Voelker was committed to the state hospital at the age of 46 and died in 1904. We'd love to hear eyewitness In 1910, laws were changed to allow patients to voluntarily admit themselves. I just found out my 3 grate garndma was in here omg I can’t believe this. t and never will tear this landmark down. Small rooms, light switches outside the door, small observation windows set into heavy wood. And finally on our tour, the famed Fergus Falls State Hospital, also known as the Kirkbride. Nothing to be proud of!!!!!!! Her statement upon entry, was that she believed her husband had been trying to kill her for years. I have an ancestor who voluntarily entered the hospital in 1928 and only later in 1931 was he officially “committed” What was the implication of a commitment? I also had an uncle that had “down syndrome” that was locked up at the hospital, and I can remember going to visit with him and taking him down to the lake to feed the geese. In fact he may have died here and perhaps was buried in this cemetary. At the time of his committal to the state hospital in April of 1895, he was a 44-year-old single farmer. 12 Staggering Photos Of An Abandoned Hospital Hiding In Minnesota. My Great Aunt Olivia Thornberg of Elbow Lake, MN has her hand on my Great Aunt Bertha Thonberg’s forehead. The first burial was done in August 1890 and the last one in September of 1968. The Kirkbride Tower, a castle-like historic structure built in the 1880s, sits on top of a hill at the north end of Union Avenue. When the asylum was especially crowded, this would be filled with patient beds, too. I won’t even go into the treatment but I’m glad it’s closed. Whether it was a terrible place or not, the Historic value of this place is priceless. . She died July 1942. She died there in 1930 at age 53. accounts, the history behind an article. It’s always been a shameful family secret that he ended up here. There is no denying that the Fergus Falls asylum was a beautiful place, especially around sunset. Wars of the mind, waged between walls of this asylum. A teeter totter sits in front of the Memorial Building. I’m on a civil commitment. Now a metal cap keeps the water out of the most iconic building at the Kirkbride. A photographer’s secret. Vacant since 2009, the Fergus Falls State Hospital administration building looks much the same as it did when construction was completed in 1907. The tunnels were full of bricked-up doorways. [BS Meyer, 08/28/2013] (Google Books), Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=ssMGAQAA. After just a short time they got the horrible call that she had not responded to “ treatment” and had passed. You know, to dress up the fact that someone could be watching anonymously on the other side. To get more light into the wards, the building was narrow and had angular rooms, often staff space, perpendicular to the main hallway. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=eRFQAAAAIAAJ, Fergus falls fire. Haunted Corn Maze - Moorhead, MN. Veterinarian. Destroy all remnants of our past folly so we can ‘pretend’ we are now a better, more humane society… Bullpucky! They don’t tear down places like the glensheen mansion or the white house or Ne other building like this one..this place is cool n can b used for a lot of educational purposes then jus another place or thing u gotta look up in a book or see 10 pictures of the place..it means more to the town then to jus b destroyed. What if, we asked ourselves, there was a halfway point between St. Minnesota treasures: stories behind the state's historic places [pp.160-4]. IN the early days, common reasons for admission were: overwork, fright, loneliness, epilepsy, and typhoid fever. Biennial report of the bureau of labor of the state of minnesota, vol. Lit by lightning outside the grounds during a huge thunderstorm. Wear comfortable footwear as we will be walking to the cemetery. Maybe even overnights at the facility(you would need to check liability etc). Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. When I was there visiting, they had everything from the criminally insane to the severely depressed there. Likely dementia I am guessing. Fergus Falls is a big small town with many of the same features as a city several times its size. At this time its future is uncertain. It was next door to my Grandpa Bob and Grandma Margeś house where my dad was still living. Honor the souls that died there so they may rest peacefully and those that survived it can finally know it’s gone! We mark our world in unexpected ways… this is how patient possessions would be stored during their stay in the old asylum wards. Olson was 67 years old when he died and became the first person to be buried in the cemetary. my great gramma was there in the late 40″S ealy 50>S how can i find outmore about her?? Update: as of October 2014, the future of the Kirkbride is again in question. Now, instead of being shut into tiny rooms, troubled minds were given psychotherapeutic drugs and mainstreamed into smaller clinics. It’s a great spot for picture taking and an important part of the town’s history. I was handing out cards at shooting star casino during Paracon for the tours when I met her. Fergus Falls was the Third Hospital for the Insane, established by the Minnesota Legislature in 1887. ii MN Bureau of Labor. Don’t ever send your family away like me. Fergus Falls, Minnesota. The Fergus Falls State Hospital Cemetery is located in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. The Sun Rooms, or Common Rooms, reminded me of the Panopitcon turned inside-out. Once my uncle stopped laughing and cleared up the confusion, it was a matter of hours until my parents were smooching by the lake. Fergus Falls to get $3.5 million for demolition of historic former state hospital -- Even before the stroke of Gov. Fergus Falls State Hospital. Catholic Charities turned it into a lock up for troubled 9-18 yr olds. Portra 160. Winds light and variable.. The windows are thick shatterproof plastic. Small rooms in the basement of the asylum were seemingly too tiny to be used, even for storage. She had stopped menstrating and her parents thought she was pregnant. Not a good time. Companion Animal Hospital. My great aunt Mary E Kennel, was in Fergus Falls Hospital in the 1930-1942. Fergus Falls to get $3.5 million for demolition of historic former state hospital -- Even before the stroke of Gov. Iron lions in the doctor’s apartment guard the way to the dining room. I also worked for the LSS Children’s Home. racist or sexually-oriented language. (2002). Anyway it is just a thought to help preserve it and create a business and possible prosperity for the town. I loved this article!!!! Add to Calendar 2019-06-24 13:30:00 2019-06-24 13:30:00 Campus Tour - Fergus Falls Summer is the perfect time to visit campus! As a drug rehab, much of the 900,000 square feet went unused. Please note that in 2016, there was a beehive in the second story southwest corner of the “Memorial” Women’s Occupational. Note the insulation on the floor to seal heat into the lower floors that were used as offices until the hospital closed. When the Fergus Falls State Hospital opened its doors on July 29, 1890, it became the first state institution in northern Minnesota for patients considered insane. We need more DR.’s. [p.243]. An observation room, possibly for children, has drapes around a 2-way mirror. I was there from Nov 20th 2013 till Feb 18th 2014. The hospital opened in July 1890 when it admitted 80 patients transferred from St. Peter State Hospital. I would like to know when or if commitment records are public. Original records for this hell hole were destroyed in the late 1980s by order if the state of Minnesota. Her final years were at Fergus Falls Hosp. It should be obvious why glass were not used. The Fergus Falls State Hospital is historically significant under National Register Criterion A in the area of Health and Medicine for its association with the state’s enduring commitment to provide humane treatment for its mentally ill citizens. . Part of Kirkbride’s plan was to have ample opportunities for exercise outdoors–fresh air, especially cold fresh air, was thought to have curative properties. This ornamental stair is cast iron and used to connect all floors of the Administration building. My Grandfather, Robert (Bob) Shorter was the Head engineer, I believe. Note the original floor’s hand-laid tile pattern. The interior of one of the curved corridors that connect two wards. Enter Fergus Falls. Sounds and people would be sealed in their respective wards, as the hallways would act like beautiful airlocks; they were so long that it was unlikely that doors would be open on both sides at the same time. Look at the beautiful ironwork on that sink! Tours in Fergus Falls. My email address is michelleraekreis@yahoo.es, if you would like to send me something & I can reply & send you the picture. Laundry was done by supervised patients as part of their Occupational Therapy and the staff took no chances. Otter Tail County Historic Society Executive Director Chris Schuelke tells attendees what to expect during the state hospital cemetary tour on Friday. Its a part of history and so interesting to learn about and see. Records show a … The very top of the Administration Tower’s spiral staircase. However his Mother, Father and one sister were killed and another sister injured. Be Proactive. Studio space is ma… FERGUS FALLS, Minn. — Demolition continues at the site of the former state hospital here, but a group is making sure its history can still be explored with an upcoming tour. Please figure something out to keep it standing!! Fergus Falls State Hospital looks like a lens from the sky… it’s an appropriate form for a third-of-a-mile-long building constructed to focus the powers of 19th century medicine and the state, The State of Minnesota. prev | next Fergus Falls State Hospital Page. Her youngest son was living there when I met him in 1966and was living there when he died. For the past 15 years, the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs has hosted a live Veterans Day event, typically held at the Veterans Memorial Community Center in Inver Grove Heights, MN, with sponsorship by the Minnesota Commanders’ Task Force and supported by state and local partners. After many years, her burial linformation was found and a stone placed on her grave. I am a beautiful 20 year old with dreams and a heart. Sure would be cool to dig up any old records from this place. I know you are probably shaking your head at this. Note that even this building had a nurse’s station with shatterproof windows. It makes me wonder if especially dangerous patients were kept in this ward; those who could not be trusted to not extract and sharpen the ceramic tiles. It first received transfer patients from the St. Peter State Hospital, and then admitted only men. The now-demolished Sanatorium, for patients of the asylum that contracted the disease. var year = today.getFullYear() High School. Tras varias reconversiones, el centro quedó, en 2005, en manos de la […]. Begin typing your search above and press return to search. Hand-laid tile, but the pattern made it seem even older than the rest of the hospital. We expect that our new build at Lenore Way in Fergus Falls will begin in June, pending the lifting of group restrictions and the resumption of normal life. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Fergus Falls, MN 56537 Map and driving directions 218.736.8000 info@lrhc.org. Patients, depending on the severity of their conditions, tended to the roughly 500 acres of farmland and livestock which included hundreds of cattle, a mess of hogs and a handful of horses. person will not be tolerated. Looking into a common from the grounds. They don’t have many structures like this anymore! The first burial was done in August 1890 and the last one in September of 1968. Tunnel Directions. I was a baby and I had 3 older brothers . One of the most beautiful exterior features of the hospital are these turret vents, highly stylized and beautiful to behold. The … My grandfather also employed patients on his work crews. I was committed there against my will for 3 months. From the tiny hexagonal tiles lining the dusty isolation rooms to the curtains hanging from the ward ceilings, to say nothing of the dark and stuffy tunnels below…. I live about 45 minutes from Gary SD where there used to be a blind school. Artists stay in the Campus View Apartments, which are newly renovated apartments in former nurse’s dormitory buildings on the campus of the Fergus Falls State Hospital. And those of you that want to benefit financially from the suffering of the souls that died there by doing ghost tours, etc. This ward was the last occupied place in the hospital. Our team had a brilliant idea when determining the next markets to establish a Craft Beer Tour in - after adding Grand Forks to the lineup. Craft Beer Tours also had a very successful Brew Bus event, in March of 2020, before restrictions went into place, and plans to host brew busses again, as restrictions ease. Mathew Holding Eagle/Daily Journal, Edward N. Raknerud’s grave marker on Friday. I hope God has more patience for you than I do!!!! I have a picture of my great grandmother from the early 1900’swith the same uniform I have found in various pictures of the nurses from here. They grounds have been made into a campground also. People would rent hotel rooms and visit/tour the facilities. I would be interested to hear if anyone knows the backstory of this section. Explore AeroFennec's photos on Flickr. . It was a terrible experience and still is very hard to think about, but I don’t think they should tear it down. In those days, one had to be male and sentenced to stay at the hospital. we all came down with the whooping cough so my mother spent many sleepless nights caring for us. Fergus Falls State Hospital. I still have my Grandmother’s Nursing books. Sliding curtains gave a little privacy to the residents of this room, which looked and felt more medicinal than most of the other multi-patient rooms. She swore she wasn’t. My Grand Father, Grand Mother and their children lived in Fergus Falls until the summer of 1919. Fergus Falls, Minnesota (56537) Today. Bowling Alley. To round out the strangeness, a toilet was plumbed into the middle of the space. Keep it Clean. Tear the place down, plant a bunch of trees and flowers and have the cemetery blessed. Indeed, fresh air and ample sunlight was the chief prescription then, a feature architecturally integrated by Thomas Kirkbride, the psychologist who inspired the design of this hospital. The Fergus Falls State Hospital Cemetery is located in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. There were 2 isolation rooms (one upstairs, one downstairs). Architect Warren Dunnell from Minnesopolis, Minnesota used a layout proposed byDr. […] it attracted capital for two industries; mental health services at the Fergus Falls State Hospital (also on this site) and flour milling at Phelps Mill and Red River Milling Company.Phelps is now a tourist attraction […]. LET IT SNOW (Groundhog Day!) It followed a moral management plan based upon the concepts of Dr. Thomas S. Kirkbride. This is one of the modern nurse’s stations where the last inpatients lived in the mid-2000s. My Grandmother, Esther Thornberg Swanson also attended nursing school at The State Hospital. I personally would never set foot in it again. Why wouldn’t they want to forget? Flagged areas on Friday that will have grave markers added to them. Fergus Falls Area Chamber of Commerce 202 South Court Street, Fergus Falls, MN 56537 218. A typical shower in the old section of the hospital. Well, technically moonlight… but a with stars nonetheless! My dad needed help for her and she was taken to Fergus Falls for help. Instead, my eyes were drawn to the worn paths in the floor between the rooms. He was from the Oak Valley township. prev | next Fergus Falls State Hospital Page. 4D was on the building post. These long curved corridors connected the wards. Shame on you!!!!!!! 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