Gallatin County Poor Fund warrant register, 1871-1879

In the 1870s, Gallatin County, Montana Territory, relied on a contract system to manage relief for the sick and poor. Hotels were contracted to house the poor using local tax funds. Bozeman's growth throughout the decade, as well as the financial Panic of 1873, may have contributed to both increasing numbers in need and costs of operation. Opposition to this method of poor relief as ineffecient and costly rose, with local newspaper opinion columns advocating for abandoning the practice. County indebtedness became a considerable concern for local leaders. By 1881, the Gallatin County Commissioners turned to a different approach, appropriating $4,000 to purchase the McKinzie farm of 160 acres, located between what is now 11th Avenue and 19th Avenue in Bozeman, Montana, for the establishment of a Gallatin County Poor Farm. Although the location of the farm moved several times, county responsibility for poor relief continued until 1930s New Deal legislation such as the Social Security Act established national social safety net programs.