Pearson and family.”Ĭostly indeed, but probably not as much trouble as the “travelers” who came to town, seeking work on the railroads, or day-labor in the mills. Thus we find that Springfield paid six dollars to support Daniel Shay, and Palmer provided $182.45 to support “Mrs. Next, the City was in the position of trying to get payment from the towns these individuals and families move from. However, Fitchburg had the cost of immediate care of these people and had to provide food, lodging, and other supports (clothing, medical, and other supplies) for the newest arrivals. In this era, cities or towns were obliged to support former residents in the period that they left town and relocated. Led by Cyrus Thurston (who was also the leader of the “Old Folks Choir”), the Overseers reported the Almshouse “furnished partial support for 78 families” (240 individuals). The year of the Panic, the Overseers of the Poor were put in a tough place. In 1875, Fitchburg had been a city for just three years, and business was booming, although there were clouds on the horizon, since a larger national event, the “Panic of 1873” was affecting banks, businesses and the railroads throughout the country.įitchburg had a growing middle-class, but statistics tell another tale, which is that poor families were moving in at a fast clip.
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