By Belva Dilly
Tucker County Historical Society
On April 9, 1891 the County bought a farm owned by S. E. Parsons and his wife A. E. Parsons containing 174 acres located north of Parsons in the St. George District and borders the Cheat River. This farm was purchased for the purpose of taking care of the poor. The county paid $1500.00 for this land.
Joseph Parsons and James Parsons were hired to prepare the farm for the poor by July 1, 1891. They were also ordered to hire a man and his wife to care for the farm and the poor residents for the price of $300.00 a year plus a house for their use while living on the farm. The man hired for this job would have the title of Superintendent. They were also to see that a suitable amount of land be planted in corn, potatoes and other vegetables and properly cultivated and they could rent whatever grass land that was not needed for these uses.
There was a family of Greys that lived in St. George and the husband died. His wife and children were loaded up and taken to the Poor Farm. After the children had grown up one of the sons, Herman E. Grey, went back and took over as Superintendent of the farm. It closed its doors as a Poor Farm in the late 1930s. It was then used by one of President F. D. Roosevelt’s programs to teach young men about agriculture.
Most Poor Farms did not let the men and women live in the same buildings. It was custom to put small children in with the adults of the same sex. The exception being if a woman was a cook she and her husband could reside together in the cook’s house. The children did not always get to stay with them and would be put in houses for men or women.
The people that lived on the farm were expected to work in the gardens and help with any other work that was to be done. Those too sick or old to work would be taken care of by the other residents of the farm. If there was a school close by the children could attend if not needed on the farm.
I was told by a woman who lived at the Tucker County Poor Farm that she and her brother hated it and wanted to leave but they wouldn’t let them. They stole a mule and made it to Clarksburg, WV before being caught and brought back.
The Poor Farm was given to the Board of Trustees of County 4-H Camps on May 12, 1953. On August 3, 1990 this land was deeded to the Tucker County Parks and Recreation Board, INC., for the price of $10.00. If the TCPRB ceases to exist the land reverts back to the Tucker County Commission.
The 4-H Camp is located on the land today and is called Camp Kidd. There is also two ball fields (used by the High School girls soft ball team and the Little League teams), the Tucker County Fair is held there and there is a nine hole golf course.
Supt. Herman E. Grey’s home with his sons and Ruben Barb. L-R John Grey, Ruben Barb, and Odford “Buck” Grey.
This article appeared in the July 2020 edition of the Tucker County Historical Society quarterly newsletter. The TCHS is a tax-exempt non-profit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It meets monthly in Parsons with membership open to anyone for annual dues of $10 mailed to PO Box 13, Hambleton, WV 26269.