our Poor Farm: The County Farm 1880-1950s

The County Farm: on the USGS map of 1872, which you can find on the web and click on, there aren't many roads, the most interesting one in our valley is labeled "County Farm".


The county farm established 1880 as a hospital and later a poor farm. Purchased June 23 1880, 94,117 acres cost $5,717.46, from John Lucas.
From files of Marin Journal, 3/18/38:
The first buildings were complete in 1880. From time to time small improvements were made until july 1913 the main building was destroyed by fire. Shortlyl after this the sups let out a contract for an H shaped 2 storied brick building to cost $40K. This bulding still stands (1838) 130 feet long and 90 feet deep. The farm conssits of 94.118 acres much of which is under cultivation, the arm raising much of their needed supplies.

At the present time the building consis, in addition to the main dormitory building, an administration building, tubercular ward, nurse dormitory, detention home, and a contagious ward. For the past several years, the inmates have averaged about 100, the total capacity for housing is about 135.
… there are no pioneers of note, mrs Isaac Shaver whose husband was a pioneer lumber man of San Rafael, being the only possible exception.

Graveyard: the original gravemarkers were coffee cans filled with concrete and a tag with a number with the can. …. Fifteen graves left with only two markers.

Maria Copa, in 1867, a miwok, said “I was baptized at Benton where the ppoor farm was.”
In 1936 researacher w WPA found: hosptital for 40, tb ward for 20, 24 employees, 21 cows 2 horses and 16 pigs and a vegetable farm. Admission: 1 year residence in the county, and need. Cost per pt per mont $30

March 9 1893
Many of the inmates… are old and toothless. Every Thursday Louisiana hash is on the bill of fare. This is a compound well known to southerners, and much appreciated by them. Rice, ham, beef and potoato and other elements form the ingredients.
The race list at the cemetery listed race as: White, Negro, Chinese, Yellow, Mexican, and Indian. I found 4 listed designated Indians. The poor farm hospital was just west of the cemetery. It was open 1915 to 1963. There is a doment in the Marin County Farm clippings listing all the Miwoks who died there. A number not a lot with TB. Some Mexican Indians listed as vaquero.
The old building is there? Employment kerfuffle in 1938, fired nurse charging narcotics improperly dispense 1939, recordkeeping kerfuffle in 1941

1958: nursing home, custodial home and juvenile home. Licensed by state dept of public health as a nursing home with 50 beds. They were planning to do a 200 bed nursing home.