From 1789 through 1948, the Montgomery County Poor Farm and Almshouse were part of the county’s program to assist the poor. It was the last resort for people with no money, no home, and no family or social network to support them. Poor people ended up there for various reasons, such as being too old or sick to care for themselves, suffering mental illness or intellectual disability, or enduring physical disability, blindness, or deafness. The Almshouse was also intended to be a place of work for able-bodied poor people who were sent there by the county court or who went there on their own. Part 1 of this two-part history spanning more than 60 years features an in-depth look at not only the founding and operational history of the Almshouse, but the stories of people who lived there amid stark, destitute, and often dehumanizing conditions.
