The St. Louis County poorfarm opened in the 1880s on the hill above the city of Duluth. During the Depression, this was one of the busiest poorfarms in the state. At times, more than 600 people lived there. The residents tended livestock and worked in the fields. Most were immigrants who had worked as loggers or miners. A 1936 newspaper article reported nearly 500 people at the farm, and only about half of them were U.S. citizens.
Photo courtesy of Erling Bernsten
Close Window
© Minnesota Public Radio, 2002