#10 on RichmondTownship Map

T52R27S04

on the 1877 Plat map, a County farm is shown in T52R27S04

Ray County also owned 40 acres of land at the southwest corner of T52R27S14 in 1877, but was separate from the County Farm

The "old" County Farm is in T52 R27 S4. Not sure exactly where the cemetery would have been IF there was cemetery was in Section 4. Since the county paid for everything they probably did not pay for a tombstone. The county purchased the land in 1855 and the building burned in 1882. We're not sure what the "paupers" did from 1882 until 1910 when the new county farm (The Museum) was built (Ray County Cemetery - aka Potter's Field)

The old poor farm might have had a fire in 1882 but it didn't burn down and was the county poor farm until the move in date at the new poor farm on May 20, 1910. The old poor farm and land was auctioned off in mid 1910. There was a Potters Field at the first location, I am getting more info on where everything was. Rod

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Newspaper article from November 5, 1895.

Sadly Neglected. On our way out to the scene of the Winner murder Sunday afternoon we passed by the county poor farm and at the south east corner of the farm we noticed the poor house burying ground and must admit that we were surprised at its appearance. It is pastured on the farm without the sign of fence to protect the graves from the tread of horses, cattle and hogs. It has been the burying ground for the unfortunate of the county for the past half century and more then a hundred persons have been buried there yet there is scarcely a sign of a grave. It is true those who have been buried there were poor and were a burden upon the tax payers of the county, but it does seem to us that the spot where their bodies rest should be fenced in and protected from the tread of the beasts of the field and that the county should at least put a plain marble slab at the head of each grave to designate who is buried there. The cost of doing this would be but a trifle and we would suggest to our County Court that it should be done for the sake of humanity and that the burying ground should be separated by a fence from the cow pasture.

Submitted by: Jenna Zunker <mailto:JJZunker@msn.com>