JULIEN CARE FACILITY Julien Care Facility. Originally established in 1848 in a log cabin eight miles outside Dubuque, the institution allowed residents to work for their keep. The facility has had several locations. In 1857 a second home called the House of Refuge was built northwest of the city on land later developed by the DUBUQUE SHOOTING SOCIETY. That facility was destroyed by fire in 1875. Support of the facility was then the responsibility of the City of Dubuque. In need of money itself, the city began demanding that the facility should be supported by the county. The Board County Board of Supervisors in March 1876, purchased the estate of W.H. McNear. The two hundred acre site near Julien Station cost $10,000. Residents were temporarily housed until permanent buildings could be constructed, and some of the land was rented. The permanent building, three stories high with rooms for forty-eight people, was finished in October 1876. By June 1877, the farm had sixty-six residents including five children. The number of residents increased to seventy-four by 1880 when the weekly average cost of maintenance including food and clothing per person was $1.67. In 1917 concern for the poor led to a surprise visit by members of the DUBUQUE FEDERATED WOMENS CLUB. Finding the residents poorly cared for and living in filthy conditions, the community took action. Repairs were made and the rooms were disinfected and painted. By 1933, the farm consisted of 240 acres of land of which 160 were being cultivated. Conditions again deteriorated; changing state rules resulted in the facility becoming more of a care provider. While older residents continued to live there, new residents often knew nothing about farm work. In 1975 the Supervisors succeeded in getting a bond issue passed to build a new $2.2 million care facility. In 1978, a new building capable of serving 120 people was opened. The farm machinery was sold; the land was leased. In late 1985, faced with losing money on the new facility, the Supervisors leased it to the Dubuque-Jackson County Mental Health Center. On January 1, 1986, the operation of the home became an affiliation of the GANNON CENTER. The facility was named the Julien Care Facility. In 1997 the medical director of the Gannon Center made regular visits to patients, counseling and vocational services were available, and residential nursing services were provided twenty-four hours daily. The land once used by the Poor Farm was sold to the City of Dubuque in 1997 to be used as an industrial park. The 1989 Dubuque City Directory listed 13066 Seippel Road. encyclopediadubuque.org/index.php?title=POOR_FARM encyclopediadubuque.org/index.php?title=JULIEN_CARE_FACILITY
Posted on: Wed, 22 Oct 2014 12:46:35 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015