Michigan County Poor Farms Virtual Presentation Tuesday,
October 19, 2021 @ 7PM
Click on the link below for the presentation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZmF-6C4Xhk
Long before the advent of modern social welfare, county governments in Michigan maintained poorhouses or poor farms. Explore the early history of these facilities in their attempts to become both self-sustaining entities and refuges for a county’s poor, elderly and destitute. Discover the lives and stories of those that resided at these poor farms. Learn about their transition to serving individuals with chronic illnesses and what eventually led to many of them shutting down in the later part of the 20th Century.
*Presenter Biography:
Adam Oster is the Community Engagement Librarian for the Library of Michigan. Adam holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Grand Valley State University with a minor in Political Science and Secondary Education Certification. He also has a Master of Library Science degree from Indiana University. Adam’s interests include genealogy and local history research
Leelanau Historical Society: https://www.leelanauhistory.org/
Leelanau County Historic Preservation Society: https://lchp.org/
Library of Michigan: https://www.Michigan.gov/LibraryofMichigan