McClleland
On January 10th, 1905 Pueblo citizens known as the " Protestant Orphanage Committee," met to establish plans for the building of a home for dependent kids. The Protestant orphanage Committee formed from the Deaconesses of the Methodist Episcopal Church, which was able to get a property located on East Route to build the soon to be home for displaced children. It originally was a very small building with four small rooms with up to as many as nine beds within the rooms. By November 1905, there was already eighteen children being fostered here. It was clear that small was limited and with funds being limited a tent was used for a temporary boys dormitory.
The new orphanage was located on Lake Ave. and Abriendo and was set to open on April 25, 1906 and was able to house as many as 65 children. In two years, 1908, the new building was filled to capacity, and had to refuse children, who were in desperate need of a home. The orphanage was in need of $10,000 for additions which was donated by Lizzie Welsh of California. The additions happened in 1910 and consisted of a barn, hospital, and a nursery. The barn may not have seemed like a needed addition, however, in this time it was considered needed to have several cows,poultry, a horse, a wagon, as well as a resident nurse. The orphanage was always in need of more funding to keep on it, and created an annual fundraiser day known as " Carnation Day." Carnation Day was an annual fundraiser that the city would participate in, in order to keep the orphanage open and funded. Today the orphanage building now with several additions, serves as a private pre-k-8th grade school.
