COUNTY POOR HOUSE HISTORY
In 1889 the Dunn County Board established the Dunn County Home and Poor Farm on 80 acres of land near Bullard's Hill: a portion of that land now is the area between the current Dunn County Health Care Center and the Dunn County Highway Department.
The Poor House was a two story red brick structure with a full basement, having the accommodations for 40 to 50 people.
The total cost of the building , including two out-houses and a small barn was $6,800.00
The Home was also equipped with all the modern conveniences: Heat from two furnaces in the basement, electricity supplied form the city and the water supply was delivered from the plant on Bullard Hill.
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The fiscal year ending on June 30, 1924, showed the following costs:
* Yearly maintenance cost $2,696.21
* Amount Due from county, towns and villages $2,665.47
* Accounts receivable $2,665.00
* Receipts $3,740.69
* Disbursements $ 2,396.21
*Inventory of farm products & livestock $1,438.00
*Total Assets $23,135.41
At that time there were 12 "Inmates" being cared for at the Poor House.
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The name "Dunn County Poor Home" was changed to "Old People's Home" in 1947.
The Home closed in 1969 and was know then as "Graff Nursing Home"
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In September of 1974 the Dunn County board of supervisors voted ( 26-3 ) to demolish all buildings on the County Home site. Those opposing the action expressed the opinion that before the main building is demolished, an opinion should be obtained from the Dunn County Historical Society which had expressed interest in the building as a museum site at one time.
The boards Health & Social Services committee expressed concern of possible liability to the county by the unsafe conditions of the buildings and that they posed a safety threat to curious children. Complaints had also been received that the buildings were reportedly harboring rodents.
These rodents have taken the blame for all records of the Poor House and Potters Field for being shamefully lost. The records are rumored to have been stored in one of the barns at the Poor home site, and became the bedding and food source of these rodents.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Poor House was a two story red brick structure with a full basement, having the accommodations for 40 to 50 people.
The total cost of the building , including two out-houses and a small barn was $6,800.00
The Home was also equipped with all the modern conveniences: Heat from two furnaces in the basement, electricity supplied form the city and the water supply was delivered from the plant on Bullard Hill.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The fiscal year ending on June 30, 1924, showed the following costs:
* Yearly maintenance cost $2,696.21
* Amount Due from county, towns and villages $2,665.47
* Accounts receivable $2,665.00
* Receipts $3,740.69
* Disbursements $ 2,396.21
*Inventory of farm products & livestock $1,438.00
*Total Assets $23,135.41
At that time there were 12 "Inmates" being cared for at the Poor House.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The name "Dunn County Poor Home" was changed to "Old People's Home" in 1947.
The Home closed in 1969 and was know then as "Graff Nursing Home"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In September of 1974 the Dunn County board of supervisors voted ( 26-3 ) to demolish all buildings on the County Home site. Those opposing the action expressed the opinion that before the main building is demolished, an opinion should be obtained from the Dunn County Historical Society which had expressed interest in the building as a museum site at one time.
The boards Health & Social Services committee expressed concern of possible liability to the county by the unsafe conditions of the buildings and that they posed a safety threat to curious children. Complaints had also been received that the buildings were reportedly harboring rodents.
These rodents have taken the blame for all records of the Poor House and Potters Field for being shamefully lost. The records are rumored to have been stored in one of the barns at the Poor home site, and became the bedding and food source of these rodents.
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