The county infirmary, also known as a poor farm, a county home, or the county hospital, was the original welfare system of the 19th century. Typically, those who could not afford care stayed on the working farm of the county infirmary; these people included disabled veterans, elderly, insane, and orphans. This presentation will cover a general history of Summit County’s first infirmary, part of which included Schneider Park. There will also be a discussion of other cemeteries around Akron, and the history of body snatching in Akron.

   Eric Olson, President and co-founder of Stewards of Historical Preservation (SHiP), is currently an adjunct professor and research associate at the University of Akron. His research interests include prehistoric Native American mobility and settlement patterns, the Hopewell “moundbuilder” culture, late 19th Century northeast Ohio, and any historical gaps in data that are just waiting for archaeologists to fill!

   Plan now to join us for this part of our local history which we may have never known.