Lucy Orme Morgan was one of the people who, in 1889, led the cause of building a home for orphaned or destitute girls who needed to have a place to live and a place to learn a valuable trade.  In its earlier history sometimes the school was a refuge for handicapped or mentally ill children.  The school was known as the Lucy Orme Morgan Home because of her involvement. The home was situated where the Children's Home is now located and took up all the area that is now occupied by the school.  There was a farm with milk cows, chickens and gardens for the support of the home. A Pantagraph news paper report in 1923  (from the Stevenson Ives  archives) praised the home and recounted the careers that girls followed after living there: "Girls from the home have gone out to such useful careers. Many are teachers, several are librarians, one is in the War Department at Washington, and a large number are wives and mothers in happy homes." In 1923 the girls attended the public schools for their education and received extra instruction at the home. That article recorded the names of the 30 original "managers" of the home, which included Louis Crothers and Sarah Aldrich of Founders' Grove.  Another newspaper report in 1925 announced the installation of a swimming pool and wading pool at the home. This was made possible by a donation from a Mrs. Harry Palmer from McLean. This was seen as a great advancement in physical health and fitness. Mr. Spencer Ewing and Mr. Walter Alexander of Founders' Grove were both on the committee responsible for overseeing the construction of the pools. I have included here the name of each girl and each woman living at the home who cared for the children. 

 

Attempts to trace the girls are difficult. For instance, Pauline Beck, the fourth girl below

was the daughter of Silas and Lilly Beck. Silas died in 1915 and after that all traces of 

his wife and children -- two sons and three daughters -- disappear. A Pauline Beck 

has a listing in the city directory in 1924, but whether this is the same girl is doubtful.

Although Narcissus Brown is an unusual name, no trace of her is found either. The 

Maurer sisters had a happier ending. A 1925 Iowa Census shows Edna and Mabel living with their 

Aunt Emma Lantz in Ottumwa, Iowa along with their older brother Elmer Ray. Their parents had died in 1912 (Abraham) and 1914 (Nannie nee Troyer) and were buried in Carlock and Danvers.

 

I found the image above of May and Lois Darsham in Ancestry.com.  About 10 years after this 

charming photo was taken they were "inmates" in the Home. The Ancestry.com entry states that May lived to be 91 years old and died in Valparaiso, IN. Pearl Darsham, their father, died in 1915. In 1920 their mother Margaret was living at Victory Hall, the orphanage for boys, as a servant. Their mother  died in 1943 in Chicago. Her death notice indicates that May O'Connell was her daughter. Lois's name was misspelled as Louis.

 

 

 

 

 

Suttle, Myrtle (57)	headmatron
Devalon, Eliza (67)	teacher
Howard, Ella (62)	seamstress
Ames, Eliza (54)	matron
Hines, Katie H. 37	laundress
Brown Narcissus 10		Wilson, Minnie 12
Beadsley Blanche 17		Angel, Marie 10
Bear, Sarah 8		Angel, Lora 8
Beck, Poline 13		Border, Bernice 11
Curtis, Mary 7		Border, Ada Lee 7
Curtin, Mary 14		Brookman, Ida 16
O'Connor ?, Florence 15		Brookman, Gladys 3
Grimm, Helen 15		Ellicker, Marie 9
Harris, Nittie 10		Girst, Dolly 14
Jones, Francis 9		Gill, Edna 10
Jones, Eva 16		Gill, Francis 5
Jones, Stella 13		Hamlyn, Gladys 10
Poe, Emma 3		Johnson, Fannie 14
Peasley, May 13		Johnson, Annie 13
Taylor, Allie 16		Johnson, Jeannette 6
Wey, Ellis 17		Johnson, Loretta 18
Winslow, Zella 15		Johnson, Eva 16
Dickerson, Bertha 17		Jensen, Esther 8
Crockett, Lelia 8		Maurer, Katherine 18
Cozart, Pearl 4		Maurer, Edna 16
Lane, Dima 16		Maurer, Mabel 14
Mulling, Visna 6		Lamb, Margaret 11
Patrick, Lona 17		Ross, Gretchen 14
Patrick, Inez 13		Smith, Edith 14
Welter, Lillian 12		Vance, Alma 14
Welter, Madge 6		Howard, Gertrude 19
Welter, Mary 4		Brown, Edith 4
Darsham, Lois 15		Lindell, Hilda 28
Darsham, May 13		Mullins, Edna 15