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COMPLETE HISTORY
While official papers indicate St. Aloysius Orphanage was established in 1837, development of this unique institution and charitable works began in 1832. The history of St. Aloysius is entwined with the growth of Cincinnati itself.
The 1830's, the fifth decade of Cincinnati's history, were years of phenomenal growth. The year 1832, however, was one of many disasters. General depression throughout the entire country developed due to economic panic, and the city itself was devastated by fire and flooding river waters which produced famine in all parts of the city. In addition, Cincinnati was assaulted by the most dreaded of all diseases, cholera.
In the early 19th century, the thirty‑five squares which encompassed all of Cincinnati rose above the hill between Third and Fourth streets. The area was home to primarily English descendants, who had entered the Miami Purchase area along the banks of the Ohio after the Revolutionary War.
Because of it's geographical importance to developing Northwest territory, Cincinnati would soon deserve the title bestowed on it by Longfellow as "Queen City of the West". In the years between 1830 and 1840, the Cincinnati population was to expand from 24,831 to more than 46,000 people. A growing number of these were German speaking immigrants who converged on the area due to the glowing accounts of beauty and opportunity described in German books and papers of the day which found their way back to Germany.
It was 1832, however, which brought the decade close to disaster.
The Devastation of Cholera
It is reported in Greve's History of Cincinnati that "cholera visited the city on September 30th and stayed for 13 months." In one month alone, October of 1832, 423 persons died. The course of this terrible epidemic continued until late in the year, and then resumed the next season.
A Mr. L'Hommedieu, reporting in that year wrote, "...following the fire, flood and famine, came the dreaded pestilence, Asiatic cholera, which carried more of our population to their graves than have any of it's visitations since, not withstanding our then small population of 25,000 one of the results of the cholera was a large number of orphans."
In 1834, there was another recurrence of the disease and, though less violent, it continued to take a heavy toll of Cincinnati's residents.
The Need Arises
By 1835 and into 1836, there was genuine concern among the German speaking Catholics of the area for the large number of German boys who needed care during this troubled time. There was one Catholic orphanage in existence, St. Peter's Orphan Asylum, but it cared for girls only.
Because of the concern of German speaking citizens of Cincinnati for orphaned boys of German descent, Father John Martin Henni, pastor of the newly organized, German speaking, Holy Trinity Church on West Fifth Street, saw a need to organize help.
Father Henni was a popular community leader who founded many institutions for the German speaking citizenry of Cincinnati. Among them, was the first German speaking parish school at Holy Trinity which quickly attracted 150 students because the German immigrants desired to retain their language and customs.
Since the Ohio lands were considered mission territory, Fr. Henni traveled to Germany where he sought help for the spiritual needs of his German community. The varied works of charity he found in Germany encouraged him to build similar institutions in this new city on the banks of the Ohio River.
An Orphan Society Begins
Upon his return from Germany, Fr. Henni set about the task of establishing an orphan society which would concern itself with the plight of the many homeless German boys of Cincinnati. He discussed his plans with several members of his parish and after a few private planning sessions, a public meeting was called on January 27, 1837 in the assembly room of the Holy Trinity School.
The ideas and plans set forth met with instant approval, and the men present organized into a society to help the needy and distressed boys of German decent in Cincinnati. First officers of the Society were: President, J.B. Germann; Vice President, G.J. Schulte; Secretary, John H. Berte; and Treasurer, Clement Dietrich. These men, along with Father Henni, guided the destiny of the Society during its infant years. They laid the foundation and began the structure which has lasted more than 150 years!
To help the Society raise the necessary funds for their charitable works, the Wahrheitsfreund (family truth) became the first German Catholic publication in the United States, with Father Henni as editor. The paper was designed to provide immigrants with practical advice on life in the new world of Ohio, but its main emphasis was to keep the faith alive and be a guiding spirit for the orphan Society. The first issue was published July 20, 1837 and continued to be published by the Society until 1843.
Growing Pains
In the beginning, the Society found places in private homes for its wards, paying for the maintenance of each child. The disadvantage of this arrangement, however, far outweighed the advantages. The Society decided to consolidate their care and purchased a nine room house at Sixth and John Streets, which was dedicated on the feast of St. Aloysius in June of 1839. From that time on, the Society would be identified as the St. Aloysius Orphan Society. Children who were being cared for in private homes on that date, remained in the home care with which they were familiar. only the newly orphaned children began living in the John Street house.
The new home opened for six boys who ranged in age from three to ten years with a staff composed of two sisters, Misses Angela and Margaret Siemers, who cared for the orphans until May 8, 1842.
The Mission Grows
By 1842, the number of children had increased to 29 and the management of the Orphan Asylum, as it was then called, was assumed by the Sisters of Charity. In the following year, on March 3, 1843, the orphan Society became incorporated, which made "St. Aloysius orphan Society" the official name.
The next year, 1844,‑Father Henni was selected to become the first Bishop of Milwaukee. It was a sad time for the Orphan Society, for Father Henni's leadership was paramount to many worthwhile achievements in Cincinnati. Bishop‑designate Henni bid farewell to friends in the city he had guided so conscientiously and well and was consecrated as the first Bishop of Milwaukee. His successor as orphan Society mentor was Father Joseph Fernedign, the Vicar‑General of Cincinnati.
Larger Quarters
The original home soon became too small for the large number of children who needed the nurturing care of the St. Aloysius Orphan Asylum, and in April, 1844, the Society purchased property on Fourth St., between Western Row (now Central Ave.) and John St. A second lot was purchased also, this one on Third Street, which was intended to become an orphanage for girls.
By 1846, the Sisters of Charity gave up management of the orphans and Henry Schulhof was appointed superintendent, or the first Waisenvater (Children's Father). He and his wife received a small salary each year for their services in addition to their board and lodging. By this time the number of boys had grown to 53.
Health in the Country
By 1848, there were 58 boys in the care of the Society and again, epidemics of various origins invaded the city. A search began in earnest for a healthier climate in the country for a Waishenaus (children's home). On September 15, 1849, after much deliberation, it was decided to purchase the 62 and 1/2 acres of farm and forest land on Dayton Road (now Reading Road) for $9,588. The hard work of clearing began on the land that remains to this day the site of what we call St. Aloysius orphanage in Bond Hill.
It was on July 1, 1850, that the Orphan Society established a home for German Catholic girls on Abigail St., (now E. 12th) between Spring and Pendleton Streets. The girls orphanage was cared for by Miss Mary Wiggerman, who was in charge of both institutions until 1866 when Miss Elizabeth Paper took over the duties on September 10, 1866.
By October of 1856, a three story building 70'x 60' was finished on that Reading Road site for $9,000 and boys only made the move to the country.
An addition was built on to the front of the original structure and became the main building of the new home in Bond Hill. It was completed in 1861 at a cost of $17,437. The new building measured 90'wide x 60' deep and 56' high, and was dedicated on October 21 of that year. It still stands today, and remains in daily use. Since that time, it has been home for thousands of children.
New Acreage for Farming
In 1864 and 1865, additional lands were bought bringing the total acreage to 71.24 portions of which would be used as farmland to grow fruits and vegetables, and grazing area for livestock making the orphanage self-sufficient.
By 1869, a wing on either side of the main building was added for classrooms, and in 1875, a second building was erected as a heating and gas plant, which included a large laundry.
The German Speaking Sisters
It was 1877 when the Orphan Society again looked for orphans which now crowded the Bond Hill Waisenhaus. They petitioned Archbishop John Baptist Purcell for assistance, and he was able to arrange for a group of Sisters, newly arrived from Germany to the Ohio area, to begin care of the descendants of German speaking Catholics. The entry of the Sisters of Notre Dame into the history of St. Aloysius orphan Society has been providential, for their hard work and charitable natures have served the Lord, the orphan Society and the children placed in their care in outstanding ways.
With World War I in 1917, the melding of the German population in Cincinnati was finalized into a total Americanization. German no longer was taught in the schools, books no longer were printed one page in German, with the facing page in English, and the need to care for only German speaking children at St. Aloysius began to change.
Total Americanization brought an end to the feverish growth of the German orphanage. Children‑in‑need could be cared for in a variety of Catholic institutions, and a limit on the number of children which St. Aloysius could care for was adopted.
In 1923, the chapel, which was located in a section of the second and third floors of the main building, was given a structure of its' own, and added to the north of the right wing. An auditorium was provided for in the chapel undercroft, and the space occupied by the old chapel was converted into dormitories for the children.
With that building, the long and arduous task of acquiring the necessary housing and recreation facilities for the more than 200 children at the orphanage was now completed.
In the 30's and 40's and on to this day, maintenance and modernization of the buildings continue the tradition of trust in the mission of St. Aloysius Orphanage.
It is well to note here that the population of the orphanage expands and contracts with the times. over the years, as the catastrophe of World War I and World War II unfolded, the numbers of children provided for by the St. Aloysius orphan Society grew. The flood of 1937 in Cincinnati saw the population of the Orphanage expand as children of St. Joseph orphanage were evacuated to St. Aloysius Orphanage until it was safe for them to return to their own home. Again in the sixties, the Orphanage offered safe harbor to nine Cuban refugees from Communist takeover of their country. It is the task of our mission to be ready to accept and help children at any time they are in need.
The St. Aloysius Orphan Society members provided financial support since the inception of the Society, but the elected Board‑of Directors have the responsibility to set policy and direction. Until the 1930's, members of the orphan society actually arranged for admissions and placements of the hundreds of children in their care. Many children remained at the home far into their adolescent years until a suitable home could be found for them, or an apprenticeship arranged.
Years of Transition
In 1925, Catholic Charities came into being as part of the Archdiocesan Social Work effort. Changes began to occur. Admissions and placements were administered under the jurisdiction of Catholic Charities, and a social worker was assigned by them to St. Aloysius Orphanage. Specialized training in social work was requested for administrators of child care institutions, and the St. Aloysius Board of Directors responded by sending the then Administrator, Sister Mary Edwardine SND, to Catholic University of America for a Degree in Social Work. Upon her return, many adjustments to the program took place.
In directing her staff of Child Care Sisters she compiled a 48 page handbook to offer guidelines in caring for children. The handbook's purpose was to promote uniformity of method, while leaving ample scope for each individual's initiative in child care. In the Handbook, Sister urged that "the prevailing atmosphere should be one of harmony, peace and joy, not scolding, nagging, or gloom. We must be Christ conscious and Child conscious. We must be members of the Confraternity of Kindness.
It was in the 1950's that a new element in child care was first recognized. There were fewer children who had lost their parents in death, than there were bereaved by broken homes. The National Council of Religious Catholic Charities was organized with representatives from all family care groups to address concerns centering on these problems. The Board of Directors supported the work and provided the funds for training and membership in these national committees for the Sister Administrators of the orphanage.
The Orphan Society sent representatives from the staff of Notre Dame Sisters to attend the University of Chicago seminar on "The Institution as a Treatment Center", and new ideas began to shape the program at St. Aloysius.
Innovative approaches were put into practice at this time. Students were enrolled in neighborhood schools to ease their transition back into the mainstream, and children were permitted to visit family on weekends and over holidays. On Sunday afternoons, children were also permitted to be entertained by relatives or qualified volunteers.
Renovations began in the building as well, with bathrooms for each group replacing the general shower room and, for younger children, tubs on raised platforms to ease the Sister's task of bathing the children.
A New Era Begins
By 1972, we noted that the numbers of children in residence fluctuated widely. We saw, too, the needs of these children as different from the children of years before.
The number of "truly" orphaned children decreased, due in part of the work of social service agencies in placing homeless children, and governmental assistance programs.
In place of the orphaned child, children came to us because of a breakdown in traditional family life, some in the aftermath of divorce or desertion, with all of the accompanying pressures.
Consensus between Catholic Social Services and the St. Aloysius Orphan Society was that our programs had to adapt and respond to the needs of the day's child.
A Decade of Transition
Our building, mode of operation, staff programs and school all underwent a process of evaluation. After much investigation and planning, we reorganized to allow us to meet the current needs of children.
In Reeping with the directions in child care during the 1970's, the physical plan was altered from dormitory styled housing of twenty to thirty beds per room to four individual apartments.
Although children still required food, shelter, and clothing, the need for rehabilitation and protection became more paramount.
St. Aloysius During the 1980’s
During the 1980’s, the focus of child caring institutions shifted to assisting children who were abused, neglected, and/or dependent. Poverty, substance abuse, and mental illness were common problems among these children and families.
Under the leadership of the Orphan Society and orphanage Administrators options were explored for viable treatment programs. It was decided that apartment style living would make the work of the Sisters and staff more effective. Small family‑type units of 10 children would be more natural and meet the children’s needs more easily than in age segregated large groups.
Presumably, in the family manner of living, older children would act as big brother or sister to model and help in training younger children. The older child might assume more responsibility and independence. At the same time, companionship should be found among children of different ages, while peer group and gang pressures would lessen.
Therapy became an important part of St. Aloysius Orphanage with treatment offered on an individual basis, at times in groups, and involving families whenever possible.
A staff of social workers was hired to provide guidance and support for the child and family during the child's days at St. Aloysius. Times were provided for individual and group therapy sessions under the social worker's direction, and the psychologist or psychiatrist as resource was added to the staff. All staff members, including administrator, child care staff, school and social workers and recreation director, became involved in treatment planning for each child.
1990's New Challenges ‑ Managed Competition
The 1990's have also presented radical challenges for most health care institutions. The dawning realization that many social conditions including: poverty, racism, substance abuse, mental illness, mental retardation, child abuse/neglect, delinquency, poor academic performance, divorce, and neighborhood isolation are intertwined and interrelated have called for renewed commitments from many professionals, community leaders, and spiritual advisors. As families and children become involved in multiple systems and sometimes "fall through the cracks", the need for more coordinated treatment interventions and greater community involvement has become paramount.
In addition, severe budget constraints on local, state, and federal support programs has brought most child care institutions into the "managed care" and "privatization" arena. St. Aloysius has been proactive in this competitive and changing treatment environment by hiring additional leadership, incorporating Medicaid and licensed Mental Health Services into treatment programming, increasing information support systems, and negotiating with Administrative Service organizations to continue serving today's children and families.
St. Aloysius is fortunate to have over 150 years of experience and support in helping children and families in the Cincinnati area. As a leading child care and social service institution, St. Aloysius will integrate mental health, community support, and family preservation services into current treatment programming. While group home services are still provided to youngsters at St. Aloysius, additional partial hospitalization programs, foster care networks, in-home behavior management, adoption, parenting groups have been developed to assist families and to help "step" children down into less restrictive treatment environments.
While St. Aloysius has always provided responsive services, a new commitment to quality assurance/improvement and customer satisfaction permeates program planning. Families, children, and communities are strongly being encouraged to assist in future development and growth of the organization. St. Aloysius currently operates a group home serving males ages 9 through 18, and a Crisis Group Home that serves both males and females ages 6 through 18 in emergency situations. The of goals of the Group Homes is to allow the children to experience a more family - like setting while receiving treatment. St. Aloysius again expanded its services in the fall of 1999 as we were awarded a contract through the HCHDS and Juvenile Court to provide Permanency Mediation Services. This service assists families in resolving issues related to the permanent planning of their children. In addition, a Kinship Care contact was signed that will allow St. Aloysius to assist relatives that become the primary caregivers of kin. St. Aloysius will continue to work with other community agencies to provide innovative and critical services to many troubled children and families in the Cincinnati area.
St. Aloysius continues to tailor programs to meet the needs of the community. Throughout the years, St. Aloysius has opened, expanded and closed programs based on the changing needs of the community. In all of the programs offered at St. Aloysius, the focus is on the child and their family to ensure that their treatment needs are met.
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