George Junior Republic

The William George Agency for Children's Services (formerly the George Junior Republic) is a non-profit residential treatment center for adolescent boys and girls located in Freeville, New York.

William Reuben George founded a junior republic within the Republic of the United States whose economic, civic, and social conditions, reproduced those of the United States, and whose citizenship is vested in young people, especially those who were neglected or wayward.

George (born 1866) was a native of West Dryden, near Freeville, who as a businessman in New York City became interested in the urchins of the street and their gangs and began to organize them into more productive groups who helped, rather than hindered the police. He longed to give these "toughs" some of the summer fresh air and fun he had experienced as a child on the family farm.

In the summer of 1890, he took 22 children to Freeville with funds received from the New York Tribune, the sponsors of The Fresh Air Fund charity. Each summer from then until 1895 the number of children increased. Over these early years, he slowly developed his idea of "nothing without labor" and of a Junior Republic with laws made by young "citizens" and an economic system controlled by youngsters.

In 1895, George and five volunteers stayed through the winter in Freeville and thus a permanent colony was founded.

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.

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