Robert H. Humphreville, a student in a 1901 Dickinson College Sociology class, wrote a paper entitled “Charities of Carlisle.” In his paper, he discusses the various insitutions that provided services to Carlisle residents. Stating that the “present facilitites ofr taking care of the sick and the needy in this locality are…a Hospital, an Old Ladies’ Home, a Children’s Friend Benevolent Society, a Ladies Benevelent Society, and the County Poor House and Insane Asylum,” Humphreville acknowledges that these facilities are “exceptionally fine.” In comparison to the five organizations that provided charitable services in Carlisle, the town currently seems to support a diverse and larger number of charitable institutions than it did in 1901. Why is Carlisle home to such a multitude of charitable services? How does the religious presence, Dickinson College and the economy in Carlisle impact the charitable services offered by Carlisle?
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