Montague, Montague County
MONTAGUE COUNTY POOR FARM ON MARCH 15, 1888, MONTAGUE COUNTY JUDGE GRIFFIN FORD OVERSAW THE PURCHASE OF A PLOT OF LAND ABOUT ONE MILE EAST OF THE TOWN OF MONTAGUE TO BE USED AS THE COUNTY’S POOR FARM. THE LAND WAS RENTED FOR THREE DOLLARS AN ACRE WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE RENTER COULD KEEP ABLE-BODIED NEEDY AS FARMHANDS. J. M. MARTIN WON THE FIRST BID, ACCEPTING $10.40 PER PERSON PER MONTH TO BE THE FARM’S FIRST OPERATOR. MARTIN WOULD FURNISH FOOD, BEDDING, CLOTHING, MEDICAL EXPENSES AND THOSE ASSOCIATED WITH BURIALS. THE 1887-88 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE STATE’S AGRICULTURAL BUREAU LISTED 16 PAUPERS BEING HOUSED AT THE MONTAGUE COUNTY POOR FARM. THE FARM WAS MOVED IN 1899 TO 320 ACRES WEST OF MONTAGUE. A NINE ROOM “BIG HOUSE” WAS BUILT FOR A RESIDENCE AND A NEW WATER WELL WAS DUG. WITH THE LARGER LOCATION AND HOUSING, THE 1900 U.S. CENSUS LISTED 21 INDIGENTS LIVING AT THE POOR FARM. IN NOVEMBER OF 1934, THE COMMISSIONERS COURT ALLOWED THE BROCK FAMILY TO MOVE THEIR HOUSE TO THE POOR FARM, LEAVING THEIR HOME TO BE COUNTY PROPERTY. THIS WOULD BE THE THIRD DWELLING USED AT THE POOR FARM. LAND WAS ALSO RENTED OUT TO FARMERS WHO WISHED TO PLANT CROPS THERE AND THE COUNTY SOLD ITS CATTLE HERD. IN 1935, THE FEDERAL WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION (WPA) ESTABLISHED A PROJECT TO PRODUCE GARMENTS FOR FAMILIES IN NEED. MONTAGUE COUNTY AND TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY CAME TO AN AGREEMENT IN 1938 TO LEASE 56 ACRES FOR THE GRAPE EXPERIMENT AND HORTICULTURAL RESEARCH STATION IN MONTAGUE. DECEMBER 1939 SAW THE END OF THE COUNTY’S POOR FARM. THROUGH THIS SIGNIFICANT INSTITUTION, MONTAGUE COUNTY MET THE NEEDS OF ITS DISADVANTAGED CITIZENS FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS. (2012)