1800-1850
Orleans County Poor House
Albion New York There are two idiots, both female, and one deaf and dumb.
Oswego County Poor House
Located in the town of Mexico, Four of the inmates are idiots (three male, one female), all over 21 years of age.
St. Lawrence County Poor House
Located near Canton, There is one idiot, twenty-four years old.
Rensselaer County Poor House
Situated a short distance from the city of Troy, Lunatics are kept in filthy cells, but the committee could get little information on how the patient was, except to see the patient through a small hole in the door. The keeper told the committee that the occupant was a woman, naked, filthy and unsafe. Upon return, the committee found a woman, who was very much composed of reason, with clean attire and with good expression. Among the inmates were 30 lunatics, 4 male, 26 female, all paupers. Application for these paupers was made to the Utica asylum; but was refused due to lack of room.
Jones Institute
Located in the town of Oyster Bay, Queens County, it is designed for accommodation of only the poor that come from the neighboring towns of Oyster Bay and North Hempstead. In the house there are four idiots (one male, three female); and three who are blind.
Allegany County
Located 2 miles from Angelica The inmates are treated barbarously, 2 idiots, 4 males, 3 females.
Cayuga County Poor House
3 miles from the city of Auburn 9 lunatics were found here (5 male, 4 female). Three of them have been to the state lunatic asylum).
Dutchess County House
Located in Poughkeepsie New York Five of the inmates are idiots, (2 male, 3 female). There are four blind inmates.
Chenango County Poor House
Located in Preston, New York 7 of the paupers are idiots and two of them are under 20 years of age.
Essex County House
Located between Essex County and Elizabethtown Three paupers are idiots (all female over 21), two are blind.
Livingston County House
Located in Geneseo 14 of the inmates are lunatics (5 male, 9 female).
Orange County Poor House
Located in Newburgh New York Two paupers are idiots, both male; one is blind.
Putman County Poor House
Located in Kent New York Two of the inmates are idiots, both female, there is one mute.
Ontario County Poor House
Located in the vicinity of Canandaigua, There are five idiots (1 male, 4 female), two are deaf and dumb, and one is blind.
Steuben County Poor House
Located in Bath, Of the inmates, thirty-seven are lunatics, (twenty female, fifteen male); four have been received during the past year. The only method of restraining the insane is to lock them up in their cells. There is one male idiot. vTioga County Poor House Located near Owego, Provision is made for a physician who charges for his services. Of the inmates, six are lunatics (all female). The apartments devoted to the insane are in very bad condition, and one woman was found in her own filth and dirt. **The only good point to be found here is that a new building is being erected to house these people.
Chenango County Poor House
Located in Preston, New York 7 of the paupers are idiots and two of them are under 20 years of age.
Broome County Poor House
Located 3 miles from Binghamton 21 out of the 37 are lunatics, 11 were considered idiots and were sent to the state asylum (3 male, 8 female).
Franklin County House
Located two miles from the village of Malone Two of the paupers are blind, 4 are idiots, (2 male, 2 female).
Clinton County House
The house is located four miles from Plattsburg. There are ten idiots, eight male and two female. One is blind
Kings County Poor House
Just outside the city of Brooklyn. The house is on 70 acres of land. There are 1,365 inmates (Almshouse 380, nursery 350, hospital 430, lunatic asylum 205).
Fulton County House
Located in the Town of Johnstown
Montgomery County House
Located in Glen New York 5 of the paupers are idiots, 2 male, 3 female.
Rockland County House
Located in Suffern New York. Of the inmates, six are lunatics, (four female, two male); three are paupers, the others pay for their support. Eight of the inmates are idiots, (five male, three female); one is deaf and dumb.
Richmond County House
Staten Island One pauper is an idiot, The whole aspect of the house indicates negligence on the part of all those who run it. No effort is made to make the house comfortable for those living in it.
Schuyler County
Town of Hector. No information is available on this house.
Otesgo County Poor House
Located near Cooperstown, Five of the inmates are idiots, (two male, three female).
Tompkins County Poor House
Located six miles from Ithaca, There are seven lunatics, (five female, two male); one was admitted during the past year. Two of the paupers are idiots (one male, one female). There are 21 lunatics, 6 male, 15 female, all paupers. Five of these have been to the Utica Asylum, and they were returned uncured. Application has also been made for the others to the Utica Asylum, but these applications were refused.
Seneca County Poor House
Located five miles from Waterloo, No application has been made to either the State lunatic or Idiot asylum during the past year. Three of the inmates are idiots, all male, the youngest is eighteen.
Columbia County House
Located in Ghent New York The sexes are kept separate, and all are under the care of one keeper, who is in charge of the house. Of the inmates 35 are lunatics (15 male, 20 female).
Herkimer County House
Located in Herkimer New York The number of inmates was 76 (50 male, 26 female). Of these half are foreign born and 11 are under 16 years of age.
Delaware County House
Located 2 miles south of Delhi Village New York. 8 of the paupers are idiots (5 male, 3 female) there is one deaf/blind person.
Schenectady County Poor House
Located just east of Schenectady City. Of the inmates, three are lunatics, (one male, two female). Seven of the inmates are idiots; 3 male, 4 female, one boy is under 16 years of age.
Madison County Poor House
Located in Eaton New York 7 of the paupers are idiots (4 male, 3 female), four of these are under 15 years of age.
Erie County Home
Located within the city of Buffalo. In the poor house are 11 idiots, 4 male, 7 female (three are under 16 years of age)
Jefferson County House
Located near Watertown, Of the paupers, 8 are idiots (2 male, 6 female). There are two deaf and dumb, one blind.
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Located in Machias.
Saratoga County House
Located in Ballston Spa New York Of the inmates, ten are lunatics, (three male, seven female); they receive no special medical attention. Five are confined to their cell at all times, sometimes they are restrained with handcuffs or shackles. Corporal punishment is used on men, women, and children.
Chautauqua County House
Located in Dewittville, New York 10 paupers are idiotic (all male) one is blind.
Genesee County Poor House
Located in the town of Bethany Of the paupers there are 10 idiots, 4 male, 6 female (one is blind).
Schoharie County Poor House
Located in Middleburgh, Of the inmates there are two lunatics, both female. Ten of the inmates are idiots, (two female, eight male).
Onondaga County Poor House
It is located on Pompeii Hill four miles from Syracuse. The number of lunatics was 16(8 male, 8 female), all are paupers. One pauper is an idiot, a male, there is one deaf and dumb, and five are blind (of all ages).
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Located in the city of Albany - 4 paupers, idiots, 3 male, 1 female - two are under 16 yrs of age - 3 are blind.
Development of New York State Institutions 1800 - 1850
New York State has a long history of attempting to care for individuals with disabilities. As New York emerged from the colonial era it needed to provide for the mental health needs of its citizens. In the early 1800s, the New York Hospital was the only option for state care for the "insane." In 1824 the legislature enacted a law requiring counties to establish almshouses that would provide the care for a "dependent population" that included "paupers, lunatics and idiots." The State erected asylums for the blind, the deaf and the insane. Individuals with intellectual disabilities were often mixed in with these populations, housed with the poor, in jails or found themselves without any support or services. Science, medicine, government and social thought converged as New York sought a "cure" for the "idiots and imbeciles" and established the first institution for individuals with developmental disabilities in North America.
Chemung County Poor House
Located in Horseheads New York. Three of the paupers are idiots (2 male, 1 female).
Greene County House
Located in Cairo. Nine are idiots (5 male, 4 female), none are children. There are 2 blind and one deaf and dumb.
Lewis County House
Located in Lowville New York The number of lunatics is four (2 male, 2 female). In the house there is one idiot, a female, and 22 yrs old, one blind, and one deaf and dumb.
Monroe County Poor House
Located near Rochester, N.Y., Among the paupers are five blind, and two deaf and dumb persons. 8 paupers are idiots (4 male, 4 female)
Niagara County Poor House
Located in Lockport New York Four of the inmates are idiots (all male), and two boys who are 12, are 16 and they are blind. The house is well kept, and as the results prove, it is possible to maintain a good house at less cost, than it is to provide for a poor one.
Oneida County Poor House
It is located near Rome, New York. The building has been occupied since 1829. It is on 115 acres of land. There are four blind (2 male, 2 female), 3 idiots, 31 of the inmates are lunatics, (20 male, 11 female), and for their accommodation an asylum has been erected.
Oneida County Poor House
It is located near Rome, New York. The building has been occupied since 1829. It is on 115 acres of land. There are four blind (2 male, 2 female), 3 idiots, 31 of the inmates are lunatics, (20 male, 11 female), and for their accommodation an asylum has been erected.