Jackson County Iowa Poor Farm

"The Jackson County Asylum and Poor Farm, as it was originally called, consisted of one hundred and sixty acres when it was purchased for $6,000 in 1858 by Judge Joseph Kelso, on behalf of the county. A six room brick building served as the warden’s living quarters. A wagon shed to the East was partitioned off into rooms to house the paupers who lived and worked on the farm.
In 1870 a limestone structure was built from locally quarried limestone, as housing for people who were labelled as “incurably insane” by the state. Barred cells that contained the inmates can still be seen on the upper level of the building. This two and one half story building once accommodated nineteen people pronounced incurable by the state. Eventually the old limestone building was converted into a barn and was used to house rabbits and chickens.
In 1876, a large three story brick building was constructed replacing the old limestone structure. Part of the south wing had steel reinforcing and barred windows, purportedly to house the insane. The paupers were housed in the North wing. The center portion housed the chapel and social gathering areas. In later years the north wing housed only women, and the men resided in the south side. At the peak in 1907, twenty "insane" and thirty-two "paupers" (or “inmates”, as they were also called) were living and working on the poor farm." - Author Unknown