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Manuscript Group 137
Records, 1908-1984
5 linear feet
The records of North Idaho Children's Home, Inc. were donated to the University of Idaho by the Children's Home in August of 1984. They were processed by Emmy Lou Forster in July of 1985. OCR 5/97
In 1908, a Congregational minister in Lewiston, Charles B. Chase, began taking abused and abandoned children into his home prior to their being placed in foster care. The Idaho Children's Home and Finding Aid Society in Boise had asked his help because of distance and transportation difficulties. Chase quickly found that the number of children sent to him by the courts was more than he could adequately care for himself. In 1909, he and other community leaders formed a permanent organization, the Northern District of the Idaho Children's Home Finding and Aid Society of Boise. Funding for the new organization was provided by several public service organizations such as the Commercial Club of Lewiston and the Women's Clubs in Northern Idaho. The children continued to live with Rev. Chase who was named superintendent (a post he held until 1918). Permanent housing was obtained in 1911, when Hurlbut House was bought for $14,000. This was the home of the organization for more than fifty years.
In 1935, the organization separated from Boise and became the Children's Home Finding and Aid Society of North Idaho, Inc. Following World War II the Children's Home faced financial difficulties stemming from the shift in emphasis from private charity to public responsibility for social services. In the 1960's, large permanent care facilities, such as orphanages and mental hospitals, were increasingly replaced by smaller, more specialized units. The Child Protective Act of 1963 gave responsibility for the placement of dependent children to the Idaho Department of Health (later Health and Welfare). These were functions which had been performed by organizations such as the Children's Home. Because of these changes, the children's Home redefined its purpose. No longer an "orphanage," it became a treatment center and temporary home for children who could not stay in their own homes but were not suited for foster care. This change in function eased the Homes' financial crisis. In addition to money from Department of Health contracts, the Home continued to receive private contributions. The George F. Jewett's donated a six-bedroom house, 22 acres of land and fifty thousand dollars to the Children's Home. The move to the Jewett estate was made in 1969.
In 1973, the organization became the North Idaho Children's Home, Inc., (NICH) an organization which continues to provide services for emotionally disturbed and homeless children, much as it did in 1909.
The records of NICH span the years from 1908 to 1983 with the bulk of the material covering the years 1912 to 1930; there is little information about the period from 1930 to 1960. The records include scattered correspondence, some of which refers to financial bequests and contracts with Health and Welfare, and annual and monthly reports. The records also contain the minutes of the Board of Directors (1909-1959), as well as several bookkeeping ledgers and the Superintendent's day books. Approximately one quarter of the records consist of photographs. Also included are scrapbooks and printed materials such as NICH promotional literature and newspaper clippings. These records do not contain any confidential information such as adoption records.
Although not all of the material was received in the original folders, the original folder headings were retained where possible. The records of NICH consist of six series. Series I, Correspondence, is concentrated in the earlier period (1912-1930) and deals mostly with bequests and investments. The second series, Administrative, includes Board of Directors' minutes (1909-1959) and administrative and financial reports. Ledgers, the third series, includes cash journals (1908-1940) and two expense ledgers (1925-1940 and 1975-1976). Photos, series 4, is listed in the photo card index as well as in this inventory. The bulk of the photographs is of the period 1960-1980. The fifth series, Scrapbooks, contain five scrapbooks filled with newspaper clippings and the guestbook from a 1949 open house. Printed Material in series six includes the newsletter of NICH, Children's Home Finder and Flashes (1912-1983). A more complete set of the newsletter is part of the Day-Northwest Collection in the University of Idaho Library. This series also contains promotional literature and NICH related materials such as newspaper clippings.
NORTH IDAHO CHILDREN'S HOME
Containers
I. Correspondence, 1912-1975 1
A. General, 1912-1975
B. Legal, 1914-1930
C. Special Projects, 1925-1976
II. Administrative, 1909-1981 1
A. Organizational, 1919-1975
B. Annual and monthly reports, 1931-1970
C. Board of Directors' Minutes, 1909-1959
D. Financial, 1909-1981 2
E. Other records, 1909-1974
III. Ledgers, 1908-1940 2 & OS
IV. Photos, 1909-1982 3
V. Scrapbooks and Guest book, [1920's]-1976 3 & OS
VI. Printed Material, 1912-1984 4
Box Folder Description Items
1 1 Booth Memorial Hospital: Unwed mothers, 1964-1967 18 2 Catholic Family Services: Unwed mothers, 1965-1967 8 3 Fundraising, 1950 7 4 Intelligence Tests [Results], 1918-1930 10 5 Internal Revenue Service, 1953 2 6 Investments 83 7 Tag Day, 1922-1923 30 8 Thank you letters, 1961-75 18 9 Other Correspondence, 1912-1962 4
10 Nels Halgeson Estate, 1929 4 11 Walter Hickerson Estate, 1914 1 12 Charles W. Mount Estate, 1925 1 13 I. Pickering Estate, 1927-1930 13 14 Ana Trimble Estate, 1925 2
15 Construction of Boys' Dorm, 1925 92 16 Group Home, 1975-1976 87 17 Law Enforcement Project Grant, 1974-1976 34 18 Maternal Infant Care Project, 1967-1973 58 19 NICH - DECs [contracts], 1974-1976 7 20 Sewer construction, 1925 11 21 Unwed Mothers Project, [1965] 4
22 Articles of Incorporation, 1919-1935 3 23 By-laws, 1942 1 24 List of North Idaho Society Members, [1920's] 5 25 Policy Statements, 1961-1975 53
26 Annual Report [of Superintendent], 1931-1970 39 27-31 Reports on children, 1920-1957 300
1 32-40 Minutes, 1909-1959 170
41-48 Budget, 1968-1975 8 49-53 Financial reports, 1911-1956 45 54-56 Monthly financial statements, 1909-1926 150 57 Audit Report [state of Idaho], 1921-1928 7 58 Other financial papers, 1925, 1954, 1981 10 59 Payroll and income tax information, 1960-1961 97
60 Adoption Record, 1909-1960 33 61 Adoptions Book, 1909-1974 1 62 County Book, 1915-1965 1 63 Day Book, 1931-1934 1 64 Day Book, 1946-1954 1 65 Roster, 1911-1952 1
2 66 Expense Ledger, 1975-1976 1 Os 67 Expense Ledger, 1925-1940 1 Os 68-70 Cash Journal, 1908-1940 3
3 71 Hurlbut Mansion A137-1 to 6b, 1911-1968 12 72 Friendship Hall A137-8a, b; 1920 2 73 NICH [n.d.] A137-9b; [1978] 1 74 Special Care Project (Proposed);1980 1 75 Entrance sign; [n.d.] 1 76 Uprooted tree A137-12; 1969 1 77 Room interiors A137-14 to 19a; [1920]-1978 10 78 Craft Center A137-20-25; 1971-1973 13 79 Education Center A137-26 to 29; [1978] 5 80 Family Resource Center A137-28 to 29; [1977] 4 81 Cedar House A137-31; [l978] 1 82 Jewett House A137-34 to 38; 1968-1982 8 83 North House A137-40 to 41a, b; 1968 3 84 Pool House A137-42-43; 1968-1969 4 85 Prospect House A137-45 to 46 a-c; 1978 4 86 South House A137-47-48 a-c; 1968 4 87 Moving Day A137-49 a-r; 1968 18 88 Swimming pool A137-50 to 54; 1968-1978 7 89 Religious service A137-55; [1920's] 2 3 90 Chase, Samuel B and Mary A137-56-57; [1930]- 1958 4 91 Board of Directors A137-58-69; [1940]-1978 15 92 Children's Home Finding and Aid Society... certificate of incorporation [photo] A137-70; 1978 1 93 Commercial Club, Lewiston, I.D. Letter, 1909 A137-71; [photo 1978] 2 94 Staff A137-72-89; 1963-1979 28 95 Former residents A137-90 to 94; [1940]-1975 7 96 Art contest winners A137-95; 1978 5 97 Auction A137-96a-c; 1968 4 98 Play (Hansel & Gretel) A137-97; 1977 1 99 Memorial Book A137-98; [1968] 1 100 Vehicles A137-99-102; [1971]-1973 4 101 Volunteers A137-103-108; 1961-1970 8 102 Gifts A137-109-110; 1970-1972 4 103 Children A137-112-125; [1920's] 20 104 More Children A137-126-150; [n.d.] 28 105 Children A137-151-175; [n.d.] 30 106 Children A137-176-200 (except 189, 190 & 194); [n.d.] 24 107 Youth A137-189, 190, 200 [n.d.] 3 108 Children A137-201-225 (except 222) 1917-[1960's] 27 109 Children A137-222, 226-250; 1942-1963 37 110 Children A137-251 to 353 (except 265, 289-295) 1963-1979 50 111 Youth A137-289-296; 307-315; [n.d.] 21 112 Youth A137-299 to 336; [1920's]-1968 34 113 Youth A137-265, 337-349; 1968-1970 30 114 Youth A137-350 to 366; 1970-1979 25 115 Uncatalogued, unidentified NICH photos (notebook) 1 116 Negatives, [n.d.] 65 117 Other NICH photos; 1914-1978 146 118 Other NICH photos, contact sheets; [1960's] 2 Os 119 Oversize (photos) A137-9a, 9c, 30, 32, 33, 39, 44 7
3 120 Open House guest book, 1949 1 121 Scrapbook, [1920's] 1 122 Scrapbook, National Conference of Social Workers, 1936 1 Os 123 NICH Scrapbook, 1960-1961-1962-1963 1 Os 124 Scrapbook, December 1960; December 1972 1 Os 125 Scrapbook, January 1973; May 1976 1
4 126 Children's Home Finder, 1912-1935 58 127 Flashes, 1935-1981 106 128 Flashes, 1978, 1983 (supplements) 2
129 Christmas Brochures, 1913-[19211 8 130 Old Christmas Letters, 1960-1982 29 131 Calendars, 1982-1984 3 132 Other promotional Literature, 1924-1984 19
133 Student publications, 1977 2
134 Sam Day, "Children's Home ... a Society in Crisis," 1960 1 135 Obituaries, Founders, [1952-1963] 11 136 Newspaper clippings, newspaper, children's welfare, [1940's-1960's] 80
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