Our History

Family Resources, Inc. can trace its roots back to the 1840’s when Davenport, Iowa as still a small village curled along the banks of the Mississippi River. Four hundred people lived in the village, mostly immigrants, who came west in search of land and new opportunity. However, things were in short supply and arriving families found themselves huddled along the riverfront in makeshift shanties because there was no available housing.

A small group of women already established in the community and that included Annie Turner Wittenmyer, established the “Ladies Benevolent Society” in 1849 (later re-named the “Ladies Industrial Relief Society”) to work to help immigrants to find homes and establish themselves in the community.

In 1862 as the Civil War raged, the group re-named itself again to the “Soldiers’ Relief Society” expanding their efforts to aid disables soldiers and their families.During the Civil War approximately 76,237 Iowa men fought in the Union Army resulting in 13,589 Iowa med dead and many more sick or so badly wounded that they were unable to take care of their families. By 1864 a board had been established in Des Moines to operate a facility for the orphans of these soldiers and Annie Wittenmyer, who had served during the was as an agent of the Iowa Sanitation Agency overseeing the needs of soldiers, was appointed to the board and named a trustee. Annie began work to open orphanages for the Iowa children left homeless by the war and the first orphan’s home was opened in Farmington, Iowa in the summer of 1864. By 1865 there was a growing list of needy children and the Farmington became overcrowded. A second orphan’s home was already under construction in Cedar Falls but the board decided to look for even larger facilities.

After the war, Camp Kinsman, on Eastern Avenue in Davenport, Iowa, was one of several camps used to house and train soldiers that was no longer needed. Annie began efforts to obtain the property for an orphanage and along with help from her friend Mary Shelton in Davenport, the government donated the deserted buildings and property that had been Camp Kinsman to become the “Iowa Soldier’s Orphans Home.”

On November 16, 1865, more than 150 orphaned children arrived in Davenport aboard steamboat Keithsburg to become the first children to live at the new facility. Annie Wittenmyer herself oversaw the Home as matron until 1867, and established a dietary kitchen system, forerunner of the present day school lunch programs, that she had invented for use in army hospitals during the Civil War.

The State of Iowa took over the Home on June 6, 1866 and made the orphan children wards of the State. This gave the Home financial stability and helped protect the interests of the children. By the mid 1870’s most of the Civil War orphans had grown up and had left the Home, but there were still many other children in need. The Home began accepting children from broken homes and lengthened its name to the “Iowa Soldiers’ Orphans Home and Home for Indigent Children.”

Over the years significant changes were made and the facilities of the Home were expanded. One of the early changes was the replacement of arracks-style dormitories with smaller home-like brick “cottages” in 1880-1888. Originally there were two sets of ten cottages with those on the north side of the property for boys and those on the south side of the property for girls. Today, only the boy’s cottages remain and are still in use as offices and program facilities for Family Resources, and the Davenport Park District. The “cottage system” that housed children in smaller family-style setting by age and gender was considered innovative. A married couple or a matron was in charge of each cottage and lived inside with the children. This setting provided more individual care and attention to each child.

In 1890 a new large brick Administration and Dining Hall building was built replacing an earlier wood structure that had been destroyed by fire. This building still stands today and continues to serve as the administrative offices for Family Resources, Inc. and the kitchen and dining hall that provides the more than 30,000 meals annually for the up to 100 children and adolescents living on the Wittenmyer Youth Campus.

In 1900 a report concluded that more than 5,000 children had lived at the in its 36 year history up to that date. In 1906 the Home had a population of 496 boys and girls and in 1914 the population was up to more than 500 children. The Home also eventually had its own Chapel (built in 1901) and grammar school (built in 1921) which was in session ten months out of the year. Beginning in the 6th grade children spent half of each day in the classroom and half of each day learning a practical trade fro a staff member. A bakery, barber shop, butcher shop, tailor shop, dairy operation and small general store (“canteen”) were established to aide in this training. This also added to the “self-contained” town-like atmosphere of the Home. One trade – farming and dairy farming – eventually led to the growth of almost 300 acres of farmland along what would become Kimberly Road. The main barn and outbuildings were considered to be the on the leading edge of modernized farming. The Home became a part of the community and in the early 1900’s the “Orphan Band” marched in local parades and gave concerts. The annual summer picnic held on the grounds was a Davenport tradition and many of the children adopted by local families chose to remain in Davenport as adults. In 1934 the uniform was discontinued.

In 1949 the Home was renamed the “Annie Wittenmyer Home” by the Iowa legislature in honor of Annie Wittenmyer. In the early 1960’s the State of Iowa permitted counties to use institutional funds to pay for foster home care rather than sending children to an institution and as the foster home program developed the Home made a transition from an orphanage to a residential care facility to specializing in special education and behavioral counseling for troubled youth. In 1966 a mental health unit was built. The farm, no longer needed, was completely sold off by 1970. In 1967 it was estimated that the Home had admitted a total of 12,076 youngsters since that first day of November 16, 1865.

In 1975, after more than a century of service, the Annie Wittenmyer Home closed, but Family Resources, Inc. was asked to move onto the property and continue to provide the residential programs and services for special needs, challenged and troubled children and youth. Since then, Family Resources has grown to become the one of the largest social service not-for-profit organizations in the country, providing help to more than 33,000 individuals, children and families throughout Iowa and western Illinois each year.

Today, the Family Resources Wittenmyer Youth Campus is home to up to 100 boys and girls from ages 4 to 18 living in eight different child and teen residential programs, many bearing names reflecting the historic past (Anchorage House, Bridge House, Kinsman, Leslie, Newcomb, Shelton, SUMMIT and Victory.) One of the newest additions to the campus is actually a return of one of the oldest – The Wittenmyer Learning Center (a special alternative school) opened in 2000 in the 1913 Wittenmyer School (renovated, historically restored and now called the McKibbon building) in the 1940 High School and the 1933 English Cottage (Porter building) where 1st through 12th grade classes are held during the school year for nearly 160 students, all residents of campus as well as children with specialized educational situations, from eight local public school districts who attend on a “day” basis. The Wittenmyer Campus also serves as the organization’s administrative headquarters that oversees additional Family Resources offices and facilities that include Davenport, Moline, Muscatine and two Domestic Violence Shelters in Muscatine and Davenport.

In addition to the residential youth campus, Family Resources, Inc. continues to provide foster care and special adoption services, continuing the long tradition of the historic facility and the legacy of Annie. It continues to be a place where children in need can come and receive special care, education and the promise for a better life.

Returning Alumni and/or the families of those who have lived here are always welcome however advance notice is requested due to the security and privacy we must provide for the children currently in residence. Guided tours are available on request by calling the Development Office at (563) 468-2242. Information about:

• Adoption Records can be obtained by calling (563) 468-2122.
• Historical Data, Information and Photographs can be found at the Davenport Public Library Main Branch /Special Collections 321 N. Main Street, Davenport, Iowa 52801 (563) 888-3374.
• Donations to help support the work of Family Resources, Inc. and the continued operation and restoration of the Wittenmyer Youth Campus are fully tax-deductible and can be made through our website “Giving” tab or by contacting our Development Office at 2800 Eastern Avenue, Davenport, IA 52803 (563) 468-2242.

Credits for some of the historical information above is given to: “The Women & the Work” by Paddy Blackman “The Palimpsest” June 1967, published by the State Historical Society of Iowa; and “QCMemory.org” of the Davenport Public Library.