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History of Green County, Wisconsin. together with biographies of
representative citizens. history of Wisconsin, embracing accounts of the
pre-historic races, and a brief account of its territorial and state
governments. (1884)

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The first poor farm purchased in Green county was in the town of Mount
Pleasant in 1861. It was used about sixteen years and then sold.

Light is thrown on the transactions resulting in in buying of this farm by
the following extracts from the record of the county board:

Nov. 21, 1860.
E. R. Allen made a motion that the sum of $1,500 be appropriated to
purchase a poor farm.
D. S. Sutherland moved to amend by inserting $2,000 instead of $1,500. The
vote being taken on the amendment, eight members voted for the amendment
and seven against it. The amendment carried, and the sum of $2,000 was
appropriated for said purpose, this sum to be placed in hand of the
superintendents.

Dec. 21, 1860.
Mr. Flood offered the following resolution, to-wit:
Resolved, By the county board that $2,000 of the expected surplus in the
treasury be placed at the disposal of the superintendents of county
poor for the purpose of purchasing a county poor farm and defraying such
other expenses as they shall deem proper in the performance of their duties
as superinitendents or the county poor.

On motion, said resolution was adopted.

The following concerning the first poor farm and poor house is from the
Brodhead Reporter of May 24, 1861:
Hiram Rust, Esq., of Monroe, and D. Drake, Esq., of Mount Pleasant, were in
town yesterday, and gave us a call. They are about purchasing lumber for
the building on the poor farm in Mount Pleasant and were here getting
prices from our lumber dealers. The building is to be of wood, with a
basement of stone; three stories in height, including the basement;
size of building 27x36 feet.  The farm contains 130 acres of rich and pro-
ductive land, pleasantly located in the town of Mount Pleasant. Cost of
farm $2,900.

"From  all that we can learn, having heard both sides, the pretended
dissatisfaction on the part of some in the county with the action
of the superintendents arises more from outside causes than anything else.
We believe  the  superintendents  acted  in  good faith, and  performed
their duty as  they understood it; and we believe farther that no
better selection of a farm could have been made. They have kept within the
limit of their means, and have made a judicious appropriation of them. They
are candid and honorable men.

The work on the building will be prosecuted as rapidly as possible, and the
building ready for use in a few weeks.

"Nov. 15, 1861.
Money drawn from the treasury for poor purposes by the county
superintendents of the poor is as follows, to-wit:
Upon May 20, by county order ............... $250 00
July  22,                        ........... $250 00
Aug. 19,    "     "  ........................$500 00
Sept. 9,           ..........................$750 00
Making in all............................. $1,750 00

With the above money the su)erintendents have built a county poor house
27x33 feet, two stories above the basement. The cost, separate from
boarding the hands, amounts to $73*** furnished with ten comfortable beds,
twelve chairs, five stoves, dishes to feed twenty persons.


On the 20th of June, 1877, the county superintendents of poor were
instructed by county board to sell the old county poor farm "in the
best possible manner."

The poor farm (a small part having previously been sold) was disposed of
March 1, 1878, by William Brown, Daniel Smiley and Cyrus Troy, "county
superintendents of poor of the county of Green, in the State of Wisconsin,"
to Simon Brown, for the sum of $4,000. On the 15th day of May, 1879, the
county of Green purchased of Samuel Truax, "the north west quarter of
section twenty-seven (27) ; the west half of the northeast quarter of said
section twenty-seven (27); also the east half of the southwest quarter of
section twenty-two (22); all in township No. two (2) north of range No.
seven (7) east in said county of Green, and State of Wisconsin," for the
sum of $12,000, as a poor farm. The new farm contains 320 acres, more or
less, and is located in the town of Monroe, about two miles northwest of
the city of Monroe.

When on the 21st day of June, 1877, it was determined by the county board
to build a new poor house on the poor farm last purchased, it was resolved
that it "should be built of brick, two stories high, not exceeding in cost
$6,000." What kind of a house was built, and what was its entire cost, will
more fully appear hereafter.

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