Indiana Spirit Quest #112: The Poor House Traditional Cache

Pioneer Cemetery (All photos by SHYDOG)

The Indiana Spirit Quest series of geocaches will take you to a number of historic cemeteries built by Hoosier Pioneers. In less than a year, the quest has grown to over a hundred caches hidden in ten north Indiana counties, and the hiders have grown to four cacher teams, each comprised of A Man and His Dog... PRAIRIEPARTNERS has set a record for one-day ISQ finds on 10-16-2004 at 55! 116 cacher teams have logged over 1,600 finds.

TOP TEN FINDS

FTF's

1. 32 --Dragon Ryders Three
2. 16 --Bluegillfisherman
3. 14 --Buddaman
4. 8 --Pinestrail

ANNOUNCEMENT: We are pleased to announce that TEAM SHYDOG has joined SixDogTeam, Kodiak Kid and The Shadow in becoming Grand Exhalted Hiders of the Spirit Quest! This is their second ISQ cache hide. Just look at what they have in store for you this time:

Here is our second ISQ for White county. This one is interesting due to the fact it is located on the shore of Lake Shaffer within sight of an amusement park, Indiana Beach. It is also near, but not too close to, one of the first Hydro-Electric dams in Indiana.

Norway County Farm Cemetery is located in Union Township #24N Range 3, Section 16 in White county, Indiana, near the town of Monticello. During the early years of our history the needy poor were cared for by being placed with reliable families, the expenses of their board and clothes being paid for by the county. This varied from $39 for the year ending May 1,1839 to $817.36 for the year ending June 1, 1856.

But this system proved unsatisfactory and on March 2, 1857, the county purchased from James C. Reynolds 200 acres of land, five miles northwest of Monticello, for the a price of $3,250. On this property was a house and into this house the poor were collected. In early 1858 Uncle Charley Rider was employed to take charge as first keeper of the poorhouse. This old building, with its various additions , was always a reproach to the good people of White County and in 1857 the commissioners let to Harbolt & Tilton, of Monticello, a contract to erect a new frame building at a cost of $3,000, which was completed and occupied in December, 1875. But this became unsanitary and in March, 1907, the commissioners and county council met in joint session to consider a site for a county infirmary. After viewing and studying carefully both sites owned by the county and several others, it was decided to purchase from Daniel McCuaig, the150 acre farm known as the old Breckenridge farm, on the gravel road north of Monticello. The purchase price was $16,500. The county council appropriated $31,000 for building purposes.

The site selected for the new building is on a bluff overlooking the river (now Lake Shaffer), which, in addition to being picturesque, afforded perfect drainage. Plans for the new building were furnished by the state board of charities. These were adapted to the needs of White County and the building was planned by Samuel A. Young, a local architect. On June 16, 1908 the building was formally accepted by the county board of commissioners. The total cost was $33,364.91. Built after many years of urging by grand juries, the press and the public and only after the old buildings had become almost scandalous in their unfitness, the new asylum placed White County in the front ranks for the humane care for the poor.

The cemetery associated with the Poor Home is located to the East of the home. At some time in the last fifty years or so , parcels of land were sold off to the public, on which private homes were built. During the late 1800's an area near the cemetery was being excavated for the gravel to be used on the county roads when six Indian bodies were unearthed. These bodies were relocated to the West end of the cemetery where they rest now. No markers were placed at the time so the exact location is unknown.

Not all persons buried here were poor. Some plots were sold to the public and there have been burials here within the last 10 years. Many of the poor graves had no markers or in time these markers have disappeared. You will notice a large area that is open; this is were the poor were placed to rest.

Some of the honorable veterans that are buried here are as follows:

Eli Reynolds, Civil War, Co. C Minn Inf., GAR
Jon Casad, Civil War,Co. E, 115th Ind Inf., GAR
Samuel W. Ayres, Civil War, GAR
Jeremiah W. Hancock, Civil War,Co. D, 63 IVI, GAR
Theodore M. Davis, Civil War,Co. E, 46 IVI, GAR

--Team Shydog

The cache container is a 1.7 pint Rubbermaid container with log book and some small trade items. BYOP. Park with care, at a small roadside pull-off near the Entry Gate. If you find a fallen US flag, please stick it back in the ground. As always, Have Fun, but please be respectful, and cache in, trash out. God Bless our troops in harm's way.

Cache In - Trash Out!

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DON'T BE FOOLED BY IMITATIONS!!None genuine without SixDogTeam seal. We are the SixDogTeam and we approve of this cache.

MYSTERY GEO DAWG #4
Who is this girl?