Inside were small cells with openings through which food could be passed to residents. The building survived partly because it was repurposed as a hog barn after a county committee determined it was unsuitable for human habitation.

The farm raised questions for Cram about how communities have treated people experiencing poverty and disability, and whose experiences are remembered.

An associate professor of communication studies and of American studies, Cram studies environmental justice, looking at how race, disability, and sexuality shape people’s relationships with the land, and how the land shapes them in return. That 2019 visit launched a research project involving historical records, community interviews, and partnerships focused on the site’s future.

Uncovering the Poor Farm's complicated history 

In the 1850s, county governments across the Midwest established poor farms to house county “dependents,” including people unable to work because of disability or other reasons.

Once associated with poverty relief and institutional care, the Johnson County Historic Poor Farm is now developing around local food, restored prairie, soil health, and community resilience initiatives. Cram studies how these different chapters of the same landscape connect. 

Their research has revealed unexpected stories. Through historical newspapers, Cram learned about a person known as “Happy George,” who traveled from Berlin, worked in a circus and on railroads, and eventually became a farmhand near Amana before receiving care at the county home in 1937. 

Newspaper accounts described how community members discovered that Happy George had been living as a man. While Cram does not claim to know how the person understood their gender, the story illustrates the complexity of gender and labor histories in the rural Midwest. 

Cram also examines how laws shaped access to public assistance, including an 1842 Iowa law that excluded Black residents from county poor relief.

These histories inform Cram's broader investigation into how public institutions defined dependency and determined who received care. 

One place, four names

Cram has brought this research to wider audiences through “Disability Ecologies,” a five-episode podcast released in spring 2026, featuring perspectives from farmers, restoration ecologists, social workers, archaeologists, and county officials.

One episode explores disagreements over the site’s name. Historically called the county poor farm, county home, Johnson County Care Facility, and Chatham Oaks, the site’s changing names reflect shifts in state law, public and private funding, and attitudes toward poverty and institutional care.

For Cram, the debate over a name raises a larger question about how communities remember people who experienced poverty and institutional care.

“Podcasts draw attention to how we listen,” Cram says.

Creating opportunities for students and communities 

Cram also brings their research into the classroom through community-engaged projects. 

In fall 2024, students helped organize the Poor Farm's inaugural barn dance and community social. Before the event, they examined the history of disability research and considered how to engage community members as partners rather than subjects of study. 

Students prepared decorations using recycled materials, welcomed attendees, and documented the gathering for Johnson County.

Through the site’s Disability Advisory Committee, Cram has supported community gatherings, a public mural designed by disabled artists, and the Healing Trail, which acknowledges the experiences of people who once lived at the Poor Farm.

For Cram, community-engaged learning gives students opportunities to build confidence while navigating unexpected challenges.

“Mentoring students through the ‘this didn’t go as planned, what do I do now?’ moments is crucial for building confidence in their own abilities,” Cram says.

By working alongside community partners, students gain experience building trust and responding to challenges while contributing to projects that help preserve the Poor Farm’s history and shape its future.