350 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1812. 



Storm. The snow covered the ground, though the greater part 

 of it melted as it fell. On the next morning still water was 

 frozen into ice a quarter of an inch in thickness, and the ditches 

 and ponds of water in many places were frozen over. 



On the 13th of February, 1804, an act was passed " to pro- 

 vide for the erection of a house for the Employment and Sup- 

 port of the Poor in the County of Delaware." This act pro- 

 vided for the election by the people of seven persons to fix upon 

 a site for the County house. The gentlemen chosen selected 

 the property adjoining the present town of Media, upon which 

 the old Poor-house now stands. The selection made was gener- 

 ally regarded at the time as injudicious, on account of the ex- 

 hausted condition of the land that was chosen ; but the location 

 of the new seat of justice adjoining the property, made it a very 

 profitable investment for the County. The original farm con- 

 sisting of 137 acres, was purchased for less than $33 per 

 acre ; subsequently an additional small tract was bought for 

 about $100 per acre. The chief part of this property was sold 

 in two tracts — 46 acres at $250 per acre and 112 acres at 

 $341.50 per acre. 



Up to the time of the completion of the new Poor-house, the 

 poor were supported in the several townships by boarding them 

 in private families under the charge of two overseers of the poor 

 for each township. This office was abolished as soon as the poor 

 were removed to the newly erected building. 



From 1804, till the breaking out of the war between the 

 Ihiited States and Great Britain, nothing worthy of particular 

 notice occurred. Owing to the European war that raged during 

 this period, the commerce of our country was benefited, and 

 there was an increased demand for its agricultural products. 

 Our County fully shared these advantages, and the result was 

 an efi"ort on the part of our farmers to improve their lands and 

 thereby to increase their products. These lands, in many 

 places, had become exhausted by a system of bad farming that 

 is generally adopted in new countries, and it was not then un- 

 common to see large tracts abandoned for agricultural purposes, 

 and left unenclosed. These exhausted tracts generally received 

 the appellation of "old fields." The use of gypsum and lime 

 as manures now began to be introduced, the former, at first, work- 

 ing almost miracles, by the increased productiveness it imparted 

 to the soil. It was soon discovered, however, that its effect 

 was greatly diminished by repeated applications, and as a con- 

 sequence it became less used ; while lime, though slow in devel- 

 oping its benefits, soon became the general favorite with our 

 farmers, and deservedly so, for it cannot be denied that it was 

 owing to its extensive and continued application, combined with 



