Child Placement circa 1920 (Boarding School)


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Child Placement circa 1920 (Boarding School)
Posted by: avers2102 ()
Date: September 08, 2015 04:30AM

In researching my great-grandfather's family history I found out that in 1920 his ex-wife was declared insane, and as a result his daughter became a Ward of the State. Under the auspices of the Juvenile Court she was placed in what was referred to in a document I found as a "Boarding School."

Has anyone ever found any references to, or know anything about, these types of facilities in Chicago in the 1920's, where a Ward of the State (in this case a minor) might have been placed?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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Re: Child Placement circa 1920 (Boarding School)
Posted by: SWEDE ()
Date: September 08, 2015 11:43PM

I remember in the 50's I went to St Michaels Catholic Grammer School and that there was a school for kids that needed extra discipline and guidance were sent to a school called Monty Ferorie. Not sure if it was a school for Wards of the State, however, it was a boarding school.

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Re: Child Placement circa 1920 (Boarding School)
Posted by: WayOutWardell ()
Date: September 08, 2015 11:54PM

Here's a pretty good overall view of children in care of the state:

http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/280.html

Do you know the name of the facility where the daughter was placed?

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Re: Child Placement circa 1920 (Boarding School)
Posted by: WayOutWardell ()
Date: September 09, 2015 12:08AM

Montefiore was considered the 'last resort' school for many years - Tony Spilotro was sent there, for example. There's a very recent documentary called 'Last Chance High' from 2014 filmed there. Gritty stuff.

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Re: Child Placement circa 1920 (Boarding School)
Posted by: avers2102 ()
Date: September 10, 2015 04:45AM

Thanks for your replies. I did see the Chicago Encyclopedia article, thanks.

The problem is that in searching the Probate Court file for my GGF's daughter, there is no direct mention of a particular facility, just "Boarding School." In doing further research, however, into what options might have been available, my leading candidate at this point is the [color=#CC0033][b]Illinois Industrial School for Girls[/b][/color] in Park Ridge. I also came across a reference to the [color=#CC0033]Chicago Industrial School for Girls[/color], and, more remotely (literaly!), the [color=#CC0033]Mary A. Judy Boarding School[/color] in Vermillion.

I have emailed the Park Ridge Historical Society, but does anyone know if there are searchable records for any of these institutions, especially the IISG, e.g. student lists, etc?

Any help greatly appreciated!

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Re: Child Placement circa 1920 (Boarding School)
Posted by: WayOutWardell ()
Date: September 11, 2015 01:37AM

The PRHS can probably point you in the right direction. They *just* knocked down most of the IISC cottages earlier this year (they saved three) in preparation for it becoming a new park.

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Re: Child Placement circa 1920 (Boarding School)
Posted by: rjmachon ()
Date: September 19, 2015 10:48PM

@ avers2102, there was a children's orphanage on the southwest corner of Foster Ave. and California Ave. here in Chicago. Kids with no parents lived at this facility. They were open as late as 1973. The place is long gone now. It was called Chapin Hall Orphanage Chicago Il. Alumni Facebook Group

https://www.facebook.com/login.php?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fgroups%2F57465919078%2F (Note, you have to be a member of Facebook)

Also, did you see this post in Forgotten Chicago, Chicago Sanitariums/Asylums/Orphanages from starting 2009? Here is the link for you.

http://forgottenchicago.com/forum/2/1841/10843/re__chicago_sanitariums_asylums_orphanages

Other places around Chicago are also mentioned in this thread post.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 09/19/2015 11:13PM by rjmachon.

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Re: Child Placement circa 1920 (Boarding School)
Posted by: avers2102 ()
Date: September 20, 2015 06:15AM

Thanks for all the references! I also came across another good possibility for where my GGF's daughter may have been placed. [color=#FF0000][b]Cook County Kinderheim[/b][/color] was merged into Lutheran Social Services at some point, but according to a history I found, as of 1909 it was an option for placement for wards of the Cook County Juvenile Court.

Anyone know anything about that institution, or know of a relative who might have been a resident there, or placed there by the Juvenile Court?

Thanks!

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Re: Child Placement circa 1920 (Boarding School)
Posted by: Dunning1 ()
Date: September 20, 2015 08:10PM

Looking in the 1922 Daily News Almanac and Year Book, they have the following article about Juvenile Court:

JUVENILE COURT OF COOK COUNTY, Room 900, County Building. Judge-Victor P. Arnold, Assistant to Judge-Mary M. Bartelme, Chief Probation Officer-Joseph L. Moss. Jurisdiction-The Juvenile court hears and disposes of cases brought before it under the act to regulate the treatment and control of dependent, neglected, and delinquent children, and truant cases brought before it under the compulsory education law. It also administers the las providing for the partial support of mothers whose husbands are dead or incapacitated for work when such mother have children under 14 years of age. The Juvenile detention home is at 711 Gilpin Plave. The judges of the circuit court each summer select one of its members to sit in the Juvenile court one year.

Another entry refers to "parental schools," and Chicago Parental School was located at 3600 W. Foster Avenue. Not quite sure what that was.

Another entry lists "Asylums, Homes, and Nurseries in Chicago and Vicinity"
I never realized that there were so many. There are literally a page and a half of them, all listed in small type, far to many to manually type in here. If anyone is interested, I will try to photostat this, then upload it into a pdf document that I could email them. I won't be able to do this for a week or two as I will be travelling for work.

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