Histories: Trempealeau Co. Historical Accounts:
"History of Trempealeau County Wisconsin, 1917":
Chapter 9:
Asylum and Alms House (Attempted)
-As transcribed from pages 116 - 117
From
the earliest days the care of the poor has been an important part of
the work of the county board. Some members have favored putting
the entire burden on the townships; some have favored putting the
entire burden on the county, and some have favored a division of
responsibility between the county and the townships. The various
systems have been tried with varying success. At present the
townships are responsible for the care of their own poor, while the
county looks after the poor whose actual residence in any particular
township cannot be proven.
Plans for the establishment of a poor farm and almshouse have several
times been set on foot. Once a poor farm was bought and sold
again, and once the foundation of an almshouse was constructed but
later abandoned.
November 11, 1885, at the same meeting which voted to erect a jail, a
motion was passed authorizing the purchase of a poor farm, the erection
of an almshouse and the purchase of equipment, $2,000 to be levied for
the purpose that year and $4,000 the following year. The farm was
to consist of between 80 and 160 acres and was to be located in the
Trempealeau Valley, not more than four miles from a railroad. the
work was to be completed November 1, 1886, at which time the county
system of caring for the poor was to go into full effect. A poor
commission was appointed, consisting of W. A. Johnson of Gale, Thomas
Thompson of Independence and Charles Johnson of Blair. But
evidently at the time of passing the vote the board had misgivings, for
a motion was at once introduced to reconsider. The misgivings
continued, and at a special meeting held June 15, 1886, it was decided
to adopt the township system of caring for the poor, to dispose of the
farm in Burnside which the commissioners had tentatively purchased, and
to abandon all the work that had been done in preparation for
inaugurating the county system. On the final vote the supervisors
who still favored the county system were the representatives from
Burnside, Independence, Preston, Sumner and Trempealeau Village.
In the years that followed, the matter of building institutions for the
care of the poor and of the insane was discussed at various
meetings. On January 2, 1899, O. E. Gibbs, E. J. Matchett and D.
L. Holcombe rendered an extensive report on the subject and recommended
that an insane asylum and almshouse be built, as a measure of economy,
efficiency and humanity. The report was accepted and three men
named as a committee to carry out their recommendations. Later G.
H. Neperud, D. Wood, Stener Hanson and E. F. Clark were added to the
committee. Land was purchased west of Arcadia and work was
started in the spring of 1899, complicated somewhat by an injunction
obtained by Martin T. Babbit, who claimed that the powers of the
committee expired when the old board went out of office in March.
The injunction was served May 4 and dissolved May 12.
The work on the almshouse was suspended permanently after the
foundations were nearly finished. The asylum was practically
completed January 25, 1900. The first trustees were D. L.
Holcombe, president, of Arcadia; F. M. Smith, secretary, of Osseo, and
Thomas Thompson of Whitehall. J. A. Johnson was the first
superintendent. He was followed in March, 1901, by P. H. Johnson,
who was succeeded in January, 1911, by John McKivergin, the present
superintendent. The farm consists of 405 acres at the asylum west
of Whitehall and three forty-acre tracts of woodland elsewhere.
The farm is well improved and equipped and the insitution is regarded
as a model of its kind. The establishment has not only supported
itself, but has already paid nearly one-half of the original cost of
$90,000. A part of the income consists of a certain sum received
each year from the state. The first nine patients were received
April 6, 1900, and the number was increased to forty-six before the end
of the month. The capacity is now nearly 150 patients.