Past: Kent Library Athenaeum Event: "A Crying Shame:" County Poor Farms in Rural America, 1880-1940

Before the Social Security Act of 1935, no safety net existed for people to rely upon in old age or in the case of disability. Rural social welfare experiences varied widely, but nearly every county in the United States used county farms as catch-all institutions to house the disabled, elderly, indigent, diseased, immoral, and otherwise “undesirable” elements of society. Inmates at the farms were expected to earn their keep by performing whatever labor they could manage. Because of the stigma attached to unwed mothers, countless babies and children resided at county farms as well. This talk will explore these themes with a focus on the Cape County Home for the Friendless, purchased in 1874 at the site of present day Cape County North Park and Conservation Center. This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will also be served.