This location began as the “County Poor Farm” which was a communal farm for the poor. It seems that after the Civil War there was a need for a place to take care of the poor. So in 1872 the Board of Supervisors had ground broken on the farm they purchased for 240 acres at $10 an acre. In 1952, a new building was constructed on site as the purpose shifted more towards helping people with disabilities. Currently it is available for building rental and for activities sponsored by the Bremer County Poor Farm Foundation. More info: Poor Farm on Facebook
"The theory of a Poor Farm, or County Farm, as it was later known, was to provide the residents with a way to raise their own food, thus making the farm and residents self-sufficient and lessening the frain on local tax funds. The Bremer County Farm raised field crops, dairy cattle, hogs and poultry, as well as maintaining a very large garden. While few records remain, it appears that the atmosphere at the Couty Farm was that of a large family, rather than an institution."
In October, 1999, the last residents of the Bremer County Poor Farm were moved out and the facility was closed. It hadn’t been called the Poor Farm for many years, partly because of the changes it had undergone and partly due to pollitical correctness. It had come to be known as the Larrabee Center. Prior to that it was the Bremer County Home or the Bremer County Care Facility or just the County Home.
Between October, 1999 when the building was shut down and 2005 when Supervisors decided to knock it down, the lack of care, vandalism, removal of items from inside and sheer neglect resulted in extensive deterioration. This area is preserved as a piece of history through the initial work of two women, both of whom I know personally: Karlyn Armstrong (now deceased) and Ann Harms. Karlyn was a classmate of my father and was in my parents wedding while Ann is a high school classmate of mine. In February 2006, the Bremer County Board of Supervisors agreed to draw up a deed for the buildings and 12.5 acres of land comprising the former county home property to the non-profit organization titled Bremer County Poor Farm. The county attorney drafted the legal work to deed the 33,000 square foot, three-story structure, 12.5 acres (about half of the grounds). July 2, 2008 the Foundation received the keys from the county. Ann Harms, now vice-president of the Foundation said: “I can’t even describe what this feels like. It’s a combination of being excited, overwhelmed and shocked. Now, the real work begins.”
Ann Harms has many fond memories of the time she spent at the County Home visiting with her Aunt Florine and Uncle Oscar Heideman. She and her family would frequently visit their relatives at the home, have Sunday dinner and kids would spend the afternoon having fun. No memories could compare with the exhilaration of sliding down the outside tube-like fire escapes and skateboarding in the spacious halls. One of Ann’s brothers, or cousin Steve, would slide down the fire escape tube first while sitting on a piece of waxed paper. That little bit of wax coating was enough to make them fly from the third floor to the ground and provided entertainment that matched or beat any carnival ride.
Her memories along with the importance she attaches to the preservation of history gave Ann the incentive to join forces with Karlyn Armstrong.
In the history book published recently, Ann Harms describes what happened: The determination and enthusiasm of the two women spread and they recruited another two dozen or so Bremer County residents who were equally enthusiastic about preserving what they considered an integral part of county history. Those people formed the board of directors for The Poor Farm Foundation and again approached the supervisors.
TO GAIN CREDIT FOR THIS VIRTUAL CACHE: Go to the posted coordinates on the east side of the main building. Look toward it and tell me how many windows are on the north part of the building either covered by or to the right (north) of the fire escape. ALSO, look carefully in the windows. What unique thing do you see AND in which window. Send this information to me in a message and please do not post it in a log. Feel free to add a photo of the grounds.
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023 Thanks for the opportunity!
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.