The first poor farm was established in 1854 in Ramsey County, located on the current site of the State Fairgrounds. This farm moved in the 1880s to the outskirts of the county, as the county became more urban. A full history of the development of poor farms within the state is available in More than a Roof , by Ethel McClure.
Records kept by poor farms can be fertile fields for the family historian.
For example, an inmate register often included admission date, name, nationality, marital status, age, where born, duration of state or county residence, occupation, cause of application, whether sick or well, and occasionally death date or other remarks. Not all records have open access, due to Minnesota's privacy laws. Application can be made to review specific records. In addition to the personal information in the inmate registers, records of the farming operations and the accounts can be used to reconstruct what it was like to live on a poor farm at specific points in time. Photo collections can illustrate living conditions as well.