Notes for: Edna Rena Baker
Delford and Edna (Baker) Britton operated the Doddridge County Poor Farm, which had been in existence as early as the 1880s. When the poor farm system was abandoned in the mid-1950s, the Brittons converted the facility to a nursing home, the Britton Rest Home, which remained in operation for many years in the Sunnyside community.
News article, "West Union Herald," Thursday, Mar 26 1953, in its entirety:
MR. AND MRS. DEL BRITTON LEASE COUNTY INFIRMARY
"Members of the Doddridge County Court have leased the County Infirmary and grounds to Mr. and Mrs. Delbert [sic] Britton, who will operate a rest home for all persons needing care, and will be known as The Britton Rest Home."
Deed Book 133, Page 589, at the Doddridge County Clerk's office indicate that the relevant 237 acres on Clay Lick Run of Arnolds Creek were deeded by the County to Edna Britton on July 15, 1960, for a consideration of $12,000, this being the same land deeded to the County Court by John T. Johnston on March 4, 1892. Excepted from the conveyance was "a small tract of land 32 feet by 34 feet now used as an old family graveyard and located on the Southeast side of Route 50 and being the same cemetery reserved in the aforesaid deed from John T. Johnston, et als." Included in the conveyance was a small second adjacent parcel of 60 square poles, which was the same land "conveyed to the County Court of Doddridge County by Wesley Rollins for and on behalf of the Board of Education of Central District, Doddridge County, West Virginia, by deed bearing date the 9th day of October, 1895."
The following account is an excerpt from a submission written by Edna Baker Britton for the 1979 "History of Doddridge County, West Virginia," p. 91:
"After my Dad's death, we moved in with Mother and lived there two years. We then leased the Doddridge County Infirmary, a 235-acre farm at Sunnyside, where we were caretakers of elderly people. We ran a dairy farm and worked for the Doddridge County Court for 12 years, caring for 127 county patients. The County Infirmary closed in 1953 and was sold at the front door of the County Court House. We bought the farm and began operation of Britton Rest Home, with 32 beds. We cared for 607 patients during the 36 years of operation, with the oldest patient being 101. I joined the West Virginia Nursing Home Assn in 1953 and received 'Better Life Award' from the Assn for the many years of service in caring for sick, handicapped and elderly people. I attended nurses conventions in several states and attended the University at Pittsburgh, Pa., where I received my license as administrator for nursing home. In 1977 the nursing home was closed.
"The Sunnyside school house was moved from old Route 50 east of Greenwood Hill down to the Infirmary property in 1934 by Wesley Thomas and Levi Samuel Bee -- it was moved on sled runners with horses. The building was used for workers on the farm to live in. We lived in the schoolhouse building for 24 years after buying the farm. After the nursing home closed, we moved into the large building, and the old schoolhouse is now used for Britton Union Gospel Mission Church."
The building that was the rest home was razed after its closure, and the property is still the location of the Britton Mission Gospel Church. Over the years, approximately thirty of the poor farm's residents were buried in a makeshift cemetery on the property. Also located on a hill overlooking the property is a small, more proper cemetery containing the graves of Addison A. Johnston (1811-1855), the farm's original owner, and several members of his family.
An overview of the County Poor Farm system in West Virginia can be found at:
http://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1649
http://www.poorhousestory.com/poorhouses_in_west_virginia.htm
References to the Doddridge County Poor Farm, also called the County Infirmary, can be found in numerous census records and news items over the years.
In 1900, the manager of the County Poor Farm was George W. Britton Jr. (1856-1935):
1900 Census, Doddridge Co, WV (Central District), enumerated on Jun 20 1900:
George W. Britton, Head of Household and Manager, 43, b. Oct 1856, occup farmer, married 20 yrs; wife Cassa A. Britton, 47, b. May 1853, mother of 3 children (all still living); son Porter M. Britton, 19, b. Mar 1881; dau Zelphia M. Britton, 17, b. Oct 1882; son Orestes G. Britton, 15, b. Apr 1885; inmate Nancy J. Clark, 70, b. Aug 1829, single; inmate Sarah Terry, 58, b. Dec 1841, widowed, mother of 1 child (still living); Julia Claybourne, 34, b. Apr 1866, married 15 yrs, mother of 8 children (3 still living); inmate Olga Hitt, 1, b. Jul 1898; inmate Manza Davis (male), 50, b. Jan 1850, single; inmate Robert Swan, 45, b. Apr 1855, single; inmate John Wright, 18, b. May 1882, single; boarder Arthur C. Britton, 24, b. Nov 1875, single, occup teacher.
(Note: Though not labeled as such, the location is known to be the County Poor Farm, which later became the Britton Rest Home. Boarder Arthur C. Britton was George Britton's nephew, the son of his brother Lewis. Inmate Olga Hitt was raised by George & Cassa Britton as their daughter. They were identified as her parents in her obituary, but she was not listed as a surviving child in George's obituary. Inmate Sarah Terry is probably Sarah Elliott, dau of Jacob Elliott & Barbara S. Lowther, widow of William Terry, who had sons Benjamin and Thomas Elliott out of wedlock before having daughter Mary Terry. Inmate Julia Claybourne is Julia A. Stull, who married (1st) Clinton W. Claybourn in 1885, (2nd) James S. McNemar in 1904, (3rd) George M. D. Wells in 1908, (4th) Porter M. Prunty in 1909, (5th) George W. Maxwell in 1922; she was last found in the 1930 Census of Pennsboro.)
In 1910, the manager of the Doddridge County Poor Farm was William Henry Cottrill (1851-1942):
1910 Census, Doddridge Co, WV (Central District), enumerated on May 6 1910:
William H. Cottrill, 58, manager of County Farm, married 26 yrs (2nd marriage); wife Joanna, 50, married 26 yrs (1st marriage), mother of 8 children (all still living); dau Nellie B, 15; son Elden, 12; son William B, 9.
The remaining six persons enumerated in the household were identified as being "inmates" of the County Home, with no familial relationship indicated:
Rebeckah Backus, 93, single; Mary Fox, 58, single; George W. Snyder, 81, widowed; Err Davis, 70, married; Mansfield Davis, 61, single; Letcher Kellerman, 58, single.
Local news items, "West Union Herald," Thursday, Oct 28 1915, pertaining to Hezekiah Wesley "Wes" Thomas (1848-1931):
"H. W. Thomas, Superintendent of the county Infirmary, made a trip to Clarksburg Sunday."
Local news item, "West Union Herald," Thursday, Jan 25 1917, pertaining to Ephraim H. Bee (1874-1955):
"The court appointed E. H. Bee overseer Superintendent of the County Infirmary for the term of one year from the first day of April, 1917, at the price of $400.00, and the said E. H. Bee entered into a contract to perform said work and gave a bond as required by law in the penalty of $500, with H. L. Hammond and J. Benton Swiger, security."
In 1920, the manager or a supervisor at the County Poor Farm appears to have been William Samuel"Sam" Cowman (1872-1944):
1920 Census, Doddridge Co, WV (Central District), enumerated on Jan 12 1920:
Head of household (corrected from "Supt. Inf.") William S. Cowman, 48, occupation farmer at infirmary; wife Rebecca A, 46; dau Gertie, 22; son Lg, 15, occupation farmer at county farm; inmate Mary V. Terrel, 68, single; inmate Anna M. Lipscomb, 33, widowed; inmate Buster Lipscomb, 8; inmate Jessie Lipscomb (male), 5; inmate Grant Lipscomb, 2y 9m; inmate Dollie Lipscomb, 10; inmate Carl B. Knight, 19, occupation farmer at county farm.
(NOTE: Although not labeled as such, it appears that this is an enumeration of the County Poor Farm, which was located on old Route 50 at Sunnyside, and which was later replaced by the Britton Rest Home and the Britton Gospel Mission Church.)
In 1930, the head of the Doddridge County Infirmary was Laban Bennett (1874-1946):
1930 Census, Doddridge Co, WV (Central District), enumerated on Apr 25 1930 at the Doddridge County Infirmary:
Head of household Laban Bennett, 53, b. WVa, farm manager; wife Stella B, 50, b. WVa.
The remaining 19 people were identified as Inmates, all born in West Virginia, with one exception as noted:
Nelson Jones, 82, widowed; Alex L. Martin, 79, divorced, farm laborer; William Reed, 76, married; Floyd Leatherman, 76, divorced; Edward Piggott, 75, b. Ohio, widowed; Christina Barker, 79, divorced; Saphrona Williams, 62, single, chamber maid; Anna Hitt, 57, single, dish washer; Susan McCloy, 78, widowed; Adaline Hughs, 71, widowed; Blanch Rucker, 42, widowed, occupation laborer at house work; Ethel Rucker, 14; Myrl Rucker, 12; Howard Rucker, 10; Dorsey Rucker, 8; Clarence Rucker, 6; Cecil Rucker, 4; Ellen Rucker, 1 yr 11 mo; Jasper N. Cottrill, 11.