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Board of Directors of three persons elected by the Legislature, who should direct the building of the Penitentiary, which should be located within one mile of the public square, in the town of Fort Madison, Lee County, provided Fort Madison should deed to the Directors a tract of land suitable for a site, and assign them, by contract, a spring or stream of water for the use of the Penitentiary. To the Directors was also given the power of appointing the Warden; the latter to appoint his own assistants.

The first Directors appointed were John S. David and John Claypole. They made their first report to the Legislative Council November 9, 1839. The citizens of the town of Fort Madison had executed a deed conveying ten acres of land for the building site. Amos Ladd was appointed Superintendent of the building June 5, 1839. The building was designed of sufficient capacity to contain one hundred and thirty-eight convicts, and estimated to cost $55,933.90. It was begun on the 9th of July, 1839; the main building and Warden's house were completed in the fall of 1841. Other additions were made from time to time till the building and arrangements were all complete according to the plan of the Directors. It has answered the purpose of the State as a Penitentiary for more than thirty years, and during that period many items of practical experience in prison management have been gained. ADDITIONAL PENITENTIARY.

Located at Anamosa, Jones County.

By an Act of the Fourteenth General Assembly, approved April 23, 1872, William Ure, Foster L. Downing and Martin Heisey were constituted Commissioners to locate and provide for the erection and control of an additional Penitentiary for the State of Iowa. These Commissioners met on the 4th of the following June, at Anamosa, Jones County, and selected a site donated by the citizens, within the limits of the city. L. W. Foster & Co., architects, of Des Moines, furnished the plan, drawings and specifications, and work was commenced on the building on the 28th day of September, 1872. May 13, 1873, twenty convicts were transferred to Anamosa from the Fort Madison Penitentiary. The entire enclosure includes fifteen acres, with a frontage of 663 feet.

IOWA HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE.

Mount Pleasant, Henry County.

By an act of the General Assembly of Iowa, approved January 24, 1855, $4,425 were appropriated for the purchase of a site, and $50,000 for building an Insane Hospital, and the Governor (Grimes), Edward Johnston, of Lee County, and Charles S. Blake, of Henry County, were appointed to locate the institution and

superintend the erection of the building. These Commissioners located the institution at Mt. Pleasant, Henry County. A plan for a building designed to accommodate 300 patients was accepted, and in October work was commenced. Up to February 25, 1858, and including an appropriation made on that date, the Legislature had appropriated $258,555.67 to this institution, but the building was not finished ready for occupancy by patients until March 1, 1861. April 18, 1876, a portion of the hospital building was destroyed by fire."

Trustees, 1881: Timothy Whiting, Mount Pleasant; J. H. Kulp, Davenport; Denison A. Hurst, Oskaloosa; John Conaway, Brooklyn; L. E. Fellows, Lansing. Mark Ranney, M. D., Mt. Pleasant, is the Medical Superintendent; C. V. Arnold, Mt. Pleas ant, Treasurer.

HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE.

Independence, Buchanan County.

In the winter of 1867-8 a bill providing for an additional Hospital for the insane was passed by the Legislature, and an appropriation of $125,000 was made for that purpose. Maturin L. Fisher, of Clayton County; E. G. Morgan, of Webster County, and Albert Clark, of Buchanan County, were appointed Commissioners to locate and supervise the erection of the building.

The Commissioners met and commenced their labors on the 8th day of June, 1868, at Independence. The act under which they were appointed required them to select the most eligible and desirable location, of not less than 320 acres, within two miles of the City of Independence, that might be offered by the citizens free of charge to the State. Several such tracts were offered, but the Commissioners finally selected the south half of south west quarter of Section 5; the north half of northeast quarter of Section 7; the north half of northwest quarter of Section 8, and the north half of northeast quarter of Section 8, all in Township 88 north, Range 9 west of the Fifth Principal Meridian. This loca tion is on the west side of the Wapsipinicon River, and about a mile from its banks, and about the same distance from Independ

ence.

The contract for erecting the building was awarded for $88,114. The contract was signed November 7, 1868, and work was at once. commenced. The main buildings were constructed of dressed limestone, from the quarries at Anamosa and Farley. The basements are of the local granite worked from the immense boulders found in large quantities in this portion of the State.

In 1872 the building was so far completed that the Commissioners called the first meeting of the Trustees, on the 10th day of July of that year. The building was ready for occupancy April 21, 1873.

In 1877, the south wing was built, but was not completed ready for occupancy until the Spring or Summer of 1878.

Trustees, 1881:-Erastus G. Morgan, Fort Dodge, President; Jed. Lake, Independence; Mrs. Jennie C. McKinney, Decorah; Lewis H. Smith, Algona; David Hammer, McGregor; A. Reynolds, M. D., Independence, Medical Superintendent; W. G. Donnar, Independence, Treasurer.

IOWA COLLEGE FOR THE BLIND.

Vinton, Benton County.

In August, 1852, Prof. Samuel Bacon, himself blind, established an Institution for the instruction of the blind of Iowa, at Keokuk. By act of the General Assembly, entitled "An act to establish an Asylum for the Blind," approved January 18, 1853, the institution was adopted by the State, removed to Iowa City, February 3d, and opened for the reception of pupils April 4, 1853, free to all the blind in the State.

The Board of Trustees appointed Prof. Samuel Bacon, Principal; T. J. McGittigen, Teacher of Music, and Mrs. Sarah K. Bacon, Matron. Twenty-three pupils were admitted during the first term.

In his first report, made in 1854, Prof. Bacon suggested that the name should be changed from "Asylum for the Blind," to that of "Institution for the Instruction of the Blind." This was done in 1855, when the General Assembly made an annual appropriation for the College of $55 per quarter for each pupil. This was subsequently changed to $3,000 per annnm, and a charge of $25 as an admission fee for each pupil, which sum, with the amounts realized from the sale of articles manufactured by the blind pupils, proved sufficient for the expenses of the institution during Mr. Bacon's administration.

On the 8th of May, 1858, the Trustees met at Vinton, and made arrangements for securing the donation of $5,000 made by the citizens of that town.

In June of that year a quarter section of land was donated for the College, by John W.O. Webb and others, and the Trustees adopted a plan for the erection of a suitable building. In 1860 the plan was modified, and the contract for enclosing let for $10,420.

In August, 1862, the building was so far completed that the goods and furniture of the institution were removed from Iowa City to Vinton, and early in October the School was opened there with twenty-four pupils.

Trustees, 1881:-Clinton O. Harrington, Vinton; S. H. Watson, Vinton, Treasurer; J. F. White, Sidney; M. H. Westerbrook, Lyons; W. H. Leavitt, Waterloo; Jacob Springer, Watkins; Rev. Robert Carothers, Principal of the Institution and Secretary of the Board.

INSTITUTION FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB.

Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County.

The Iowa Institution for the Deaf and Dumb was established at Iowa City by an act of the General Assembly, approved January 24, 1855. The number of deaf mutes then in the State was 301; the number attending the Institution, 50.

A strong effort was made, in 1866, to remove this important institution to Des Moines, but it was located permanently at Council Bluffs, and a building rented for its use. In 1868, Commissioners were appointed to locate a site for, and to superintend the erection of a new building, for which the Legislature appropriated $125,000 to commence the work of construction. The Commissioners selected ninety acres of land about two miles south of the city of Council Bluffs. The main building and one wing were completed October 1, 1870, and immediately occupied by the Institution. February 25, 1877, the main building and east wing were destroyed by fire; and August 6th, following, the roof of the new west wing was blown off and the walls partially demolished by a tornado. At the time of the fire about one hundred and fifty pupils were in attendance. After the fire, half the classes were dismissed and the number of scholars reduced to about seventy, and in a week or two the school was in running order.

Trustees, 1881:-B. F. Clayton, Macedonia, President; J. H. Stubenrauch, Pella, Treasurer; Louis Weinstein, Burlington. Rev. A. Rogers, Superintendent.

SOLDIERS' ORPHANS' HOMES.

Davenport, Cedar Falls, Glenwood.

The movement which culminated in the establishment of this benificent institution was originated by Mrs. Annie Wittenmeyer, during the civil war of 1861-65. This noble and patriotic lady called a convention at Muscatine, on the 7th day of October, 1863, for the purpose of devising measures for the support and education of the orphan children of the brave sons of Iowa, who had fallen in defense of national honor and integrity. So great was the public interest in the movement that there was a large representation from all parts of the State on the day named, and an association was organized called the Iowa State Orphan Asylum.

The first meeting of the Trustees was held February 14, 1864, in the Representative Hall, at Des Moines. Committees from both branches of the General Assembly were present and were invited to participate in their deliberations. Arrangements were made for raising funds.

At the next meeting, in Davenport, in March 1864, the Trustees decided to commence operations at once, and a committee was

appointed to lease a suitable building, solicit donations, and procure suitable furniture. The committee secured a large brick building in Lawrence, Van Buren County, and engaged Mr. Fuller, of Mt. Pleasant, as Steward.

At the annual meeting. in Des Moines, in June, 1864, Mrs. C. B. Baldwin, Mrs. G. G. Wright, Mrs. Dr. Horton, Miss Mary E. Shelton and Mr. George Sherman, were appointed a committee to furnish the building and take all necessary steps for opening the "Home," and notice was given that at the next meeting of the Association, a motion would be made to change the name of the Institution to Iowa Orphans' Home.

The work of preparation was conducted so vigorously that on the 13th day of July following, the Executive Committee announced that they were ready to receive the children. In three weeks twenty-one were admitted, and the number constantly increased, so that, in a little more than six months from the time of opening, there were seventy children admitted, and twenty more applications, which the Committee had not acted upon-all orphans of soldiers.

The "Home" was sustained by the voluntary contributions of the people until 1866, when it was assumed by the State. In that year, the General Assembly provided for the location of several such "Homes" in the different counties, and which were established at Davenport, Scott County; Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County, and at Glenwood, Mills County.

The Board of Trustees, elected by the General Assembly, had the oversight and management of the Soldiers' Orphans' Homes of the State, and consisted of one person from each county in which such Home was located, and one for the State at large, who held their offices two years, or until their successors were elected and qualified. An appropriation of $10 per month for each orphan actually supported was made by the General Assemby.

The Home in Cedar Falls was organized in 1865, and an old hotel building was fitted up for it. January, 1866, there were ninety-six inmates.

October 12, 1869, the Home was removed to a large brick buildinw, about two miles west of Cedar Falls, and was very prosperous for several years, but in 1876, the General Assembly established a State Normal school at Cedar Falls, and appropriated the buildings and grounds for that purpose.

By "An act to provide for the organization and support of an asylum at Glenwood, in Mills County for feeble-minded children," approved March 17, 1876, the buildings and grounds used by the Soldiers' Orphans' Home at that place were appropriated for this purpose. By another act, approved March 15, 1876, the soldiers' orphans, then at the Homes at Glenwood and Cedar Falls, were to be removed to the Home at Davenport within ninety days there

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