Poor House?

Question

Does anyone know anything about the Poor House in Charleston, WV during the 20's? My mother had told me her mother, whose name is Julia Simms died there. This is my grandmother. Her husband was Edward Simms. My grandmother, Julia year of birth was probably around 1908, and her year of death was probably around 1929. My mother, Frances Elizabeth Simms, was born July 3, 1928. She was 13 months when her mother died. My mother had told me that her father had bit her mother, causing her to contract blood poisoning. Which led to her death in 1929. She was adopted by a couple by the name of Elder Joseph Mills Wallace and Wilemena Howard of Hampton,VA . She died in 1932.

Answer 1

All big cities had poorhouses during that era. If you didn't have a home and were broke, you went to live in the poorhouse. It was humiliating for the people who went there and everyone tried everything they could not to go there. It's kind of like the homeless shelters we have now except that people lived there until they died. Look at the link below. It lists all county records links by state. If there are any records on the poorhouse at WV then this would be where they are located. If you can't find what you want online, perhaps you can write to the address listed with your request.

Answer 2

http://www.poorhousestory.com/

How very sad for your mother and grandmother. I have a similar story in my family tree. i will do a little more looking around. I found my poorhouse records on Family History Library microfilm and they were very helpful.

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