In Rural Areas, People Worked on the Poor Farm
Earlier on this list, we already mentioned how people were forced into working at a poorhouse. In rural areas where there were no factories, people would work on the “Poor Farm” instead during the 19th and early 20th centuries. These poor farms were typically run by the local government, and they employed civil servants to oversee the running of the farm. Compared to a workhouse, poor farms were more self-sustaining in terms of cost. Residents would farm the land and grow their own food. And whatever profit was left from selling excess crops would go into paying for their other needs like food and shelter. Poor Farms also had medical facilities, housing, and anything the poor may need to take care of themselves. In some facilities, they separated people with mental illnesses and handicaps from, say, people with a criminal record who were unemployable.