Author: Martha J. Martin
In 1816, the Ohio General Assembly authorized county commissioners to establish poorhouses, with boards of directors overseeing their management.
These institutions provided care for people experiencing poverty, illness, and other hardships. They also served as places of confinement for individuals with mental illness and epilepsy. By 1898, Ohio law prohibited confining these individuals in county infirmaries, and they were transferred to state institutions, often the asylum in Athens, Ohio.
One of the most valuable features of the Lawrence County Infirmary Register is its collection of death dates and burial locations, many of which may not appear in other historical records.
I compiled these records to help genealogists uncover information about individuals whose lives and deaths might otherwise be difficult to trace.
Burial locations mentioned in the records include Newton Cemetery, Henry's Cemetery, Woodland Cemetery, an area identified as "on the Hill," and other locations throughout the region.
For researchers tracing ancestors who spent time in the county infirmary, these records may provide important missing pieces of family history.