Established in 1855, the Independence County poor farm provided those in need with a place to live, medical care, and the opportunity to grow their own food in the garden patch. These houses were the community’s way of providing care to the poor before the creation of welfare programs. After operating for over one hundred years, the farm was closed and sold in 1957, except for a 0.81-acre plot of land that contains the poor farm’s unmarked cemetery. An estimated 200 residents died and were buried in the farm’s cemetery.