Date Original
1903-1906
Description
This collection contains materials relating to the Fort Smith Children's Home dated 1903 to 1906 including reports, lists of children, and correspondence. The majority of the correspondence is addressed to "Mrs. George H. Lyman" (Emily Lyman), who was the corresponding secretary of the Children's Home.
Biographical/Historical Note
At the close of the Civil War in 1864, the population of orphaned children from the war had begun to grow in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Several organizations were formed over the years to combat this problem; however it remained a considerable issue for many years. The Rosalie Tilles Children's Home was opened on Thanksgiving Day, November 29, 1912. The opening of this home was made possible by a gift of $10,000 from Andrew "Cap" Tilles and his brother and sisters to the city of Fort Smith. The home was named in honor of their mother. It was built for $14,000 and located at 615 North Nineteenth Street. Previously, this address had been the location of the Fort Smith Children's Home, which was first incorporated on July 22, 1901. The name of the corporation was changed to the Rosalie Tilles Children's Home on June 11, 1912. The items in this collection are dated from 1903 to 1906; therefore, they relate to the Fort Smith Children's Home prior to it becoming the Rosalie Tilles Children's Home. The home remained in operation under the name of Rosalie Tilles Children's Home until June 1, 1961, when it closed, in part due to the increasing number of children being placed in foster care.
Physical Description
Document, 8.5" x 11"
Geographical Area
Fort Smith, Sebastian County (Ark.)
Language
English
Identifier
MS.000072
Resource Type
Text
Collection
Fort Smith Orphans Home/Fort Smith Children's Home collection, MS.000072
Publisher
Arkansas State Archives
Contributing Entity
Arkansas State Archives
Recommended Citation
Fort Smith Orphans Home/Fort Smith Children's Home collection, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
Rights
Use and reproduction of images held by the Arkansas State Archives without prior written permission is prohibited. For information on reproducing images held by the Arkansas State Archives, please call 501-682-6900 or email at state.archives@arkansas.gov.
Disciplines
United States History
