There’s a very special farm in Dodge County just north of Fremont, Nebraska. At one time it housed the destitute, the injured, the sick, and the desperate – people who had nowhere else to go. The Dodge County Poor Farm operated for decades as a refuge for humans, and it now houses animals with nowhere else to go.
The Dodge County Poor Farm opened its doors in 1872.
The Old Poor Farm However, it wouldn’t have actual doors for another 12 years. In the beginning, the 160-acre property was solely a farm that was rented out to raise money for the poor.
The residence was added in 1874, and a few years later the farm had grown to 245 acres.
The Old Poor Farm Supervisors were paid to oversee the operations of the farm. Men (and, less commonly, women) who were homeless, poor, or unfit to work elsewhere were given jobs to do on the farm.
Residents were called inmates, and their work made the farm almost entirely self-sufficient.
The Old Poor Farm
Eventually, new government programs made the concept of the poor farm (one of which existed in every county in the state) obsolete.
The Old Poor Farm The last resident of the Dodge County poor farm died in 1944; in 1955 the land was auctioned off and used as farmland for quite some time.
The original residence had to be torn down in 1970 due to safety concerns, and in 1989 the farm and four surrounding acres were sold off.
The Old Poor Farm This little parcel of land would go on to become The Old Poor Farm Animal Sanctuary in 2001.
Today you can still see remnants of the farm’s past life, such as the ice house, several outbuildings, and even the graves of those who passed while residing at the farm.
The Old Poor Farm But the focus now is on helping animals who have nowhere else to go.
This non-profit organization takes in domesticated, farm, and wild animals.
The Old Poor Farm They care for neglected, abused, handicapped and disfigured animals of all types that would not be able to survive in the wild, or that would have been killed by their owners.
The Old Poor Farm
There are all types of residents on the farm, from the typical to the exotic.
The Old Poor Farm
The Old Poor Farm
Many of the animals were abused in their previous homes and came to the farm injured and timid.
The Old Poor Farm
The Old Poor Farm (Yes, the animal on the right is a fox spending time with a friendly cat!)
Others are wild animals that suffered injuries or were born with defects that would make it impossible for them to survive in the wild.
The Old Poor Farm
The Old Poor Farm
With the love and care that they receive at the farm, the animals blossom into the healthy, happy creatures they were meant to be.
The Old Poor Farm
The Old Poor Farm
Once they come to live on the farm, most of the animals will live out the rest of their lives here. Some are even loaned out to petting zoos, giving them an important job to do - just like the previous residents of the Poor Farm.
The Old Poor Farm
The Dodge County Poor Farm has come full-circle, once again providing comfort and care for those who need it most. Two-hour historical tours of the farm are available with advance reservations; see the Poor Farm’s website for more information.
The Old Poor Farm
However, it wouldn’t have actual doors for another 12 years. In the beginning, the 160-acre property was solely a farm that was rented out to raise money for the poor.
Supervisors were paid to oversee the operations of the farm. Men (and, less commonly, women) who were homeless, poor, or unfit to work elsewhere were given jobs to do on the farm.
The last resident of the Dodge County poor farm died in 1944; in 1955 the land was auctioned off and used as farmland for quite some time.
This little parcel of land would go on to become The Old Poor Farm Animal Sanctuary in 2001.
But the focus now is on helping animals who have nowhere else to go.
They care for neglected, abused, handicapped and disfigured animals of all types that would not be able to survive in the wild, or that would have been killed by their owners.
(Yes, the animal on the right is a fox spending time with a friendly cat!)
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