Van Zandt County Poor Farm

Van Zandt County Poor Farm. . In the early days of Van Zandt County, families, churches and charitable organizations took care of people in need. After the civil war, the high number of indigents forced an addendum to the state constitution making care for the poor the responsibility of each county. In 1877, the Van Zandt County Commissioners Court authorized a search for an appropriate site for a county poor farm. After seven years, in August 1884, County Judge John S. Spinks appointed several men to find and purchase land near Canton to establish a poor farm. The site chosen contained 339 acres about four miles south of Canton. M.V. Burns was the first appointed superintendent paid by the county to oversee the farm, clean up the land and complete improvements to the site. Mr. Burns resigned in 1885 and Hugh Guinn took over to complete his term., The first known residents of the poor farm were two ladies declared paupers in March 1886 by the Commissioners Court. Other residents included the elderly, widows with children who had no means of support and those convicted of petty crimes who would work at the farm to pay off their fines. In 1901, County Judge John W. Davidson authorized the sale of the poor farm and bought a larger site in the same area. A 14 by 16 feet calaboose was built on the new site in 1901 for the safekeeping of convicts at night. The structure is still standing. After the poor farm was established, paupers were buried in the poor farm cemetery. The farm was operational until October 1928. The Van Zandt County Poor Farm provided poverty-stricken citizens with shelter, food and a ready means of subsistence for 42 years.