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St. Louis County Work Farm records

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: S2313

Scope and Contents

The collection contains administrative, financial, and agricultural production records.

The administrative records contain minutes, reports, commitment registers and indexes, and blueprints. The financial records consist of audits, inventories, and ledgers. The agricultural production records contain reports of produce, dairy, and poultry production.

Commitment information on inmates includes cards containing information including names, sentences, dates of commitment and release, and clothing worn when received at the Farm. Corresponding commitment registers include names, sentences, dates of commitment, age, weight, height, prior arrests and commitments, physical characteristics, nationality, marital status, number of dependents, religious training, education, occupation and home address.

Dates

  • 1913-1970

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Open for use in the Kathryn A. Martin Library, Archives and Special Collections.

Conditions Governing Use

This collection may be protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials. Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair use provision of the copyright law.

Biographical / Historical

The St. Louis County Work Farm was organized under the provisions of chapter 188 of the Minnesota General Laws for 1913. This act authorized St. Louis County, Minnesota and the city of Duluth to buy or condemn up to 1,000 acres for the use of the farm. The work farm was administered by a Board of Work Farm Commissioners which first met in 1913. The St. Louis County Work Farm provided judges with an alternative when sentencing law breakers. At the work farm prisoners were engaged in constructive labor and were not confined to cells.

In 1928, the Farm’s adjoining roads were Seville and Stebner. In 1929 the Board recommended to county commissioners that a new Work Farm site be purchased. Properties considered were the Caribou and Jean Du Luth Farms, with the Caribou farm site, near Caribou Lake, chosen in June of 1929. Preliminary plans for an institution building were submitted by architect J. A. Codding in April, 1930.

On January 10, 1972 the St. Louis County Work Farm became the Northeast Regional Corrections Center.

Extent

42.50 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The collection contains administrative, financial, and agricultural production records.

Arrangement of Materials:

The collection is divided into three series.

Administrative Records: Boxes 1-3, Oversize Vols. 1-3, Oversize Card Files 1-8

Financial Records: Boxes 4-8, Oversize Vols. 4-8

Agricultural Production Records: Boxes 9-16

Physical Location

This collection is located at the University of Minnesota Duluth Archives. For more information about this collection or to make an appointment, contact us at libarchives@d.umn.edu or 218-726-8526.

General

This collection is owned by the Minnesota Historical Society, but is housed at the University of Minnesota Duluth Archives.

Title
Guide to the St. Louis County Work Farm records
Author
Finding Aid Authors: Staff.
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Collecting Area Details

Contact The University of Minnesota Duluth Archives and Special Collections Collecting Area

Contact:
Kathryn A. Martin Library
University of Minnesota Duluth
416 Library Drive
Duluth MN 55812-3001
(218) 726-8526