North Idaho Children's Home, Inc. records, 1908-1984

Overview of the Collection

Creator
North Idaho Children's Home, Inc.
Title
North Idaho Children's Home, Inc. records
Dates
1908-1984 (inclusive)
Quantity
5 linear feet
Collection Number
MG 137
Summary
Administrative and financial records; photographs, scrapbooks and printed material of a Lewiston, Idaho, care facility for children.
Repository
University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives
Special Collections and Archives
University of Idaho Library
875 Perimeter Drive
MS 2350
Moscow, ID
83844-2350
Telephone: 2088850845
libspec@uidaho.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

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 children, much as it did in 1909.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

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.

Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top

Scrapbooks transferred to folders.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

FOR PHOTOS: Photographer, "Title," date. Collection name, object ID. University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives, Moscow, ID.

FOR DOCUMENTS: Author, Description or "Title" of item, date. Collection name, collection number, box, folder. University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives, Moscow, ID.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Some materials were returned to North Idaho Children's Home, Inc. upon review.

Acquisition Information

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.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series 1: GeneralReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1
Booth Memorial Hospital: Unwed mothers
18 items
1964-1967
1 2
Catholic Family Services
8 items
1965-1967
1 3
Fundraising
7 items
1950
1 4
Internal Revenue Service
2 items
1953
1 5
Investments
83 items
undated
1 6
Tag Day
30 items
1922-1923
1 7
Rose Wahl Correspondence
18 items
1971-1975
1 8
Other Correspondence
4 items
1912-1962

Series 2: LegalReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 9
Nels Halgeson Estate
4 items
1929
1 10
Walter Hickerson Estate
1 items
1914
1 11
Charles W. Mount Estate
1 items
1925
1 12
I. Pickering Estate
13 items
1927-1930
1 13
Ana Trimble Estate
2 items
1925

Series 3: Special ProjectsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 14
Construction of Boys' Dorm
92 items
1925
1 15
Group Home
87 items
1975-1976
1 16
Law Enforcement Project Grant
34 items
1974-1976
1 17
Maternal Infant Care Project
58 items
1967-1973
1 18
NICH - DECs [contracts]
7 items
1974-1976
1 19
Sewer construction
11 items
1925
1 20
Unwed Mothers Project
4 items
1965

Series 4: AdministrativeReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 21
Articles of Incorporation
3 items
1919-1935
1 22
By-Laws
1 items
1942
1 23
List of North Idaho Society Members
5 items
1920
1 24
Policy Statements
53 items
1961-1975
1 25
Annual Reports
39 items
1930-1970
1 26
Board of Directors Minutes 1
1 items
1909-1910
1 27
Board of Directors Minutes 2
1 items
1910-1920
1 28
Board of Directors Minutes 3
1 items
1920-1923
1 29
Board of Directors Minutes 4
110 items
1923-1930
1 30
Board of Directors Minutes 5
117 items : incomplete
1930-1949
1 31
Board of Directors Minutes 6
73 items
1956
1 32
Board of Directors Minutes 7
81 items
1957
1 33
Board of Directors Minutes 8
64 items
1958
1 34
Board of Directors Minutes 9
1 items
1959
1 35
Budget 1
1 items
1968-1969
1 36
Budget 2
4 items
1969-1970
2 37
Budget 3
10 items
1970-1971
2 38
Budget 4
7 items : file copy
1970-1971
2 39
Budget 5
6 items
1972-1973
2 40
Current Budget 1
3 items
1973-1974
2 41
Current Budget 2
3 items
1974-1975
2 42
Current Budget 3
3 items
1975-1976
2 43
Financial Reports 1
33 items
1911-1917
2 44
Financial Reports 2
1 items
1928
2 45
Financial Reports 3
4 items
1931
2 46
Financial Reports 4
28 items
1948-1956
2 47
Monthly financial statements
56 items
1909-1914
2 48
Summaries of Bills and Vouchers 1
9 items
1919-1924
2 49
Summaries of Bills and Vouchers 2
5 items
1925-1926
2 50
Audit Report
4 items
1921-1928
2 51
Other Financial Papers
10 items
1925-1981
2 52
Payroll and income tax information
97 items
1960-1961

Series 5: LedgersReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
2 53
Expense Ledger 1
1 items
1975-1976
2 54
Journal
1 items
1931-1934
2 55
Expense Ledger 2
1 items
1975-1975

Series 6: PhotographsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
2 56
NICH-Hurlbut Mansion
12 items
1911-1968
2 57
Friendship Hall
18 items
1914-1932
2 58
NICH
1 items
1978
2 59
Special Care Project
1 items
1980
2 60
NICH Entrance sign
1 items
undated
2 61
Uprooted Tree
1 items
1969
2 62
Craft Center
13 items
1971-1973
2 63
Room interiors
10 items
1918-1978
2 64
Education Center
6 items
1978
2 65
Family Resource Center
3 items
1977
2 66
Cedar House
1 items
1978
2 67
Jewett House
8 items
1968-1982
2 68
North House
3 items
1968
2 69
Pool House
4 items
1968-1969
2 70
Prospect House
4 items
1978
2 71
South House
4 items
1968
2 72
Moving Day
18 items
1968
2 73
Swimming pool
7 items
1968-1978
2 74
Religious service
2 items
undated
2 75
Chase, Samuel B and Mary
4 items
1930-1958
2 76
Board of Directors
15 items
1940-1978
2 77
Children's Home Finding and Aid Society
1 items : certificate of incorporation [photo]
1978
2 78
Commercial Club
2 items
1909
2 79
Staff
28 items
1963-1979
2 80
Former residents
7 items
1940-1975
2 81
Art contest winners
5 items
1978
2 82
Auction
4 items
1968
2 83
Play (Hansel & Gretel)
1 items
1977
2 84
Memorial Book
1 items
1968
2 85
Vehicles
4 items
1971-1973
2 86
Volunteers
8 items
1961-1970
2 87
Gifts
4 items
1970-1972
2 88
Children 1
20 items
undated
2 89
Children 2
28 items
undated
2 90
Children 3
31 items
undated
2 91
Children 4
24 items
undated
2 92
Youth 1
3 items
undated
2 93
Children 5
28 items
1917-1960
2 94
Children 6
38 items
1942-1963
2 95
Children 7
50 items
1963-1979
2 96
Youth 2
21 items
undated
2 97
Youth 3
24 items
1920-1968
2 98
Youth 4
30 items
1968-1970
2 99
Youth 5
25 items
1970-1979
2 100
35mm slides
4 items : bw negatives of portratis and groups of people
1975-1983
2 101
35mm negatives
8 items : bw negatives of portratis and groups of people
undated
2 102
People
148 items : bw photos of groups; couples; outdoor activities
1914-19788
2 103
BW contact sheets
1 items : classrooms; people on playing field
1960
2 104
Open House Guest Book
1 items
1949
3 105
Scrapbook
1 items
1920
3 106
Scrapbook, National Conference of Social Workers
1 items
1936
3 107
Children's Home Finder
58 items
1912-1935
3 108
Flashes
2 items
1978, 1983
3 109
Christmas Brochures
8 items
1913-1931
3 110
Old Christmas Letters
29 items
1960-1982
3 111
Calendars
3 items
1982-1984
3 112
Promotional Literature
19 items
1924-1984
3 113
Student Publications
2 items
1977
3 114
Children's Home pamphlet
1 items : Day, Sam. "Children's Home Society in Crisis"
1960
3 115
Obituaries of Founders
11 items : Eugene Cox;Theron S. Ward; Carl E. Harris; Bessie V. Clarke; Daisy T. Babb; S.C. Skillern; Frank Morris; William Bollinger
1952-1963
3 116
Newspaper Clippings
80 items : childen's welfare
1940-1960
3 117
Flashes Journal
106 items
1935-1981
4 118
Scrapbook
1 items
1973-1976
4 119
Brown Scrapbook 1
1 items
1960-1972
4 120
Brown Scrapbook 2
1 items
1960-1972
4 121
Blue Scrapbook
1 items
1960-1963
O.S. 122
North Idaho Children's Home photographs
7 items : Rendering of the Children's Home exterior; 1978 color aerial photo of the home
undated
object
O.S. 123
Expense Ledger 1
1 items
undated
O.S. 124
Expense Ledger 2
1 items
undated

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Other Creators

  • Corporate Names
    • North Idaho Children's Home, Inc.