George Junior Republic

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George Junior Republic was an American industrial institution, situated near the small village of Freeville, in Tompkins County, New York, U.S., 9 miles east-north-east of Ithaca, at the junction of the Sayre-Auburn and the Elmira-Cortland branches of the Lehigh Valley railway.

The George Junior Republic formed a miniature state whose economic, civic and social conditions, as nearly as possible, reproduce those of the United States, and whose citizenship is vested in young people, especially those who were neglected or wayward. The founder, William Reuben George (born 1866), was a native of West Dryden, a village near Freeville, who as a businessman in New York City became interested in the Fresh Air Fund charity supervised by the New York Tribune, took charge of summer outings for city children (1890–1894), and, becoming convinced that such charities tended to promote pauperism and crime among the older of their protégés, devised first (1894) the plan of requiring payment by the children in labor for all they received during these summer jaunts, then (1895) self-government for a summer colony near Freeville, and finally a permanent colony, in which the children stayed for several years.

There were Woman's Aid societies in New York City, Ithaca, Syracuse, Buffalo, Boston and elsewhere, to promote the work of the Republic. A republic for younger boys, begun at Freeville, was established in Litchfield, Connecticut; and a National Junior Republic near Annapolis Junction, Maryland, and a Carter Junior Republic at Readington, near Easton, Pennsylvania, are modelled on the George Junior Republic. In 1908–1910 new states were established at Chino, California, Grove City, Pennsylvania, and Flemington Junction, New Jersey. In February 1908 the National Association of Junior Republics was formed with Mr. George (its founder) as its director, its aims being to establish at least one republic in each state of the Union, and in other countries similar institutions for youth and miniature governments modelled on that of the country in which each state is established, and to establish colonies for younger children, to be sent at the age of fifteen to the Junior Republic.

The George Junior Republic changed its name to The William George Agency for Children's Services in 2006. It is still located in Freeville, NY. It now serves a more psychiatrically and cognitively impaired population of 177 teenage boys. It has cottages for the treatment of mentally ill/hard to place residents, residents who are both mentally retarded and mentally ill, juvenile sex offenders, and residents who are stepping down from juvenile detention or have otherwise been court ordered to placement due to school issues or criminal acts.

For further reading see: Juvenile Reform in the Progressive Era by Jack M. Holl.