The Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children was a post-Civil War public institution that played an important role in the development of child welfare policies. In operation from 1886 until 1945, the school was considered a state-of-the-art facility. It was created to mitigate poor conditions of almshouses and limit children's exposure to criminal, mentally ill, and physically ill adults. Superintendent Galen Merrill served from 1886 until his death in 1934 and played a pivotal role in the national discussion on child welfare. Merrill's pioneering efforts helped spearhead the development of Minnesota child welfare laws enacted in the Progressive Era.