ARIZARD-L Archives

Archiver > ARIZARD > 2000-09 > 0968473735


From: Jean Mayfield Cuevas <>
Subject: Re: [ARIZARD-L] Poorhouses
Date: Fri, 08 Sep 2000 23:28:55 -0500
In-Reply-To: <33.9eb7145.26eabf43@aol.com>


A sad story about poorhouses in Christian County, MO.

My 2nd gr grandmother's brother, Hale Franklin BLEDSOE, died in the
poorhouse in Springfield, and I believe that one of her sons, did as
well. The plague was alcoholism, I believe. Here's what someone wrote
about that particular "poor house"

>The following information about The Alms House of Springfield was provided
>to me by a cousin that lived in Greene County around 1913. The Alms House
>of Springfield Missouri was a poor farm for homeless people, or older
>seniors that were to old to work and had no relatives that they could move
>in with. The Alms house had it own cemetery. Those who died, while living
>there, were buried in the Alms cemetery, but there were no grave markers.
>If you find out any additional information I would be interested in knowing
>more about The Alms House of Springfield.

AND, here's the sad part! The county bulldozed the cemetery markers
down! Here's what was told about it in a message sent to me in reply to my
message:
========================================================
I was talking to my cousin who lives in Christian County in Jan. and he
said he actually saw the pile of headstones.
Madelyn

>Hi Madelyn,
>
>You mean they literally bulldozed over graves? I thought there were laws
>against such things?
======================================================
Jean Cuevas



At 06:16 PM 9/8/00 -0400, you wrote:
>Bernie,
>
>I have seen info on one of the MO sites (think it may have been Douglas or
>Greene where there was some lists published) with a brief explaination about
>the city and county funding of such places, that people could go when they
>really got into dire straits financially.
>
>It led me to believe that most people looked on going to the poorhouse as
>when you really didn't have any other choice to get by. Don't remember seeing
>any other references to them anywhere else though.
>
>Beth
>
>
>==== ARIZARD Mailing List ====
>Jean M. Cuevas, Listowner Arizard-L
>RootsWeb makes this all possible, so share the load!
>http://www.rootsweb.com/rootsweb/how-to-subscribe.html

This thread: