The Illinois Eastern Hospital for the Insane is now called Samuel H. Shapiro Developmental Center. It's located where it has been since about 1890, in Kankakee. Its name was changed to Kankakee State Hospital in 1910, to Kankakee Developmental Center in 1975, and finally to Samuel H. Shapiro Developmental Center in 1977. As for how to get records, I've been told by officials there that it's difficult for privacy reasons. You might be told it takes a court order to get records. Here's some good advice once sent to me by one of our members: Go to the Circuit Clerks office in the town where your relative lived. Request court records that put the person in the insane hospital. They are filed just like Wills. You will find a lot of testimony from family & neighbors, most likely along with data on the person themselves. Birth, marriage and country of origin (if they weren't born here) and their parents. This is what I found on mine. If the person died there you will find out the disposition of body. Our phone book gives a Shapiro address as 100 East Jeffery, Kankakee, IL 60901. Phone numbers listed are 815-939-8011 and 815-939-8221. I hope this helps! ----- Original Message ----- From: Dave Pro <davepro88@yahoo.com> To: <ILFORD-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 1999 12:45 PM Subject: [ILFORD-L] Illinois Eastern Hospital > I am looking to get records from the Illinois Eastern > Hospital for my GGG Grandmother who was admitted in > the 1890's. The commitment papers indicate this > hospital is located in Kankakee. She lived in Gilman, > IL. Does anyone know if this hospital still exists? > Also, the address and where I might write to get > copies of her file? > > Thanks, > > David Provencher > > > > ===== > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com > > > ==== ILFORD Mailing List ==== > ********************************************************** > To search the list, go to > RootsWeb Mailing Lists -- Interactive Search > http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl > Enter ILFORD in the text box requesting which mailing list > you wish to search. >