The McDonogh Educational Fund & Institute was founded in 1873, per the will of John McDonogh, as “a school farm on an executive scale, for the destitute, and the poorest, of the poor, male children and youth.” Most boys lived at the farm school year-round, with only short breaks at Christmas and during summers. Along with a few hired farmhands, the boys performed all manner of farm chores; they harvested and threshed wheat, picked and shucked corn, tended orchards, gardens, livestock, and more. In April 1892, John Fringer was hired as the superintendent of the school’s farm and became the Superintendent of Buildings, Grounds, and Repairs in 1914 before leaving the school a year later. Fringer kept a daily journal documenting agricultural and other farming-related activities. Most of his entries also include weather observations and occasionally document school events, such as Commencement and Fourth of July celebrations. View the 1895-1898 farm journal by visiting the online archives and selecting RG-01: Early McDonogh.
Farm Journal – 1895-1898
