Residents of the Herkimer County Poor House in 1860

The census of the residents of the Herkimer County Poor House in Herkimer, New York, was filed June 25, 1860. Residents included the aged, the disabled, widows and orphans, children placed by poor parents, mothers with dependent children, the mentally ill, ne'er-do-wells, and people just down on their luck. The majority of the 1860 residents were born in New York State, many of them having surnames dating to the earliest days of county settlement. Poor house records are an often underutilized or unknown resource when looking for aged parents or children who are missing from a family group, or siblings who have "disappeared."

Jane Dieffenbacher, Fairfield Town Historian, writes: "According to the Herkimer County History, "Herkimer at 200", the State Legislature acted to require the counties to establish poor houses in 1825. The first poor house in Herkimer County was in a house on West Street, Ilion and was soon crowded. On Jan. 15, 1846, the County Board of Supervisors decided on a site two miles south of Middleville. But it was not until 1857 that a stone building and several frame structures were built to house the "destitute, homeless, insane, and orphans" of the county. In its first year there were 80 males, 45 females, five idiots, 15 lunatics and one mute. 22 of the children received instruction for seven months a year in a school at the facility. Towns were assessed for contributions to the upkeep of their citizens at the home. The county home was enlarged in 1880, a county hospital added in 1908, and a new Home for the Aged was opened across the road in 1973. There is a small cemetery connected with the home. "

MALE RESIDENTS OF THE HERKIMER COUNTY POOR HOUSE - 1860
including poorhouse keeper's household

Name	Age	Occupation	Place of Birth	Status
STIMSON, Samuel W.	61	Keeper of Poor House	New York
STIMSON, Alvira	56		New York
SANDHAM, Sarah	35	Cook	Ireland	cannot read or write
BRADLEY, William	84		Scotland	pauper
LAWTON, Richmond	70		Rhode Island	pauper; cannot read or write
COLYER, Thomas	76		New York	pauper
DUBLIN, Samuel	51		New York	pauper; cannot read or write; black
KING, Joseph	47		France	pauper; cannot read or write
STEPHENSON, William	62		New York	pauper
CONDIL, James	20		New York	pauper; cannot read or write
KEYSER, David	20		Germany	pauper; cannot read or write
FLINT, Joseph	26		New York	pauper; idiot
SHARP, William	10		New York	pauper; attended school; black
FINCHART, Abe	47		New York	pauper
GILLETT, Hawley	72		New York	pauper; idiot; cannot read or write
BLOODGOOD, Joshua	65	carpenter	New York	pauper
ARTHUR, James	32		New York	pauper
BOTHNARD, John	49		Germany	pauper
TIMMERMAN, Samuel	10		New York	pauper; attended school
COUNTRYMAN, William	7		New York	pauper; attended school
EDWARDS, Ira	5		New York	pauper; attended school
MEYERS, Joseph	46	shoemaker	Germany	pauper
GAVEY (sp?), Daniel	48		New York	pauper; cannot read or write
MOW, John	68		Ireland	blind; pauper
PETRIE, David	64		Germany	pauper; cannot read or write
CHRISMAN, Samuel	67		New York	blind; pauper
SEOD, John (LEOD?)	60		New York	pauper; cannot read or write
GARLOCK, Adam	87		Connecticut	pauper
FARRELL, John	7		New York	pauper; attended school
PEASE, Henry	54		New York	pauper; cannot read or write
DAVIS, Hammet	48	shoemaker	England	pauper
GUILES, Daniel	84		New York	pauper; cannot read or write
JONES, James	79		England	pauper
RIDER, Jacob	70		Germany	pauper
KING, Daniel	37		New York	pauper
ALLEN, Peter P.	67		New York	pauper; cannot read or write
BARTON, Joseph	45		New York
BARSTOW, John	7		New York	pauper
GAYNOR, Thomas	76		Ireland	pauper
POWELL, Richard	67		Ireland	pauper; cannot read or write
CONKLIN, John	72	Tailor	Ireland	pauper
HOLAHAN, William	68	Mason	Ireland	pauper
HAWKINS, Alfred	69	Farmer	Rhode Island	pauper
HIGGINS, James	48		Ireland	pauper; cannot read or write
CUNNINGHAM, Patrick	22		Ireland	pauper
DORMAN, Fred	12		New York	pauper; attended school
DUNCAN, Peter	72		Scotland	pauper
FLOOD, Patrick	64		Ireland	pauper; cannot read or write
ROACH, John	45		Ireland	pauper; cannot read or write
BROWN, Abiatha	64		New York	idiot; pauper
MONK, Hezekiah	22		New York	idiot; pauper
FOGARTY, Francis	6		New York	pauper; attended school
ROACH, John Jr.	14		New York	pauper; attended school
ROACH, Richard	10		New York	pauper; attended school
ROBINSON, William	7		New York	pauper; attended school
CRISMAN, Ezra	35		New York	idiot; pauper; cannot read or write
MURPHY, Patrick	36		Ireland	pauper; cannot read or write
CONWAY, Edward	60		Ireland	pauper
KEELER, Ebenezer	95	Shoemaker	New York	pauper
DUNN, John	50	Gardener	England	pauper
BECKER, John	58	Carpenter	Germany	pauper
FLOOD, Cornelius	55		Ireland	pauper
EVENS, Richard	55		Ireland	pauper
INGHAM, John	47	Blacksmith	Germany	pauper
DUESLER, Jacob	68		New York	pauper; cannot read or write; census taker may have mixed up country of origin with Ingham above
PRICE, John	48		New York	pauper; cannot read or write
BLOODGOOD, Henry C.	59	Artist	New Jersey	idiot; pauper
McELRATH, John	41		Germany	pauper
SHEARER, Joseph	31		Germany	insane; pauper
WALLACE, Charles	21		Ohio	insane; pauper
LANE, John	48		Ireland	insane; pauper; cannot read or write
DEVOE, Christie (sp?)	24		New York	insane; pauper
ADDS, James	72	Paper Maker	England	insane; pauper
CADIGAN, Michael	20		Ireland	insane; pauper; cannot read or write
YOUNG, Benjamin	47		New York	insane; pauper
DYER, Michael	18		England	insane; pauper

FEMALE RESIDENTS OF THE HERKIMER COUNTY POOR HOUSE - 1860
including small children

Name	Age	Place of Birth	Status
HASKELL, Leafy	62	New York	mute; pauper
BOVEE, Elizabeth	50	New York	pauper
RILEY, Eleanor	42	Ireland	pauper
STEVENSON, Kate	19	New York	idiot; pauper
COOPER, Eliza	46	New York	cook; pauper; cannot read or write
BARTON, Catharine	28	Ireland	pauper; cannot read or write
BARTON, Emily	1	New York	pauper
ROBINSON, Charles	3	New York	pauper
KING, Mary	28	New York	pauper
KING, Susan	6	New York	pauper; attended school
MAY, Elizabeth	3	England	insane; pauper
GETMAN, Sally	45	New York	insane; pauper; cannot read or write
HOLDEN, Mary	18	New York	insane; pauper; cannot read or write
BUCKLEY, Helen	28	Ireland	insane; pauper; cannot read or write
CADIGAN, Martha	25	Ireland	insane; pauper; cannot read or write
DAVIS, Sally	66	New York	insane; pauper
FORD, Lucinda	35	New York	insane; pauper
WILCOX, Martha	24	New York	insane; pauper
ARNOLD, Nancy	27	New York	insane; pauper
THOMPSON, Nancy	35	New York	insane; pauper
GARLOCK, Delia	78	New York	blind; pauper; cannot read or write
DUNN, Catharine	72	Ireland	pauper
MURPHY, Susan	29	Ireland	pauper
EEPRICH (sp?), Esther	49	England	pauper
CONLEY, Jane	30	Ireland	pauper; cannot read or write
BECKER, Sarah	16	New York	pauper
HUGHES, Ann	62	Wales	pauper; cannot read or write
ROBINSON, Adaline	5	New York	pauper; attended school
FORD, Jennie	6	New York	pauper; attended school
PIPER, Elizabeth	64	New York	pauper; cannot read or write
DYGERT, Mary	53	New York	pauper; cannot read or write
FORD, Nancy	23	New York	idiot; pauper; cannot read or write
PRICE, Betsey	20	New York	pauper; cannot read or write
PRICE, Mary C.	3 months	New York	pauper
FETTERLY, Harriet	2	New York	pauper
QUINLY, Lenora	25	Ireland	pauper
CONRI, Catharine	16	Ireland	pauper
QUINLY, Michael	4	New York	pauper; attended school
QUINLY, John	3	New York	pauper; attended school
QUINLY, Catharine	1	New York	pauper
MURRAY, Catharine	36	Ireland	pauper; cannot read or write
MURRAY, Willie	4	New York	pauper; attended school
MURRAY, Catharine	3 months	New York	pauper
BEST, Peggy	50	New York	idiot; pauper; black
ROBERTS, Sally	45	New York	idiot; pauper
HIGGINS, Mary	4	Ireland	pauper
OWENS, Mary	70	New York	pauper; cannot read or write
HIGGINS, William	4	New York	pauper
MYERS, Maria	49	Germany	insane; pauper
CARON, Ann	25	Ireland	pauper
LEAHY, Bridget	40	Ireland	pauper
LEAHY, Mary Ann	16	New York	idiot; pauper
LEAHY, James	6	New York	pauper; attended school
FOGERTY, Kate	38	Ireland	pauper
FOGERTY, Eliza	11	New York	pauper; attended school
DOORS, Mary	56	Lower Canada	pauper; cannot read or write
FLINN, Bridget	56	Ireland	insane; pauper; cannot read or write
LAWTON, Harriet	34	New York	pauper; cannot read or write
FREEMAN, Caroline	58	New York	pauper
LAWTON, Sally	41	New York	pauper; cannot read or write
EDGERTON, Adelbert	4	New York	pauper
REESE, Elizabeth	41	Germany	pauper
REESE, Henry	12	Germany; attended school	pauper
REESE, John P.	5	New York	pauper; attended school
REESE, George	2	New York	pauper
CASLER, Sarah	24	England	pauper
KELLER, Franklin	4	New York	pauper; attended school
CASLER, Delila	2	New York	pauper

Source: As this electronic text was transcribed from original microfilm of the 1860 US census by M. Magill, it is a uniquely idenfiable transcription. Due to the difficulties in transcribing old and stylized handwriting, the original census should be referred to.
Copyright © 1997 M. Magill

Material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this full paragraph remains on all copied material. These copyrighted digital pages, with commentary and underlying source code, cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation on any other website, or digital storage medium.

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Residents of the Herkimer County Poor House in 1860

MALE RESIDENTS OF THE HERKIMER COUNTY POOR HOUSE - 1860 including poorhouse keeper's household

FEMALE RESIDENTS OF THE HERKIMER COUNTY POOR HOUSE - 1860 including small children

MALE RESIDENTS OF THE HERKIMER COUNTY POOR HOUSE - 1860
including poorhouse keeper's household

FEMALE RESIDENTS OF THE HERKIMER COUNTY POOR HOUSE - 1860
including small children