I was wondering if there is some type of institution for the insane in Jacksonville. I recently received some records that say Vanmeter Romans was insane and in parentheses it says "Jacksonville". Does anyone on the list know of an institution of this type around 1917 and where I might obtain records? Rhonda

Address: The Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) - Jacksonville Developmental Center (Center) is located at 1201 South Main Street, Jacksonville, Illinois. From the Illinois State Archives web site: http://www.sos.state.il.us/departments/archives/archives.html RECORD GROUP 252.000 - JACKSONVILLE MENTAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL CENTER The General Assembly provided for the establishment of the first state hospital for the insane in Illinois in 1847. A nine-member board of trustees, named in the original act, was empowered to appoint a superintendent, purchase land, and construct facilities in Jacksonville for the Illinois State Hospital for the Insane (L. 1847, p. 52). The first patient was admitted on November 3, 1851. All patients were to be maintained at state expense. However, patients or their counties were expected to pay for clothing, travel, and incidental expenses. In 1869 the board of trustees was reduced to three members and the newly created Board of State Commissioners of Public Charities was given authority to investigate and report to the Governor on conditions at the hospital (L. 1869, p. 63). As additional hospitals for the insane were established, the state was divided into districts and the Jacksonville institution, renamed as the Illinois Central Hospital for the Insane, assumed primary responsibility for patients from counties of central Illinois (L. 1875, p. 83). The board of trustees was abolished in 1909 when executive and administrative control of all state charitable institutions passed to the newly created Board of Administration. As part of the reorganization the institution was renamed the Jacksonville State Hospital (L. 1909, p. 102). The Civil Administrative Code of 1917 transferred jurisdiction of the hospital to the Department of Public Welfare. For 1944-1974 the hospital participated in a departmental affiliation program for psychiatric nursing which provided instruction in psychiatric nursing to students from general hospital nursing schools. The Psychiatric Nursing Affiliation Program offered two-, three,- and four-month terms of classroom instruction and practical training at Jacksonville State Hospital. In 1961 the Department of Mental Health assumed responsibility for Jacksonville State Hospital and in 1974 expanded the hospital's duties to include treatment for the developmentally disabled (L. 1961, p. 2666). To reflect this change in function the institution's name became the Jacksonville Mental Health and Developmental Center in 1975 (P.A. 79-581, p. 1895). Access to some of these records is restricted according to the provisions of the Mental Health Code and the State Records Act of 1957 as amended. From Sanatoriums Archives at Rootsweb: SANATORIUMS-L Archives From: "Marty" <martycarr@comcast.net> Subject: Re: [Sanatoriums] JACKSONVILLE STATE HOSPITAL Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2003 12:02:03 -0400 References: <<200307221431.h6MEVnIT027979@mail.rootsweb.com>> I also had an ancestor in Jacksonville. I wrote to the state archives and this is part of the response I received: "The Illinois State Archives does house the Casebooks for patients admitted to these facilities. Unfortunately, all patient records are permanently closed to public inspection under provisions of the Illinois Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act except by court order. Inquiries and any court orders for access to these records should be directed through the Illinois Department of Human Services." The contact person they sent is: Anne Mahalik, Office of Mental Health, Dept. of Human Services, 160 North LaSalle St., Chicago, Illinois 60601, 312/814-4832. ----- Original Message ----- From: "iceman70" <iceman70@hal-pc.org> To: <ILMORGAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2004 8:26 PM Subject: [ILMORGAN] Vanmeter Romans > I was wondering if there is some type of institution for the insane in Jacksonville. I recently received some records that say Vanmeter Romans was insane and in parentheses it says "Jacksonville". Does anyone on the list know of an institution of this type around 1917 and where I might obtain records? > Rhonda > > > ==== ILMORGAN Mailing List ==== > Come search our Morgan County ILGenWeb Pages! We have a > Search Engine to help you find your ancestor! > http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmorgan/morgan.htm > >

Carolyn, Thank you very much for this information. I plan to send a letter off right away. I really appreciate your help. Rhonda ----- Original Message ----- From: "carolyn b" <cb010147@cfl.rr.com> To: <ILMORGAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2004 7:54 PM Subject: Re: [ILMORGAN] Vanmeter Romans > Address: > The Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) - Jacksonville > Developmental Center (Center) > is located at 1201 South Main Street, Jacksonville, Illinois. > > From the Illinois State Archives web site: > http://www.sos.state.il.us/departments/archives/archives.html > >

go to www.rootsweb.com/~ilmaga/ that page has some on those records online Carol Living in the Past Lane! ----- Original Message ----- From: "iceman70" <iceman70@hal-pc.org> To: <ILMORGAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2004 7:26 PM Subject: [ILMORGAN] Vanmeter Romans > I was wondering if there is some type of institution for the insane in Jacksonville. I recently received some records that say Vanmeter Romans was insane and in parentheses it says "Jacksonville". Does anyone on the list know of an institution of this type around 1917 and where I might obtain records? > Rhonda > > > ==== ILMORGAN Mailing List ==== > Come search our Morgan County ILGenWeb Pages! We have a > Search Engine to help you find your ancestor! > http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmorgan/morgan.htm > >