120 Years Ago, 1906 transcribed as originally published in the Youngstown Vindicator:

“Children of the poor happy and care-free. Handsomely entertained by Misses Kate, Lottie and Elsie Deemer. Most commendable undertaking that is accomplishing splendid results – all for sweet charity – descriptive.”

“In a house especially built and arranged for their accommodation, the house being on the I. J. Deemer farm about a mile west of the village of Poland and on the road leading from that village to Canfield, are to be found 20 of the happiest, care-free and fun-loving children in existence.

“All this happiness and the invigorating of health and the bringing back of strength to the little children of the poor who compose the party is due to a fresh air fund secured by voluntary contribution by the three daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Deemer, the Misses Katie, Lottie and Elsa, who for the past four years have, through humane motives and with most commendable purpose, provided each year a fresh air outing for these little children during the heated months of the summer, finding their charges, or rather their guests, for they are treated as such, in the poorer quarters of the cities of Pittsburgh, New Castle and Youngstown and bringing them to the farm in parties of from 20 to 30, giving them a fresh air outing of two weeks, allowing them to roam at will and providing them with the most nourishing of food and drink, the best of quality and with no limit being placed on the quantity that each child may think it necessary to satisfy its appetite.

“The three young women being given the assistance of their parents, whom are called by the children ‘Grandpa’ and ‘Grandma’ and they deserve the title such is their kindly solicitude for the youngsters, perform all the work of preparing the food and keeping the house for the children and both are done in a manner that gives evidence of the gentle charity that dominates the plan and purpose, and the only rule established in the keeping of the place and for the conduct of the children is ‘be good’ and this rule is made so that if they can’t be good, to be as good as they can and there is no punishment for those who sometimes are not exactly as good as should be expected.

“Having no wish to advertise the work being done, but feeling that they might be interested in what they would see, Miss Katie Deemer, the promoter of the fresh air outing for the children and acting manageress of the institution in which position she is most competent and charming, invited representatives of the local press to visit the farm and with the children….

“Taking a walk with a couple of the children, the reporter asked, ‘How do you like it out here?’

“‘Great,’ said the oldest of the girls. ‘We just have heaps of fun, and all we want to eat and we don’t have to go to bed until we get tired and we don’t have to get up in the morning until pretty near 8 o’clock, and we get three meals a day and grandma she bakes the best pies, and grandpa he brought us a bushel of ripe apples, and Katie and Lottie they see that we have the most fun, and we would like to stay out here all the time if we could have our mammas come out and stay with us.’

“There could be no better recommendation than that….

“There is a committee of ten of the prominent citizens of this and Columbiana county who stand sponsor for the fresh air fund, but it is and must be raised through voluntary subscription.”

• Compiled by Dante Bernard, museum educator at the Mahoning Valley Historical Society.