 At first, Hardwick takes a more piecemeal approach, arranging for orphans to serve as indentured servants and auctioning off adults and families to other residents who can take care of them at the lowest cost to the town. But by the mid-1800s, the number of people who cannot support themselves has grown. So Hardwick and many other Vermont towns open poor farms and poor houses, where residents are forced to work for their keep, if they're physically able.