- Newaygo County -

Newaygo County Poor Farm

The first attempts to establish a Poor Farm in Newaygo County were made in March, 1859. When the agreement to purchase the land fell apart the poor were let by contract to private parties for a number of years. The first Home was established in 1873 but proved severely insufficient, being referred to in an 1873 report as "a small shanty, without farm." In 1881 the county purchased a farm of 140 acres one and half miles east of Fremont, Section 31, Sherman township; between the farms of J. B. Mallory and H. Stroven; also included was another 80 acres of farm land directly across the road in section 6, Garfield township.

The State Board of Corrections and Charities found numerous problems with the Home as early as 1901 when they sited a lack of fire protection, and described the men's quarters as being wretched and dirty. These conditions remained as such and in 1916 the State Board of Corrections and Charities gave Newaygo County until September 1, 1917 to provide a new building, stating that the current home was unsanitary, dangerous and "wholly inadequate for the purpose for which it is used." In response to the lack of corrective action, an order of condemnation of the Newaygo County Infirmary was issued by the State on October 25th, 1917, and signed by Governor Albert Sleeper the following November 2nd.

In April, 1918, a bond election proposal was held to vote upon issuing $21,000 county-infirmary bonds. Following the passage of the bond election land was acquired east of Fremont on 48th street and a large brick building was erected on the grounds of the current County Medical Care Facility.

There was a cemetery at the Home but what became of it is a mystery. There are no markers to be found and the exact location of the cemetery itself is uncertain.

Sources:
- Biennial Reports of the State Board of Corrections and Charities (1873-1917)
- The Commercial and Financial Chronicle, Vol. 106, January-March, 1918, pp. 208