SALEM — The Salem Historical Society will present “History of the Fairmount Children’s Home” by Carolyn Becker Caskey, local historian and author, at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Dale Shaffer Research Library.

This lecture covers the history of The Fairmount Children’s Home, an orphanage in Alliance. Opening in 1876 and operational until 1975, the home for orphaned and indigent children included a working farm and house that took care of as many as 400 children. Caskey has done extensive research on the home, has interviewed over 100 former residents and researched old newspaper microfilm and other library records. She will cover the home’s history with pictures of former residents and the buildings and activities that took place, all contributing to a fascinating narrative.

Caskey has been interested in history since she was in grade school. Many years later she heard a woman do a presentation on a Civil War Nurse and she thought “I can do that,” and she was hooked. After adding more Civil War related subjects to her list of programs she thought “why not do something closer to home?” Caskey lives approximately four miles from the Fairmount Children’s Home and went to school with some of the residents, so this led her to doing research on the home. She has met and talked with many, many former residents which added to her research. Caskey now has 10 different programs that she presents and they are all based on real people and happenings. She has spoken to many different organizations including a prison. She says all of this has been a very interesting part of her life.

The gift shop will be open before and after the meeting.

Meetings are open to the public and the presentation will follow a brief business meeting. Parking is available in the municipal lot across the street from the meeting room entrance.