About Us

The Good Will Farm is a non-profit organization that began in 1899 as an orphanage and housed over 3200 children until being reorganized as a residential home for boys in 1977. Girls were added in 1984. Nearly 600 youth have found a home at the Farm since 1977. The Good Will Farm also provides services in prevention and aftercare, including Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring programs. The primary goal of the Agency is to support youth and families in creating new life cycles and patterns.

Programs

The Story of Good Will Farm

Founding

The Good Will Farm was founded by Rev. F. A. Holtzhausen and served its first children in 1899. The local Baptist minister conceived the idea of a home for underprivileged boys from the Upper Peninsula. This rather informal organization was name "The Boys Industrial School." The work of the school was supported through voluntary contributions from Upper Peninsula counties, funds usually being voted by the county boards of supervisors. The first building was located on the D.S.S.&A. Railroad in Pilgrim Station, three miles east of Houghton. A new facility was constructed in 1905. The earliest history of the Good Will Farm is rather vague due to the fact that the home and its records were completely destroyed by fire October 24, 1917.

The Charter

In 1901, an association was formed and a perpetual charter was granted by the State Securities and Commissions Board to what was to be known as the Good Will Farm and Home Finding Association. Its purpose, as stated at that time, was as follows:

"To provide a temporary home for underprivileged boys and girls in which they could live happily and normally and develop character that would prepare them for useful, loyal citizenship."

The charter provided that the Good Will Farm Association would serve as a child-placing agency.

President: Dr. W.H. Dodge, Hancock
Vice President: Johnson Vivian, Jr., Calumet
Treasurer: Edward Haas, Houghton
Secretary: Webster Dock, Hancock
Trustees: John Duncan, Calumet; D.W. Sutter, Lake Linden; Dr. Daniel Stalker, Calumet

The name was changed to the Good Will Farm Assocation on February 15, 1915.

The Fire

Up until the fire in 1917, the Good Will Farm was located on Sheridan Road, about three miles east of Houghton. The fire was almost a mortal blow to the institution but temporary housing was provided and the Good Will Farm succeeded in overcoming the difficulties brought about by the fire. On May 2, 1921, a spacious colonial structure in Houghton was purchased from the Goodell Family to house the Good Will Farm and this is its present location.

Transformation from Orphanage to Residential

The Good Will Farm continued as an orphanage until 1970. As time and social circumstances changed, there became an increasing need for a residential facility for adolescents who had homes but were experiencing difficulties in adjusting to their homes, school, and/or community. In order to meet this need, the Board of Trustees elected to change the direction of the "Farm" to a treatment facility for emotionally and neglected adolescents. Child and Family Services established a home for 15 teenage boys. After being closed in 1977 for several months for reorganization, Good Will Farm was reopened by the Board of Trustees as a home for 15 teenage boys. Patricia O'Connell was director and William A. Smith, ACSW, was the assistant director. In 1984, girls were introduced to the program. Currently the Good Will Farm is licensed for 20 students.

The cost of the care of the children in 1910 for food, clothing, fuel, and medicine was $0.47.

In the early days of the Good Will Farm, most of the children were orphans. Then, as times changed, a greater number of the children came from broken homes. Some children were placed for temporary care while others were committed to the Good Will Farm to be released for adoption. Whenever it was possible, the Good Will Farm made every effort to re-establish the child's own home.

Children were admitted, usually through the recommendation of the judge of probate of the various counties of the Upper Peninsula. Referrals to the judge of probate were made by clergy, teachers, relatives, or other interested people. County agents of the probate court made the investigations.

The Michigan Children's Institute of Ann Arbor committed some children to the Good Will Farm for temporary care. The children were wards of the State of Michigan and committed by the State to the Children's Institute.

State regulations mandated that childcare institutions had to provide a registered nurse for the care of pre-school children. As this was impractical for Good Will Farm because of its small numbers, pre-school children were cared for in boarding homes. It was felt that private home situations allowed for a greater degree of affection and attention and schedules were more flexible.

Our Present and Future

The Good Will Farm's license is renewed each year by the Children's Division of the Family Independence Agency for its continued operations.

As stated prior, the Good Will Farm program is housed in a colonial house situated on two acres of land in the middle of the Michigan Tech campus. A former garage on the property at one time was converted into a hospital through generosity of Mr. Benedict. Presently the building houses a two-room school which is supervised by the Houghton-Portage Township School District. The district employs certified Special Education staff to work with the youth. THe youth are eligible to participate in all the regular and extra-curricular programs which are available in the area to local high school students.

The Good Will Farm was home to 4,000 children since 1899. Since 1921, when the Farm located to its present site, 2,700 youth have been residents (as of 2004). We continue to serve youth in their best interests to provide services, not only through our residential programs, but also our other programs that strengthen our youth, our families, and our communities.