Lyon County, Kentucky Paupers 1880

In the earliest days of Kentucky, the goal of dealing with  paupers was to keep them from becoming a charge upon the county.  Prior to the establishment of county poorhouses, local residents bid on the care of each  individual pauper and cared for the pauper, usually in the resident's home.

In 1821  "An Act authorising the county courts to erect houses for the accommodation of their Poor" was approved.[1]  The county court was also given the power to appoint a fit person to superintend those who were in the poorhouse and to receive a reasonable fee for his services. Those wishing to be in charge at the poorhouse farm, placed a bid with the lowest bidder becoming the "winner."  No experience was required, but there were periodic reviews.

The order sending paupers to the poorhouses is often recorded in the county court order book (court minutes).  In addition, you might find a list of poorhouse inmates on the census records.  Lyon County poorhouse paupers can be found on the 1880 Lyon County, Kentucky census .[2]  The head of the household was J.W. Warfield, Supervisor of the Poor House. The inmates of the poorhouse  on the 21st of June 1880 were:

Sam Dyer, Black, Male, age 89, born Virginia, parents born Virginia.

Jas. Lady, White, Male, age 70, birthplace illegible, father born Virginia, mother born North Carolina.

Geo. Moneymaker, White, Male, age 37, born Kentucky, parents' birthplaces not given.

Fanny Oliver, White, Female, age 35, born Kentucky, parents born Kentucky.

Rilla Goins, White, Female, age 19, born Kentucky, parents born Kentucky.

Lilly Goins, White, Female, age 12, born Kentucky, parents born Kentucky.

Nancy Oliver, White, Female, age 4, born Kentucky, parents born Kentucky.

Alone Sells, White, Female, age 1, born Kentucky, parents born Kentucky.

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[1] Digest of the Statute Laws of Kentucky, Vol. II, (1834) p. 1325, referencing  Session Acts, p. 385.

[2] 1880 Lyon County, Kentucky Census, Eddyville, Page 8C, E.D. 141, image 0018, Ancestry.com, accessed 27 September 2016. 

Published 22 December 2016, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Livingston County, Kentucky Poor House 1880

The 1880 population schedule of Livingston County shows five inmates in the county Poor House. They are listed as follows:
Young Morgan, age 84, blind
Judidah Morgan, wife, age 64
Loveiace Guiner, age 77, maimed and crippled
Matilda Durham, age 45
Josephine Horning, age 35, palsied

A little more information can be found on the 1880 DDD Schedule for Livingston County. It shows the following:
Young Morgan, admitted Oct. ‘79
Juditha Morgan, admitted Oct ‘79
Lovet Gainer, old and palsied, admitted Aug [year illegible]
Matilda Durham, admitted 1876
Josephine Horning, admitted 1878

As Poor House residents were charges of the county, very often there will be a record of their admission in the county court minutes. A check in the county court order book might reveal additional information.