The+Annie+Wittenmyer+Home

Original Author: Michael Flores, ENG346 FL12
 * The Annie Wittenmyer Home: A History of the Annie Wittenmyer Complex **

The Annie Wittenmyer Complex (currently renamed the Family Resources, Inc.) on Eastern Avenue in Davenport, Iowa is not just another historical building that houses todays troubled teens, but it is a monument and representation of true patriotism and an example of the generous nature that Iowa is known for.

In 1849, immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe had come to the west and many of them decided to make Davenport their home, however the city wasn’t as developed and they were forced to find refuge along the riverfront. A women’s group titled the Ladies Benevolent Society, which Annie Wittenmyer joined, was established where the Annie Wittenmyer Complex is currently built and was established to “help immigrants to find homes and establish themselves in the community” (Family). The attractions of immigrants were considered “good stock” and were welcomed enthusiastically to help cultivate the area (Schwieder). The Ladies Benevolent Society helped ensure that Davenport would become a prosperous city and would continue to help families in need.

With the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, the volunteers of theL.B.S. had voted to re-establish itself and re-named their group the Soldier’s Relief Society where they furthered their objectives to helping wounded and disabled soldiers along with their families. The government helmed to build a complex called Camp Kinsman where the Soldier’s Relief Society could take care of the sick and critically wounded combatants and also house the families of the injured individuals. Women were the key figures in this establishment and an article in the local newspaper at the time, Gate City (1862) reported that a woman, by her wide and quick sympathies and by her life-long experience as nurse in the sick room, was far better qualified to discover at a glance the wants and necessities of the sick; and with means at her disposal to supply them with delicate tact and discriminating judgment.

After General Lee’s surrender in 1865, the Civil War was coming to an end and Camp Kinsman had become a deserted complex. Many of the soldiers that perished in the war left behind children who became orphans with nowhere to go. With this newfound problem, a board in Des Moines addressed the issue and donated Camp Kinsman and appointed Annie Wittenmyer the trustee to use the complex for housing orphans. Annie Wittenmyer used much of her own wealth to fund the new orphanage (Gate City 1851). The property was re-named the “Iowa Soldier’s Orphan Home.” In November of 1865, 150 orphans arrived, many of various races, to temporarily call the complex in Davenport, Iowa home. A year after the orphanage had been established the State of Iowa decided to make these children wards of the State (Family). This decision assured that the complex would be financially secure. During the mid-1870’s “

 Iowa experienced a gradual increase in the number of business and manufacturing operations” (Schweider). The orphanage decided to expand its objectives and began housing children who stemmed from broken homes; some were of white descent, some were of African-American, and many were immigrants. It was once again re-named the “Iowa Soldier’s Orphans Home and Home for Indigent Children.”

From the 1880’s-1900’s, the orphanage began to develop and grow alongside its inhabitants by replacing the “barracks-style dormitories with smaller home-like brick cottages” (Family). A new Administration and Dining Hall was constructed for the staff and many of the matrons.The matrons were assigned a specific house, helped educate thechildren and give them guidance or any help they needed. During the renovations it became very important to the staff that the children’s education and care be more focused on individualization and incorporating different learning techniques based on the child’s needs. However, with many of the renovations and reconstruction of the orphanage there were some problems. Many fires broke out in various areas of the complex. The first was in 1877 where the “engine room of the laundry building caught fire and both it and the school room were destroyed” (Hufford). The second was in 1880 where the dining hall and kitchen essentially burned to the ground, no one was harmed but the cafeteria was ruined. The last case was a freak accident in 1887 where “lighting struck the main building…the bolt punched through the roof and made a hole in the ceiling of a teacher’s bedroom” (Hufford). While no one was injured in any of the incidents there were many requirements for rebuilding the complex.

At the beginning of the 20th century a tragic event occurred when the founder of the Iowa Soldier’s Orphans Home and Home for Indigent Children founder, Annie Wittenmyer, had passed away from an asthma attack after a lecture in Sanatoga, Pennsylvania. As individuals mourned the loss, the orphanage was still very much active and was becoming a historical landmark. A singing group called the “Orphan Band” was devised of children in the orphanage who would march in local parades and perform concerts throughout the area. A tradition arose during the summer for an annual picnic that was held on and around the complex which had various events and games and gave a chance for the community to be more involved with the complex. In 1949, the Iowa Legislature and the community decided to rename the property as the “Annie Wittenmyer Home.” It was an occasion that set the buildings as a landmark of Davenport, Iowa and a symbol of individuals stepping up for the children.

With the growth of the Quad Cities, the Annie Wittenmyer Home was changing as well. In 1958 the property was transformed from an orphanage into a facility that specialized in special education and behavioral counseling for troubled youth (Family). The advance in child care and social work found the complexto be beneficial for assisting mentally disabled children and accessing different options for delinquent youth instead of housing them in juvenile prisons. It was an important facility for violent or abused children and teens to learn beneficial coping methods and become a productive individual in society. In 1966, the complex expanded and a mental health unit was installed to offer more treatments for disabled or mentally ill inhabitants of the Annie Wittenmyer Home. The Iowa Legislature continuously funded and attempted to keep the complex open and successful, but their efforts fell through in 1975 when the Annie Wittenmyer Home was forced to close. The facility was left empty and unoccupied, and all that stood were the buildings and the sign at the entrance reading the “Annie Wittenmyer Home closed.”

The City of Davenport chose to buy the property and grounds in 1976 and asked if a company called Family Resources, Inc., which provided the “residential programs and services for special needs, [and] challenged…troubled children and youth” would occupy the space (Family). The non-profit organization still manages to follow the objectives that the facility was built on, offering children the opportunity to be cared for and continuously educated. The complex now offers programs for boys and a girls such as Junior Theater, a learning center called the McKibbon building, a special education unit, and is the headquarters for all administrative offices for Family Resources, Inc. In 2012, the property is still expanding and constantly contemplating ways to improve their workplace.

The Family Resources, Inc. facility serves as a monument to Annie Wittenmyer and the growth of Davenport, IA; as well as Oakdale Cemetery, which is located across the street from the complex. The cemetery was established in 1856 and is the final resting place to many of the orphans that had passed away while living on the property, as well as musician Bix Beiderbecke and artist Paul Norton. There is a section where over 200 grave markers in the cemetery are specifically dedicated to the memory of the children that died “between 1865 and 1950…by pneumonia, diphtheria, influenza… [and] untreated ear infections” (Hufford).

Although it is called the Family Resources, Inc. facility, many Davenport locals still refer to the complex as the Annie Wittenmyer Home. It is and will always be considered a historical landmark and a representation of the constant progress and growth that the Quad Cities have always strived to achieve. Annie Wittenmyer was a pioneer for Iowa and her legacy and traditions will be helmed by all staff or visitors. The building serves as a reminder that the citizens of Davenport will continue to practice the state of Iowa’s motto (1847): Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.

Works Cited

Bergman, Marvin.//Iowa History Reader//. University of Iowa Press. 1996. Iowa City, IA. 52242.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Family Resources, Inc..//History//. 2000. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[]

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">The Gate City//.Report of the Ladies Soldier’s Aid Society//. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">October 21, 1861.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Hufford, Heather. //The Annie Wittenmyer Home//. Davenport, IA. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;"> http://www.ri-shadow-chasers.com/annie-wittenmayer-home.html

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Schwieder, Dorthy.History of Iowa. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Iowa Official Register.Iowa State University. 1990. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[]

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