
His report also strongly favored the abolishment of all distinctions by the Boards of Supervisors in the several counties respectively, of the County-poor, and Town-poor, under the provisions of an Act of the Leg- islature, passed April 4th, 1828. Said act provided for making the expenses of maintaining all the poor in the towns a charge upon the county, filing a written cer- tificate of the determination of the said Board to abol- ish such distinction, &c., duly authenticated by the clerk thereof, in the office of the Clerk of the County.
The first Board of Superintendents of the Poor in the County of Kings, of which there is any record, was created at a meeting of the Board of Su- pervisors held February 20th, 1830, and consisted of the following persons : Samuel Smith, of Brooklyn, David Johnson of Flatbush, and Michael Schoonmaker of the same place. These gentlemen appeared before the Board of Supervisors, gave their bonds and took the oath required by law.
A resolution was passed by the Board of Supervisors instructing the Superintendents, to purchase a tract of land in the county, not exceeding two hundred acres, and to erect thereon a suitable building or buildings, for the reception of the poor of the County of Kings. The Board, also, recommended that a certain tract of land belonging to the Martense heirs, in the town of Flat- bush, containing about sixty-four acres of land, be pur- chased for the purposes aforesaid, and that the Poor- House or Poor-Houses, be immediately erccted thereon ; that it be so constructed as to receive, for confinement, vagrants and persons convicted of misdemeanors ; and that, if it should be thought practicable, the Peniten- tiary system should be connected with the Poor-House establishment.
At its meeting of April 7th, 1830, the Board consid- ered the proceedings of a mecting of the citizens of Brooklyn, held on the 2d of same month, authorizing the Overseers of the Poor of that town to let the Alins- House of the town of Brooklyn, with the land surround- ing it, to the Superintendents of the Poor of the county, for the term of one year, or until a County Poorhouse could be built, at a sum of $360 per annum. This offer was, by a resolution of the Board of Supervisors, accepted ; the sum of $700 was placed at the disposal of the Superintendents of the Poor, for the purpose of defraying the expenses to which they would be sub- jected. The Treasurer of the county was also directed
to pay them the sum of $3,000 for the land purchased of the Martense heirs.
At the annual meeting of the Board of Supervisors, a committee appointed to examine the accounts of the Superintendents reported that they found all things correct, and recommended that $8,000 be raised to meet the Poor-House expenses of the coming year. At a meeting of the Board held January 11, 1831, the Superintendents of the Poor were directed to procure plans and estimates for the erection of a County Poor- House and a Penitentiary ; whereupon the Superin- tendents did submit such plans to the Board. These were considered and adopted on the 22d day of March, following, by the Board of Supervisors, who placed at the disposal of the Superintendents $9,000, to enable them to erect a County Poor-House and Penitentiary on the county farm, purchased as we have stated. On the 23d of March the Superintendents of the Poor sub- mitted to the Board of Supervisors their annual ac- count, the first annual account ever submitted by the Superintendents of the Poor of the County of Kings.
This account of all monies received and expended by the Superintendents, or under their direction, and of all their proceedings for the first year of their opera- tions, ending the 7th day of April, 1831, shows, among other things, that on the 7th day of April, 1830, there were 114 persons in the Poor-House-22 men, 44 wo- men, 22 boys, and 26 girls. Of these there were 5 colored men, 9 women, and six children. That, during the said year, there had been 168 persons received into the Poor House ; there were 25 persons relieved, out- side of the Poor-House. The total number relieved or supported from April 7, 1830, to April 7, 1831, was 310, at an expense of the county of $5,500. The num- ber of paupers under the charge of the Superintendent on April 7, 1831, was 122, of whom 63 were males, and 59 females. During the year, ending April 7th, 1831, there were 31 deaths at the Poor-House; and 156 per- sons discharged and one absconded. Ninety-seven of the inmates of the Poor-House were foreigners, 62 of whom were Irish. The report also showed that a school had been established in the Poor-House and was regularly attended by an average number of children- 14 whites and 8 colored-and that they were making much progress in their studies.
Such paupers, as were able, had been profitably em- ployed. The Superintendents reported very favor- ably of the Keeper, Mr. Thomas Baisely, and his wife, who discharged the duties of Matron to the Poor-House. The report further shows that Mrs. Baisely, with the assistance of some of the paupers, had cut and made up 517 garments, which had been distributed to the paupers by the Superintendents of the Poor.
From the lands attached to the Poor-House, 750 bushels of potatoes, 107 bushels of turnips, 13 bushels of onions, 750 cabbages ; four tons of hay, and 13 hogs, weighing 2,138 pounds, had been raised during the past
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SUPERINTENDENTS OF THE POOR.
year. Articles, manufactured by the paupers, had been sold, to the amount of $244.36, and a considerable sup- ply still on hand. This report was received with great satisfaction by the Board of Supervisors and the people of the county, and a resolution adopted highly compli- mentary to the Superintendents of the Poor, for the very able and successful manner in which they dis- charged their duties. The Board allowed them the sum of $600, collectively, for their services the past year, to be apportioned among themselves. Their re- port was published under the direction of the Board, in all the newspapers of the county.
October 11, 1831, the Board voted that the sum of $5,000 be placed at the disposal of the Superintendents of the Poor, to meet the contingent expenses of the Alms House for the current year.
February 9th, 1832, the Board of Supervisors, by in- vitation of the Superintendents of the Poor, inspected the Poor-House and Penitentiary then being erected; and reported that they found everything most satisfac- tory and promising.
On the 8th day of April, 1832, the Board of Super- visors directed that the inmates of the County Prison, able to perform hard labor, be employed upon the public highways in the county.
The Superintendents of the Poor submitted their second annual report for the year, ending April 7th, 1832, to the Board of Supervisors at a meeting held at the new Alms or Poor-House and Penitentiary on the county farm, on the 28th day of May, 1832. This report stated that they had had charge of the poor for two years, ending on the 7th of April, 1832, and that they had received during the year ending April 7th, 1832, 305 persons ; and 10 persons who had boarded out of the house, and 3 who had been inmates of the Lunatic Asylum, connected with the said Poor establishment, mak- ing in all 318 persons who had been supported thereat during the then past year, at an expense, including clothes, medi- cines, doctor, keeper, matron, nurse, etc., of $4,344.07.
The Superintendents had received for articles manufac- tured during the year the sum of $224.67; from the County Treasury, $16,437.76. That there was on hand $590 ; received in a bastardy case, $150; overdraft on Long Island Bank, $29.05. Total, $17,431.40. The number of paupers in Poor- House on the 7th day of April, 1832, was 96. The sum ex- pended over and above the labor and earnings of the paupers divided by 133, being the average number kept during the year, gives 32.66} cents per year, or 62} cents per week, as the actual expense of keeping each pauper.
The school in the institution, taught by "a very moral and competent pauper," and attended by an average number of 22 children during the year. was reported to be in a highly prosperous condition.
The report further showed that the new Poor-House, etc., at Flatbush, was, on the 9th of April, 1832, so far completed that the paupers were removed to the same from the Brooklyn Alms-House, on that day; and that the farmers in the neighborhood kindly assisted in their removal. The report further shows that Dr. Zabriskie had been engaged as physician to the estab- lishment at a salary of $70 per year.
This second annual report of the Superintendents of the Poor, like its predecessor, was received with gene- ral satisfaction by the people of the county.
The third annual report, submitted May 22d, 1833, showed that the number of paupers relieved and supported during the year, preceding April 7th, 1883, in the new Poor-House, was 401, supported at an expense of $3,057.59. The number of persons in the Poor-House, on the 7th of April, 1833, was 136. Of the persons supported or relieved during the past year, there were 150 foreigners, 106 of whom were born in Ireland ; 2 lunatics ; 1 idiot, and 2 mutes. There were 5 births in the Poor-House, and 34 deaths ; bound out 11; dis- charged 199 ; and absconded 21.
The report shows an interesting and startling fact, which we give in the language of the Superintendents : " The official situation we have for some time held in relation to the poor, has enabled us to make some prac- tical observations on the principal causes of pauperism; and we do not hesitate to state the appalling fact that three-fourths under our charge, are directly or in- directly caused by intemperance. Many might suppose that the farm and house might be conducted without any hired help, but it is a fact that out of the whole number of 401, we could not trust a man of them with a team, to leave the farm; or a woman with the keys of the medicine closet."
To this report was added the Physician's report, the first cver submitted, showing four deaths by cholera, two of the subjects having been brought to the Poor- House in a collapsed state. The whole number of deaths, from various causes, was thirty-four.
On August 6th, 1833, at the annual meeting of the Board of Supervisors, a new board of the Superintend- ents of the Poor was elected by the Judges of the county. This Board consisted of Elias H. Hubbard, of the town of Flatlands, Coe S. Downing, of the town of Brooklyn, and David Johnson, of the town of Flatbush.
At a meeting held November 14th, 1833, the Board of Supervisors ordered that the sum of $5,000 be placed at the disposal of the Superintendents of the Poor, to defray the expenses of the Alms-House cstablishment, for the current year.
In the Board of Supervisors, on the 26th of April, 1834, David Johnson, Coe S. Downing, and Elias H. Hubbard, County Superintendents of the Poor, sub- mitted their annual report, by which it appears that the whole number of paupers supported, or relieved in the Poor-House, preceding April 7, 1834, was 434. The whole expense in the support of said Poor-House was $4,420.35.
The number of persons in the Poor-House on the 7th day of April, 1834, was 180; of this number there were 85 fe- males and 95 mnales. During the year there were 5 births and 27 deaths in the Poor-House; 7 bound out; 21 absconded; 199 discharged. The receipts from the productions of the farm during the said year, amounted to $1,547.23. There were 84 persons in the Penitentiary connected with the Poor establisliment.
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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.
At the mecting of the Board, on the 26th of April, 1834, David Johnson, one of the Superintendents, ten- dercd his resignation, which was laid upon the table for further consideration. Dr. John B. Zabriskie was re-appointed physician to the Alms-House, and his salary inercased from $70 to $100.
At the annual meeting of the Board of Supervisors, held August 5th, 1834, Coe S. Downing and Losee Van Nostrand, of the city of Brooklyn, and Elias H. Hubbard, of Flatlands, were appointed Superintendents of the Poor for the then ensuing year. The thanks of the Board were extended to David Johnson, Esq., one of the retiring Superintendents, for his valuable serviees to the county, in the faithful discharge of his official duties as well as for his exertions and perseverance in maturing and perfeeting the Alms-House establishment of the county, and placing it on a successful basis.
The Superintendents of the Poor, having presented a communication, signed by themselves and the physi- eians of the County Poor-House, relative to the estab- lishment of a Hospital for Lunatics, and for Paupers laboring under infectious diseases, and also to matters touching the Penitentiary, the Supervisors, November 15th, reported favorably as to carrying the same into effeet.
In June, 1835, the Superintendents of the Poor rec- ommended that measures be taken to cultivate, at the Poor-House farm, the best species of fruit trees; and, also, for planting the mulberry tree for feeding silk worms, with a view of testing the feasibility of making an effort towards the cultivation of silk.
On the 4th day of August, 1835, at the annual meet- ing of the Board of Supervisors, David Johnson, Samuel Smith, and Losee Van Nostrand were appointed Super- intendents of the Poor.
On August 8th, 1835, at at a meeting of the Board of Supervisors, the Superintendents of the Poor sub- mitted their annual report for the year ending April 7th, 1835. It gave the number of paupers relieved or supported during that year, in the Poor-House, as 625, at an expense of $5,303.47; from which, deduct the support of 116 persons, sent to the Penitentiary in said Poor-House, an average of 35 days each, equal to 12 persons for one year, at $23.16, making $277.92 to be deducted from the sum of $5,303.47, leaving the whole cost of the paupers at $5,025.25.
There were 585 persons furnished temporary support, by the Overseers of the Poor, in the different towns, on the order of the Justiees of the Peace, at an expense of $5,246.31.
The school at the Poor-House was reported to be in a flourishing condition. The whole production of the Poor-House farm this year, was $1,927.69.
On November 7th, 1835, the Supervisors appropria- ted $5,000 for the support of the poor for the current year; also took measures to lessen the expense of grant- ing temporary relief to siek, lame and disabled indi-
gent persons outside of the Poor-House, and appointed a committee to take charge of the matter. The Super- intendents were also authorized to procure a place, or places, in the City of Brooklyn, or other parts of the county, for keeping paupers infected with pestilential or infectious diseases; and to furnish them with main- tainanee and medieal attendance.
January 20th, 1836. The Supervisors considered the question of having, at the next annual meeting of the Board, five Superintendents of the Poor appointed, two of whom should be taken from Brooklyn, one from Bushwiek, one from the town of Flatbush, or Flat- lands, and one from the town of Gravesend or New Utrecht; whose terms of office should expire simultane- ously with those of the then Superintendents; and that all subsequent appointments of Superintendents of the Poor be made in conformity with this regulation. Also, that the Legislature be memorialized as to having the Superintendents of the Poor of the county, or any one, two or more of them, invested with exclusive power to do every aet then done by the Justiees of the Peace of the town and Overseers of the Poor, in all the towns in the County, in pursuance of the first Title, 20th Chapter, and 1st part of the Revised Statutes; and of the 4th Title of the 8th Chapter of the said Statute. The proposition was adopted.
August 2d, 1836. At the Annual Meeting of the Board of Supervisors, Samuel Smith and Losee Van Nostrand, of Brooklyn, and Michael Sehoonmaker, of Flatbush, were appointed Superintendents of the Poor for the eoming year.
The Annual Report of the Superintendents of the Poor pre- sented at this meeting, showed that the Superintendents had drawn from the County Treasury, from the 4th day of August, 1835, to the 2d day of August, 1836 (including the sum of $307.33, a balance on hand from the previous year), the sum of $7,558.74; and that they had expended during the same period $7,338.37, leaving a balance on hand of $220.37. During the same time 581 persons in the Poor-House had been supported, and 593 paupers relieved by the Overseers of the Poor in different towns; making, in all, 1,174 persons, at a total expenditure of $10,596.35.
Dr. Zabriskie, the Physician of the Poor-House, reported 688 cases treated during the year, of which 48 had died. Eight of the said deaths were caused by delirium tremens.
There were, also, 113 convicts in the Penitentiary connected with the Poor establishment.
December 14th, 1836, the Supervisors appropriated $5,000 for the support of the poor for the eurrent year.
At an adjourned meeting of the Supervisors, May 24th, 1837, the Superintendents of the Poor were re- quested to furnish a suitable plan for building a Work- House, on the County farm, for the employment of the poor, whose bodily strength would permit them to labor ; a suitable plan for building or providing an apartment in said Work-House for Lunatics; and an estimate of the probable expense thereof, as soon as possible. In conformity with these instructions, the Superintendents, at their Annual Meeting, Au-
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SUPERINTENDENTS OF THE POOR.
gust 1st, 1837, presented plans and estimates for a Lunatic Hospital, which were unanimously adopted.
The Superintendents were invested with power to contract for and supervise the erection of the said buildings, the Supervisors providing the necessary funds for the same. The Board of Supervisors, with the Judges of the County, proceeded to the election of Superintendents of the Poor for the ensuing year, which election resulted in the choice of Michael Schoonmaker, Flatbush ; Losee Van Nostrand, of Brooklyn, and Jarvis R. Woolsey, of Flatlands.
The Annual Report of the Superintendents gave the num- ber of paupers relieved in the Poor-House during the year ending August 7th, 1837, as 677 ; eight boarded out, and five in Bloomingdale Lunatic Asylum; total number of paupers, 690.
Expenses of paupers in the Poor-House, $6,394.61, which, together with the other expenses of the Poor establishment, was increased to the sum of $8,782.02. A balance of cash on hand of $503.49.
erection on the County Farm, was reported as near completion.
At the annual meeting of the Supervisors, held August 7, 1838, attended by the Judge of the county, the annual election for Superintendent of the Poor took place. This election was contested with singular obstinacy, there being several candidates for the office, each one of whom possessed considerable strength. Thirteen ballots resulted in no election, and the Board adjourned until the next day at 3 o'clock P. M., at which time, there being no quorum of the joint Board of Supervisors present, no choice of a Superintendent was made ; and Michael Schoonmaker, Losee Van Nos- trand and Jarvis R. Woolsey were continued in office for the ensuing year.
At an adjourned meeting, September 1st, 1838, the annual report of the Superintendents presented the number of pau
HOSPITAL.
In the School, established in the Poor-House at the organ- ization of the establishment, during the year 1836, 62 children were taught. Dr. Zabriskie, the Physician, reported 719 cases treated, during the year previous, 65 of which died; two of these were caused by delirium tremens; and 25 from con- sumption, characterized as " an unusual number," and many of whom died 24 hours after admission. An epidemic of typhus (brought by emigrants) also had been raging in the house from April 1st to date of Doctor's report.
During the year ending August 15, 1837, there had been received into the Treasury, for Excise money $3,355.72, which was directed to be paid over to the Superintendents of the Poor for the benefit of the Poor-House establishment ; also, from dog tax, the sum of $28.75.
On the 24th October, 1837, the Supervisors appropri- ated the sum of $6,000 for the support of the Poor for the current year.
In November, 1837, the Hospital, then in course of
pers supported in the Poor-House during the year preceding the 7th day of August, 1838, as, viz .: In the House, 598; boarded out, 9; in the Bloomingdale Asylum, 6 ; making, in all, 613. The expenses of the Poor-House establishment, in- cluding everything, was $13,608.89, of which $3,382.90 had been disbursed in building the new Lunatic Hospital or Asy- lum. On the 1st of August, 1838. there were in the Poor- House 154 persons, 67 of whom were females, 66 males, and 21 colored paupers. There were lunatic paupers, 20.
Mr. Baiseley continued as keeper, and Mrs. Baiseley as matron of the Poor-House. They were appointed by the first Board of Superintendents of the Poor. Under Mrs. Baiseley's supervision, 50 bed quilts and over 1,500 gar- ments for the use of the paupers, had been made during the year.
By an act of the Legislature, passed April 18, 1838, the powers and duties of Superintendents of the Poor of the County were greatly enlarged, which were to be
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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.
reduced to certain Rules and Regulations to be sub- mitted to a subsequent meeting of the Board.
The report of Dr.J. B. Zabriskie showed there had been 879 cases of disease under treatment, and 51 deaths, of which 17 resulted from consumption.
On the 8th December, 1838, the Board of Supervisors appropriated the sum of $6,000 for the support of the Poor for the current year.
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