The first County farm was in Franklin Township. Jonathan Seegar was one of the committee appointed to select and buy a farm so that Grant County would not be remiss in its duty to its helpless poor. This farm was purchased and a two story brick building was erected in 1855. This house stands on the north side of an east and west road. The cemetery lay to the east of the house facing what is now an extension of Western Avenue of the City of Marion. Since no stones or markers are placed at pauper graves, this God's Acre was forgotten for (by) the County when the farm had been removed to Mill Township. While constructing the new by-pass in 1940 workmen uncovered human bones which were supposed to be those of former Grant County citizens.
Mount Hope, of today, is on county land lying west of the new infirmary which is directly north of Gas City. The indigent poor find their final rest in this place which is kept in very good condition by the manager of the institution.
This was written by the DAR in the 1940's.
The Grant County "Poor Farm" or "Potters Field" was first established on the west side of Marion, about what is now known as 16th Street and the 9 & 37 Bypass in 1855. Or what in 1995 is currently the K-Mart location.
The second Home for the Poor in Grant County was constructed in 1889 on a farm north of Gas City in the N.W. 1/4 of Section # 27, near the location of the Griffin Mill on Walnut Creek. To my knowledge no list was ever kept of the indigent poor of this county that may have passed on while living at the 1st "Poor Farm". But recently I have discovered a list of persons who died during the period of 1904 and 1954 at the second location of the "Poor Farm" or Grant County Infirmary or Old Folks Home which are just a few of the names this home for the indigent of the county lived. The cemetery was plowed up and corn was planted on top of the graves. But renewed interest in the past of our county caused a public outcry about the condition of the cemetery known as Mount Hope. So the area was fenced in and grass was seeded. There is a sign at this location that only states the name of Mount Hope. No stones or markers are there.
A modern building was erected in 1973, and the old home on Garthwaite Road was torn down. Burials do not take place at the home now. I believe they are mostly taken care of at the I.O.O.F. in Marion, which is presently called by the name of "Estates of Serenity". The following list was donated to the Indiana History & Genealogy Dept. of the Marion Public Library, Marion, Indiana in 1994 by Mildred I. Taylor. How this list was obtained is unknown. The list contains 107 names of people that are buried at the Grant Co. Home (this would be from the second Grant County Home) on Garthwaite Road.
Grant County Home/Infirmary Deaths and Burials 1904 - 1954 Bailey, Sarah 1850 - 11/19/1925 Baldinger, Charles 1864 - 7/30/1937 Ballard, Mary 1862 - 1/4/1929 Bear, Anthony 1823 - 6/24/1906 Belton, Tommy 1839 - 4/10/1925 Bernard, Joseph 1821 - 10/3/1906 Biddix, Mary J. 1836 - 5/13/1918 Bonard, Joseph O. ____- 10/3/1906 Bowman, Dessie 1858 - 3/22/1922 Brady, Thomas 1883 - 2/9/1940 Brown, William 12/2/1870 - 5/23/1941 Brandin, William Harvey 1860 - 6/24/1944 Burden, John 8/14/1860 - 10/15/1938 Cain, Sam 1854 - 2/29/1936 Carey, Samuel 1842 - 4/25/1925 Carson, Lizzie 1868 - 6/25/1914 Clanin, Lena 4/3/1894 - 8/15/1954 Clawson, Dave 1871 - 4/27/1925 Conyor, Infant girl 6/29/1908 - 6/29/1908 Copp, Peter 1860 - 3/12/1936 Courtney, John 1849 - 11/6/1904 Cox, George W. 6/20/1854 - 11/19/1939 Creamish, William 1873 - 3/5/1923 Culley, Julius 1858 - 5/2/1928 Collins, James 1860 - 8/6/1910 Davis, Richard 1827 - 3/26/1907 Devah, Neal 1850 - 7/2/1918 Dicken, Joseph 1891 - 12/20/1924 Divelbuss, Luther 1853 - 3/18/1916 Drake, Annette 1835 - 10/5/1905 Eaton, Claude J. 8/17/1861 - 8/23/1937 Elsthrod, Nichols 10/3/1854 - 8/10/1908 France, Mary 1836 - 9/23/1906 Frazee, C.C. 11/18/1850 - 3/10/1932 Frazee, Mary 5/6/1861 - 11/30/1930 Galloway, Gilbert 8/25/1856 - 5/13/1941 Gause, Clayton 1865 - 3/19/1936 Gifford, Charles ____ - 7/18/1906 Gray, Marion B. 2/22/1874 - 4/20/1942 Gwyn, J.W. ____ - 6/11/1905 Hamilton, Charles 1850 - 12/25/1924 Harding, James 10/12/1889 - 11/13/1944 Harley, Abe ____ - 6/24/1943 Ishmel, Nancy E. 3/1/1871 - 7/2/1943 Jeffery, George 1880 - 3/8/1940 Jones, Joseph 1864 - 12/3/1941 Jones, W.M. ____ - 10/15/1906 Judwin, Isaac 1808 - 4/28/1906 King, Cora ____ - 7/5/1907 Kirkwood, Chester J. 1/12/1895 - 7/28/1947 Leader, Frank 1862 - 8/30/1922 Lightfoot, Mary Ann 1862 - 6/18/1927 Lowe, Steven 1848 - 6/4/1915 Lyons, Andrew 1867 - 7/27/1937 Marshall, Jane ____ - 1/24/1909 Marine, William 1863 - 5/16/1922 McGinnis, Wash ____ - 9/23/1911 McGrath, Mary 1847 - 2/25/1907 McKnight, John 1825 - 3/17/1905 McLaughlin, Joe 1831 - 11/16/1917 Meyer, Rosie 1868 - 3/19/1939 Mill, Charles O. 9/11/1871 - 5/18/1943 Minton, Henry W. 7/7/1877 - 11/14/1943 Monroe, Dora 1850 - 12/28/1907 Moore, Leauder 1849 - 9/6/1927 Morrison, Amy 1862 - 3/7/1938 Morrison, John 1864 - 12/14/1931 Morrow, Steven 2/5/1865 - 4/25/1940 Mullin, Maggie ____ - 3/1/1934 Niverson, Infant girl 2/8/1906 - 2/8/1906 Niverson, Mrs. ( ? ) 1886 - 2/8/1906 Ollinger, Bert 1/30/1877 - 3/20/1938 O'Neill, Thomas 11/28/1862 - 12/8/1938 Parago, Sarah 1846 - 9/16/1927 Peatt, Jennie 1837 - 10/7/1914 Powers, Maggie 1830 - 3/17/1906 Prim, William 1856 - 1/17/1929 Richardson, Catherne 1851 - 2/15/1909 Ricks, John 1863 - 7/3/1936 Roberson, Charles ____ - 4/3/1926 Roberts, Charles 1846 - 4/4/1926 Roberts, William 1874 - 1/29/1929 Rowe, William 1/25/1853 - 12/4/1940 Ruddick, Mace ____ - 7/20/1905 Rusher, David 1862 - 6/28/1930 Scott, Fred 4/11/1880 - 5/15/1942 Selfridge, Clarence 1865 - 11/24/1936 Slater, R.H. 1851 - 6/13/1929 Smith, Milo 1849 - 6/18/1915 Smith, Perry 1863 - 3/24/1939 Smith, Rebecca 1843 - 1/27/1907 Snodgrass, Charles W. 1856 - 4/3/1941 Snyder, Emma 1873 - 9/21/1908 Spray, Daniel 1875 - 2/24/1938 Stephenson, Charles 1861 - 2/7/1945 Stokes, Dan ____ - 12/24/1908 Sutton, Mike 5/7/1861 - 9/8/1940 Thornburg, Edward 1848 - 12/28/1918 Todd, James Lewis 5/17/1857 - 8/3/1939 Walker, William ____ - 4/13/1919 Watkins, Robert 1874 - 5/8/1922 Watkins, William 1884 - 7/15/1935 Weaver, John 1843 - 11/28/1937 Wells, Frank 1871 - 2/7/1922 White, Ambrose 1851 - 1/24/1910 Williams, Belle 3/22/1855 - 5/28/1950 Workinstline, Edith 1873 - 2/4/1909
...Original page by Sheila D. Watson
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