Bill, didn't Art Linkletter have a radio show in San Francisco during the WW11 years?  I remember going with family to one of his shows.   As the years go by I am not as sharp as I used to be. Marciel ________________________________ From: Bill Roddy <billroddy@cox.net> To: norcal@rootsweb.com Sent: Thu, May 27, 2010 6:22:26 AM Subject: [NORCAL] Art Linkletter and SF Around 1948 Art had a daily show on KNBC, Taylor and O'Farrell, called a "Date at Eight." (8 a. m.) I was often his announcer. Art was a perfectionist and I thought he was kind of tough on me, but at 26 I wasn't the most mature person, and I wasn't that great an announcer. He passed away May 26, 2010 at age 97. Bill ----------------------------------------- NORCAL ARCHIVES: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/ Enter NORCAL.  Browse by month. Or click the "Search all archives" link to search by keyword. ----------------------------------------- To post a message to the NORCAL mailing list, send an email to NORCAL@rootsweb.com ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NORCAL-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I can't imagine how horrible this must have been for some of the patients. Virginia -----Original Message----- >From: rwalker <rwalker@saber.net> >Sent: May 29, 2010 11:18 AM >To: NORCAL Post <NORCAL@rootsweb.com> >Subject: Re: [NORCAL] State Hospitals > >In 1956, as part of my rotation as a Student Nurse, a group of us were >sent to Napa State Hospital for our 3 month Psychiatric training. We >lived upstairs in a cottage that had patients below, who were judged to >be stable enough to be out on the grounds during the day. At that time >Napa State Hospital, or Imola as it was called, was a small city unto >itself. There was a farm, a cannery, and other places where the inmates >could work, like the laundry, or in kitchen prepping food. There was a >small store where people could buy candy, magazines, and trinkets. There >was a large auditorium that was used for various purposes, church >services on Sundays, and once a week it was turned into a roller skating >rink. > >All kinds of people were there for all kinds of reasons. They still had >the old locked wards for the most severely psychotic. The "snake pit" >wards, where they still had the old restraining boxes that they "didn't >use" any more. These were coffin sized boxes with wire mesh panels on >the sides and the lid which was locked over the patient. Body wrap >restraints like muslin body bags were still used. And they did use cold >water on people wrapped to "calm them down". What I saw there that >troubled me the most was the ECT/EST- electro shock therapy. Although >there were patients who said it helped them. One woman who was manic >depressive always let the staff know when she felt a manic phase coming >on, and would be given shock therapy. Others said it helped stop the >voices in their heads, or stop painful memories that haunted them. But >it was difficult to watch. > >As part of our Psych education, we sat in on patient conferences. >Psychiatry was very Freudian oriented then and there was always some >"sexually repressed" parent (usually the mother) who was blamed for the >patient's condition, especially schizophrenia. One of their prize >patients was a woman who had been lobotomized. She was considered one of >their success stories. I no longer remember what her original diagnosis >was, but she told us in flat tones, with an expressionless face that she >was "much better now." And who knows, she might have been. > >This was a new type of psych training for Nursing students. We were the >first class, (along with some students from UCSF) who stayed at the >facility. After a two week orientation we were assigned individual >patients to work with. I was assigned a 16 year old schizophrenic girl, >who was lost in her own world, and didn't talk. I took her out for walks >every day. She wasn't allowed out on her own. We would walk to the >little store and get a candy bar, then take a walk around one of the >little lakes by the farm. On Thursdays I took her roller skating. I >always did all the talking, telling her about my life and family, and >things I did on the weekends at home. I began telling her before I was >due to leave that I was going, and that another student would come to be >her new friend. She never said a word until my last day, and then asked >what she would do without me. I assured her that in a couple of weeks >she would meet someone new to be her friend. I heard later, that having >the students assigned to her helped her to start communicating again, >and within a year was well enough to go home on weekend passes. There >were similar stories for some of the other patients assigned to students. > >There were wards for all kinds of people. There were children who were >seriously disturbed, and there were a couple of wards for teens. One for >psychotic and violent, and the other for teens with emotional problems. > >And there were all kinds of people there--including some who shouldn't >have been. I remember one sweet grandmotherly lady whose family sent her >because they said she went crazy after "The Change." The staff knew she >was perfectly normal, but kept her because she had no where else to go. >And there were others like her-- women sent because of supposedly >becoming strange, or depressed while going through menopause. Most were >depressed, either from the effects of menopause, or for being committed. >Another I remember was a cute 15 year old girl from a ranching family >in another county. She had been repeatedly molested by members of the >family, who when she resisted and fought back, said she was crazy and >violent and had her committed. The staff kept her there for protective >custody. There was no way for her to be put into foster care, because >the family was prominent and had too much pull to be charged with the >molestations. Another young man was from a prominent wine country family >who had been in an auto accident and had suffered severe trauma to his >head. He was "not right" and so the family had him committed. >Apparently he had occasional seizures or violent episodes. Now some of >these people, including the youngsters, were truly severely disturbed, >and even today with medications could not be cared for at home. > >And that is where the hospitals served the best. People who could not >live in "normal" society had a place that was essentially safe, had >clothing, food and shelter, and didn't have to live under a bridge >somewhere. Yes, they were forced to stay there, and yes, as medications >became available for treatment, they were forced to take their meds. In >fact, they had little choice in whatever treatment was deemed >necessary. Now in a way we are back to where we were before the >hospitals were established. Communities do not have enough money to take >care of their own people with psychiatric needs. When I worked for a >local county health department, mental health funds were the first to be >chopped. There was eventually no place in our county for children with >mental health problems that needed in-patient care, and the adults >didn't fare much better. I don't know what the answer is. > > > >----------------------------------------- >NORCAL ARCHIVES: >http://archiver.rootsweb.com/ >Enter NORCAL. Browse by month. >Or click the "Search all archives" link to search by keyword. >----------------------------------------- >To post a message to the NORCAL mailing list, send an email to NORCAL@rootsweb.com >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NORCAL-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

The "state " hospitals in Florida used the patients as guinea pigs trying out new medications on them. And, as I recall it, if a cure seemed to be found, local hospitals or clinics tried these out on their patients but, with one difference...they had the patients permission. My mother was one who gave her permission (free treatment) as she went through "her change" at the young age of her mid-thirties. As I recall it was some kind of electrical shock treatments and they helped her tremendously. This was during the depression and we had no money to pay. She trusted her doctor as he assured her they would not harm her. Of course, he could not promise her they would help. Incidentally, even though some said it was not possible for her to go through "the change" that early, she and her doctor lived to see me go through it in my late th irties. I had no trouble convincing my Oby that that was my problem when I told him . Ella ----- Original Message ----- From: "EdrieAnne Broughton" <edrieanne@gmail.com> To: <norcal@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, May 29, 2010 12:44 PM Subject: Re: [NORCAL] State Hospitals > My sister was a 'teacher' in a day program for adults with cerebral palsy > and other causes of brain damage. All of her clients were severely > affected > physically and had various states of mental capacity. She had one client > who was in her late 30s and had been institutionalized at Stockton State > Hospital since she was a pre-teen. A lifetime of anti-psychotic drugs had > left her in a wheelchair with severe osteoporosis. A moderate nudge could > break a bone. I don't know what her original diagnosis was but her > biggest > problem at this later stage was periodic seizures. These nearly always > led > to an ambulance ride to the hospital. My sister would always end up with > nearly as many bruises as her client but without the broken bones. The > job > was draining and she finally burned out and moved on. She heard about a > year later that the woman had passed on. A lot of medications and > treatments had been used over the years in State Hospitals with inadequate > testing. > EdrieAnne > > > ----------------------------------------- > NORCAL ARCHIVES: > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/ > Enter NORCAL. Browse by month. > Or click the "Search all archives" link to search by keyword. > ----------------------------------------- > To post a message to the NORCAL mailing list, send an email to > NORCAL@rootsweb.com > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NORCAL-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message

A little addendum to my Imola Story. One afternoon we were shown a film showing the effects of a new drug that they had great hopes for. It showed a secretary at a lab, taking the drug and then watching her as she went through a state of hallucinations. It was hoped that using this on "normal" people would give insight to the understanding of Schizophrenia, and other psychotic diseases, and possibly lead to a cure. The new drug? Lysergic acid diethylamide --- LSD. rwalker

I have stories from my grandmother about parties they would attend in the Ukiah, Covelo area. They would set out to attend a party, stop for the night at a friend's house, play games and eat dinner till late. Get up the next morning, eat and head out to the party. Go dancing and eating, crash there for the night and get up the next morning to head home. But they would take another route home, stop at a friend's eat dinner, stay up playing cards etc...get up the next morning and head home. I looked up the route one time and thought WHY are they staying at friends places? Not just going to the party/dance and then heading back? Then it dawned on me they were traveling by horse back and wagon. What would take us a day or less to get to took them much longer. So they would make a holiday of it and visit as many far flung friends as they could before heading home. One story has the "youngsters" of the two families away for almost a week as they just went from house to house visiting and dancing. I bet they had a good time. Susan Boise, Idaho, USA -----Original Message----- From: norcal-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:norcal-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Linda Mock Sent: Friday, May 21, 2010 7:10 PM To: norcal@rootsweb.com Subject: [NORCAL] Traveling Humboldt Co.~ 1890 Was reading an interesting article about travels. Thought it might interest you folks. 1890, the population was then about 8,000 persons in the Eureka area. The distants to San Francisco by steamer was about 221 miles (Coast sea travel), and the trip took about 20 hours, the fare for 1st. class was $10.00; 2nd class, $5.00....the overland STAGE was 180 miles to Ukiah. The San Francisco & Northern Pacific Railroad was 113, totaling 293 miles, and took 36 hours, for a fare of $16.50. About all I can say is that travel was an expense then as it is now, but by air gets you there faster, if you don't have to double back on your route. ~Linda~ Willow Creek, CA.

Thanks for the heads up. It IS on now. Jean P. Clavere d. 2-27? 1917 in SF, age 63? Theresa Clavere d. 5-2-1921 S.F. age 61 Emil Schallock d. S.F. 2-18-1927, age 69? Alice F. Schallock d. 4-19.1964 Nevada Co.; born CA 11-13-1887 Sure wish some of these entries weren't so blurry. Maybe it's just my aged eyes. Cathy Marin Co., CA "There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast" - unknown

Hanford Journal Hanford, Kings Co., California Tuesday, 7 JULY 1896 *************************** DEATH -- KING -- At her home near Traver, today (Tuesday), Mrs. Mary J. KING, wife of R.J. KING, a native of Tennessee, aged 42 years. [The funeral of deceased takes place tomorrow (Wednesday) at 3:30 p.m., from the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Deceased was quite well known here, where she and her family have a large circle of acquaintances. Arthur KING, assistant cashier of the Bank of Hanford, is her son. Her death is a loss to the community wherein she lived, for she was a noble woman and a devoted mother. The sympathy of the entire community goes out to the family of deceased in this, their hour of greatest trial.] [from Local Paragraphs column] -- Christine M. ADAMS has begun a suit for divorce from Alfred ADAMS, on the grounds of desertion. J.F. PRYOR is attorney for plaintiff, who conducts a barber shop in this city. [from Lemoore column] -- On Tuesday of this week [Lemoore 'Leader' dated July 4th] Frank BLAKELEY was presented with a bouncing baby boy by his wife. ------------------------------------------------------ TROUBLE OVER WATER -- It Results in the Arrest of Several Farmers and Their Employees -- Warrants of arrest were issued out of the Justices' courts of this city this forenoon against the following named persons: Emil MOHR Thos. HANNAH Geo. HAGUE John McADAM A.I. RIDER W.C. HUSONG N. PATTERSON Chas. McDAVIS R. McMILLAN Chas. COBLER W.F. HARRISON V.W. HEWLING The defendants are all farmers and employees, residing near Grangeville and Kingston. They all appeared in court this afternoon (except T. HANNAH, on whom a warrant had not been served). It being a legal holiday, the Justices decided that the trials of defendants could not be proceeded with today, as requested by defendants' attorney, and the bail of each defendant was fixed at $200, which is now being furnished. The arrests are the result of a dispute over water between the Last Chance Ditch Co. and the Lineberger Slough Ditch Co. On the 1st of July a dam made of sacks of dirt was placed across the river above the headgate of the Last Chance by the said company and was blown out. It was replaced by a brush dam, which was blown out this morning, it is alleged, by the defendants. The Lineberger ditch people claim that the dam can not be legally maintained there, while the Last Chance people claim that it can. It is essentially a civil and not criminal business, and the litigation which will follow the arrests will no doubt settle the points in dispute. The first case will be tried Thursday. ------------------------------------------------------- LOCAL PARAGRAPHS -- -Wm. COREY is again able to be about the streets a little. He has been ailing with stomach trouble for the past 2 months. His many friends hope to see him hale and hearty soon again, now that he is on the mend. -Dr. MUSGRAVE and E.E. MANHEIM have returned from their trip to the Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Big Trees. K.H. SIM is expected to arrive today. The doctor was called home by the dangerous illness of his little daughter, who is now a little better. -Mrs. V.M. FOSTER of Oakland, who has been visiting her brother, A.V. TAYLOR, returned home Friday morning. -Lee and John DANNER went to San Francisco Thursday night, where John had an operation performed on his eyes, in fact, 1 eye was cut out as it was useless and painful. -A party consisting of A.M. SQUIRE of Hanford and Ben MADDUX, J. Sub. JOHNSON, Ira CHRISMAN and Rush PENDERGRASS of Visalia, will start about Thursday for a trip to Mr. Whitney meadows in Kings river canyon. SANGER 'HERALD' -- Mr. Albert HOBLER of Sanger drove over from Hanford last Friday with his 3 nieces, the Misses HOLBER, and Miss Nellie EDDY of that place. During their stay in Sanger the young ladies were the guests of their aunt, Mrs. L.W. HOBLER. This week they were conveyed to Pine Ridge by Mr. HOBLER, where they will spend a few weeks visiting Mr.&Mrs. John BACON. ------------------------------------------------------- GRANGEVILLE -- -Mr.&Mrs. AWALT were over from Wheatville the first of the week, visiting their daughter, Mrs. AGEE. They were the guests of Mr.&Mrs. THORNE on Thursday. -Word was received from John HUMPHREYS, now in Stockton, that his position was permanent as long as he liked it and gave satisfaction, as teacher of the Stockton Business College. ARMONA -- -Miss Alcy RICHMOND returned from the Fresno Hot Springs last Saturday, not feeling much better herself, but her father, S. RICHMOND, was improving somewhat and will remain at the springs 3 or 4 weeks. -Last Thursday evening James SHAY, the postmaster, had a treat in a visit from his cousin, Mr. SHAY of Selma, whom he had not seen for over 32 years until about a month ago they clasped hands for the 1st time since the war. His son, Prof. C. SHAY of Seattle, Washington, came to his place about sundown, and it was a time heartily enjoyed by all. LEMOORE LOCALS -- -Mrs. CHAMBERLAIN has been seriously ill with typhoid fever. -Mr. Jerry BROTHERS is now employed as clerk in Chas. BARRETT's store. -John HEINLEN, father of Marian HEINLEN, was in Lemoore a few days last week on business, returning to San Jose on Friday last. -Chas. KELLER, who had one of his arms badly lacerated a couple of weeks since while handling a horse, is still unable to use his arm. He is having a large wagon fitted up for a camping trip, and expects to make a trip to the coast in a few days, taking his family with him. -Mrs. B.K. SWEETLAND and daughters Mabel and Isabella, who have been residing in San Francisco for some time past, arrived in Lemoore on Wednesday evening's train. They will spend the summer months here. They were accompanied by Mr. Fred ARMSTRONG, a resident of San Francisco, who will visit in this section for a time. -James CULLINGHAM, conductor on the Goshen and Alcalde division, is now recovering from a severe attack of malarial fever. During his illness he lost 27 pounds in weight in 6 days. He is now able to be around, but is still very weak, and will make a trip to the coast to regain his strength before resuming his duties as conductor. -Mrs. Lizzie D. COPELAND has gone to San Francisco to join relatives from the East, and will visit Portland and other points. She will return shortly to take charge of her music class. Mrs. COPELAND has had a class of 14 scholars for the last 6 months. Little Amy McLAUGHLIN, who played at a recent meeting of the Woman's Club after taking 7 lessons, was one of Mrs. COPELAND's scholars, of whom she is justly proud, as well as many others of her class. Transcribed by Dee Sardoch To see more old newspapers, visit http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/

I can't get on with a premium membership - site's down for some reason. In a message dated 5/29/2010 9:20:24 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, Frty9rgal@aol.com writes: I can't get into VitalSearch on a guest pass for some reason. These people are not on the post 1940 CADI. I would really appreciate a lookup for their death info: John P (Jean Pierre) Clavere & wife Theresa Clavere Emil Schallock & wife Alice F Clavere Schallock Thanks so very much! Judy ----------------------------------------- NORCAL ARCHIVES: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/ Enter NORCAL. Browse by month. Or click the "Search all archives" link to search by keyword. ----------------------------------------- To post a message to the NORCAL mailing list, send an email to NORCAL@rootsweb.com ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NORCAL-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I can't get into VitalSearch on a guest pass for some reason. These people are not on the post 1940 CADI. I would really appreciate a lookup for their death info: John P (Jean Pierre) Clavere & wife Theresa Clavere Emil Schallock & wife Alice F Clavere Schallock Thanks so very much! Judy

It seems to be working now. Phil Carnahan Sebastopol, CA Mendocino County Indexes http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mendocem/ Mendocino County Tombstone Photos http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mendocem/index1.html Carnahan Tombstone Photos http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mendocem/Carnahan/carnahan.html ----- Original Message ----- From: Frty9rgal@aol.com To: norcal@rootsweb.com Sent: Saturday, May 29, 2010 9:19 AM Subject: [NORCAL] Vital Search Lookup Request-Schallock & Clavere I can't get into VitalSearch on a guest pass for some reason. These people are not on the post 1940 CADI. I would really appreciate a lookup for their death info: John P (Jean Pierre) Clavere & wife Theresa Clavere Emil Schallock & wife Alice F Clavere Schallock Thanks so very much! Judy ----------------------------------------- NORCAL ARCHIVES: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/ Enter NORCAL. Browse by month. Or click the "Search all archives" link to search by keyword. ----------------------------------------- To post a message to the NORCAL mailing list, send an email to NORCAL@rootsweb.com ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NORCAL-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

My sister was a 'teacher' in a day program for adults with cerebral palsy and other causes of brain damage. All of her clients were severely affected physically and had various states of mental capacity. She had one client who was in her late 30s and had been institutionalized at Stockton State Hospital since she was a pre-teen. A lifetime of anti-psychotic drugs had left her in a wheelchair with severe osteoporosis. A moderate nudge could break a bone. I don't know what her original diagnosis was but her biggest problem at this later stage was periodic seizures. These nearly always led to an ambulance ride to the hospital. My sister would always end up with nearly as many bruises as her client but without the broken bones. The job was draining and she finally burned out and moved on. She heard about a year later that the woman had passed on. A lot of medications and treatments had been used over the years in State Hospitals with inadequate testing. EdrieAnne

Thank you for this . It is probably one of the most empathetic desciptions of life in a mental institution I have seen. I have a family member who died there 1907 after about 20 yrs inside. Before that he had a wonderful and successful life. A business failure seems to have been more than he could deal with, but not being able to have med. records we will never know his diagnosis. ----- Original Message ----- From: "rwalker" <rwalker@saber.net> To: "NORCAL Post" <NORCAL@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, May 29, 2010 9:18 AM Subject: Re: [NORCAL] State Hospitals > In 1956, as part of my rotation as a Student Nurse, a group of us were > sent to Napa State Hospital for our 3 month Psychiatric training. We > lived upstairs in a cottage that had patients below, who were judged to > be stable enough to be out on the grounds during the day. At that time > Napa State Hospital, or Imola as it was called, was a small city unto > itself. There was a farm, a cannery, and other places where the inmates > could work, like the laundry, or in kitchen prepping food. There was a > small store where people could buy candy, magazines, and trinkets. There > was a large auditorium that was used for various purposes, church > services on Sundays, and once a week it was turned into a roller skating > rink. > > All kinds of people were there for all kinds of reasons. They still had > the old locked wards for the most severely psychotic. The "snake pit" > wards, where they still had the old restraining boxes that they "didn't > use" any more. These were coffin sized boxes with wire mesh panels on > the sides and the lid which was locked over the patient. Body wrap > restraints like muslin body bags were still used. And they did use cold > water on people wrapped to "calm them down". What I saw there that > troubled me the most was the ECT/EST- electro shock therapy. Although > there were patients who said it helped them. One woman who was manic > depressive always let the staff know when she felt a manic phase coming > on, and would be given shock therapy. Others said it helped stop the > voices in their heads, or stop painful memories that haunted them. But > it was difficult to watch. > > As part of our Psych education, we sat in on patient conferences. > Psychiatry was very Freudian oriented then and there was always some > "sexually repressed" parent (usually the mother) who was blamed for the > patient's condition, especially schizophrenia. One of their prize > patients was a woman who had been lobotomized. She was considered one of > their success stories. I no longer remember what her original diagnosis > was, but she told us in flat tones, with an expressionless face that she > was "much better now." And who knows, she might have been. > > This was a new type of psych training for Nursing students. We were the > first class, (along with some students from UCSF) who stayed at the > facility. After a two week orientation we were assigned individual > patients to work with. I was assigned a 16 year old schizophrenic girl, > who was lost in her own world, and didn't talk. I took her out for walks > every day. She wasn't allowed out on her own. We would walk to the > little store and get a candy bar, then take a walk around one of the > little lakes by the farm. On Thursdays I took her roller skating. I > always did all the talking, telling her about my life and family, and > things I did on the weekends at home. I began telling her before I was > due to leave that I was going, and that another student would come to be > her new friend. She never said a word until my last day, and then asked > what she would do without me. I assured her that in a couple of weeks > she would meet someone new to be her friend. I heard later, that having > the students assigned to her helped her to start communicating again, > and within a year was well enough to go home on weekend passes. There > were similar stories for some of the other patients assigned to students. > > There were wards for all kinds of people. There were children who were > seriously disturbed, and there were a couple of wards for teens. One for > psychotic and violent, and the other for teens with emotional problems. > > And there were all kinds of people there--including some who shouldn't > have been. I remember one sweet grandmotherly lady whose family sent her > because they said she went crazy after "The Change." The staff knew she > was perfectly normal, but kept her because she had no where else to go. > And there were others like her-- women sent because of supposedly > becoming strange, or depressed while going through menopause. Most were > depressed, either from the effects of menopause, or for being committed. > Another I remember was a cute 15 year old girl from a ranching family > in another county. She had been repeatedly molested by members of the > family, who when she resisted and fought back, said she was crazy and > violent and had her committed. The staff kept her there for protective > custody. There was no way for her to be put into foster care, because > the family was prominent and had too much pull to be charged with the > molestations. Another young man was from a prominent wine country family > who had been in an auto accident and had suffered severe trauma to his > head. He was "not right" and so the family had him committed. > Apparently he had occasional seizures or violent episodes. Now some of > these people, including the youngsters, were truly severely disturbed, > and even today with medications could not be cared for at home. > > And that is where the hospitals served the best. People who could not > live in "normal" society had a place that was essentially safe, had > clothing, food and shelter, and didn't have to live under a bridge > somewhere. Yes, they were forced to stay there, and yes, as medications > became available for treatment, they were forced to take their meds. In > fact, they had little choice in whatever treatment was deemed > necessary. Now in a way we are back to where we were before the > hospitals were established. Communities do not have enough money to take > care of their own people with psychiatric needs. When I worked for a > local county health department, mental health funds were the first to be > chopped. There was eventually no place in our county for children with > mental health problems that needed in-patient care, and the adults > didn't fare much better. I don't know what the answer is. > > > > ----------------------------------------- > NORCAL ARCHIVES: > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/ > Enter NORCAL. Browse by month. > Or click the "Search all archives" link to search by keyword. > ----------------------------------------- > To post a message to the NORCAL mailing list, send an email to > NORCAL@rootsweb.com > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NORCAL-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message

In 1956, as part of my rotation as a Student Nurse, a group of us were sent to Napa State Hospital for our 3 month Psychiatric training. We lived upstairs in a cottage that had patients below, who were judged to be stable enough to be out on the grounds during the day. At that time Napa State Hospital, or Imola as it was called, was a small city unto itself. There was a farm, a cannery, and other places where the inmates could work, like the laundry, or in kitchen prepping food. There was a small store where people could buy candy, magazines, and trinkets. There was a large auditorium that was used for various purposes, church services on Sundays, and once a week it was turned into a roller skating rink. All kinds of people were there for all kinds of reasons. They still had the old locked wards for the most severely psychotic. The "snake pit" wards, where they still had the old restraining boxes that they "didn't use" any more. These were coffin sized boxes with wire mesh panels on the sides and the lid which was locked over the patient. Body wrap restraints like muslin body bags were still used. And they did use cold water on people wrapped to "calm them down". What I saw there that troubled me the most was the ECT/EST- electro shock therapy. Although there were patients who said it helped them. One woman who was manic depressive always let the staff know when she felt a manic phase coming on, and would be given shock therapy. Others said it helped stop the voices in their heads, or stop painful memories that haunted them. But it was difficult to watch. As part of our Psych education, we sat in on patient conferences. Psychiatry was very Freudian oriented then and there was always some "sexually repressed" parent (usually the mother) who was blamed for the patient's condition, especially schizophrenia. One of their prize patients was a woman who had been lobotomized. She was considered one of their success stories. I no longer remember what her original diagnosis was, but she told us in flat tones, with an expressionless face that she was "much better now." And who knows, she might have been. This was a new type of psych training for Nursing students. We were the first class, (along with some students from UCSF) who stayed at the facility. After a two week orientation we were assigned individual patients to work with. I was assigned a 16 year old schizophrenic girl, who was lost in her own world, and didn't talk. I took her out for walks every day. She wasn't allowed out on her own. We would walk to the little store and get a candy bar, then take a walk around one of the little lakes by the farm. On Thursdays I took her roller skating. I always did all the talking, telling her about my life and family, and things I did on the weekends at home. I began telling her before I was due to leave that I was going, and that another student would come to be her new friend. She never said a word until my last day, and then asked what she would do without me. I assured her that in a couple of weeks she would meet someone new to be her friend. I heard later, that having the students assigned to her helped her to start communicating again, and within a year was well enough to go home on weekend passes. There were similar stories for some of the other patients assigned to students. There were wards for all kinds of people. There were children who were seriously disturbed, and there were a couple of wards for teens. One for psychotic and violent, and the other for teens with emotional problems. And there were all kinds of people there--including some who shouldn't have been. I remember one sweet grandmotherly lady whose family sent her because they said she went crazy after "The Change." The staff knew she was perfectly normal, but kept her because she had no where else to go. And there were others like her-- women sent because of supposedly becoming strange, or depressed while going through menopause. Most were depressed, either from the effects of menopause, or for being committed. Another I remember was a cute 15 year old girl from a ranching family in another county. She had been repeatedly molested by members of the family, who when she resisted and fought back, said she was crazy and violent and had her committed. The staff kept her there for protective custody. There was no way for her to be put into foster care, because the family was prominent and had too much pull to be charged with the molestations. Another young man was from a prominent wine country family who had been in an auto accident and had suffered severe trauma to his head. He was "not right" and so the family had him committed. Apparently he had occasional seizures or violent episodes. Now some of these people, including the youngsters, were truly severely disturbed, and even today with medications could not be cared for at home. And that is where the hospitals served the best. People who could not live in "normal" society had a place that was essentially safe, had clothing, food and shelter, and didn't have to live under a bridge somewhere. Yes, they were forced to stay there, and yes, as medications became available for treatment, they were forced to take their meds. In fact, they had little choice in whatever treatment was deemed necessary. Now in a way we are back to where we were before the hospitals were established. Communities do not have enough money to take care of their own people with psychiatric needs. When I worked for a local county health department, mental health funds were the first to be chopped. There was eventually no place in our county for children with mental health problems that needed in-patient care, and the adults didn't fare much better. I don't know what the answer is.

Dear Listers, I am unable to access the California State Death Indes prior to 1940, and I wonder; could someone please take a look for me whether this lady died in California and if so, the exact date and place? Carrie aka Caroline AUSTIN born June 12, 1869 MN died Aug. 1937 ?CA Thanks a million in advance for your great assistance in this matter! Very sincerely yours, Lars E. Oyane Geilo, NORWAY lars.e.oyane@sdsl.no

Nice going Perrin & you're right - Sun. Part of my old team went to Cisco, part to Sun. I razzed them about being Agnews inmates. Not PC but . . . My great-uncle was sent to Napa because no one wanted to bother with him. He was a forceps baby with one eye socket crushed & he was a bit slow. It was so bad his brother finally took him in. Those places were anything but nice. Jim -- James R. Smith Author/Speaker/Researcher Author: San Francisco’s Lost Landmarks California Snatch Racket, June 2010 San Francisco's Playland at the Beach: The Early Years, Nov 2010 www.HistorySmith.com Perrin Larton wrote: > Just want to give a bit more information about Agnews State > Hospital/Agnews Developmental Center/Sun Microsystems Corporate campus > since there seem to be many questions about the facility... > > Agnews was 'born' in 1885 by the California State Legislature to house the > mentally ill. It was called Agnews Residential Facility and its official > job was to treat and care for the 'neuropsychiatric patient'. The first > patient was admitted in 1889. It was the third state institution for the > insane. > > The largest number of fatalities in Santa Clara County caused by the 1906 > Earthquake was at Agnews. Approximately 117 patients died when the > multi-storied unreinforced masonry building fell. When the facility was > being rebuilt, rather that build up; cottages were built around the > grounds to house the patients. Other mental institutions began to use > this same type of architecture for their patients following the Agnews > model. The idea was to have treatment in a separate building from where > the patients 'lived', giving the patients more light and fresh air instead > of the typical asylum treatment. > > With better understanding of mental illness and the advent of outpatient > treatment of the mentally ill, Agnews began to take developmentally > disabled patients as well as the mentally ill in about 1965. In 1971 the > Lanterman Act passed and was signed by then Governor Reagan, shutting down > Agnews but ONLY AS A MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY. It continued to have > developmentally disabled clients until March 2009! > > In 1996 California put up for sale much of the land that had been the > Agnews State Hospital...it was called surplus state land. The community > wanted to have some say in what would become of this historic area and the > hospital was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Sun > Microsystems invested 10 million dollars to make improvements to the > historically significant buildings on the site. The auditorium and the > mansion are available for groups to rent for gatherings on nights and > weekends and are said to be as beautiful now as when they were built in > 1913. > > Although the last 'client' moved from Agnews in 2009, there is still a > non-emergency medical clinic on the grounds to address the needs of the > developmentally disabled in an out patient setting. > > Sun Microsystems became a wholly owned subsidiary of Oracle on January 27, > 2010. > > All the above information I got from calling the City of Santa Clara and > doing some online research. > > The rest of these rambling thoughts are mine... > > Everyone who had a relative at Agnews or any mental health facility has a > story. Those of us who do genealogy seem to run across this more that the > average person! Why did men have their wives 'put away'? Why did the > eccentric woman on the corner have to go to 'get well'? Why did the first > cousin once removed of my cousins aunt never come back? I think that we > all have questions about someone in our family. That we can't get records > from these institutions, in many cases is a brick wall in our genealogical > search. At that time NO ONE spoke about 'those things'. I believe that > many were thinking "There but for the grace of God go I". > > Unfortunately we don't have documents from or about the inmates at > Agnews...perhaps it's better that way. Psychiatric treatment in the first > half of the 20th Century and even later was NOT something that most people > wanted to learn about. It was about keeping the patients under control > and if that took restraints, lobotomies, electro-shock therapy, or massive > doses of drugs that is what happened. > > We'll probably never know all of the 'whys'. I'm sure many were admitted > without what we now would call a substantive reason. I wonder what our > descendants will say in a hundred years about 'tough love', teen 'Boot > Camp', and other things we understand COMPLETELY now. > > I journal...everything! My kids are going to learn some really racy > things about their grandmother when I'm gone! I figure I want my > descendants to know the good, bad, and BETTER about my life and those who > are in it...straight from ME! > > Perrin > > > > > ----------------------------------------- > NORCAL ARCHIVES: > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/ > Enter NORCAL. Browse by month. > Or click the "Search all archives" link to search by keyword. > ----------------------------------------- > To post a message to the NORCAL mailing list, send an email to NORCAL@rootsweb.com > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NORCAL-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > >

Perrin, Nicely said. Margaret

My gggrandmother had my ggrandfather committed a couple of times saying he was a danger to himself. He wasn't insane he was an alcoholic. Both times he was releaed after a couple of months as being cured accordingto the local paper.This was in 1904 & 1905, he died in 1907 of TB and liver diease. He was committed to the aslyum in Provo,Utah. Sue C. Nampa,Id

A Claire B. Bowerman is listed in the CADI as dying in San Mateo Co. on Dec. 24, 1972. I wonder if one of you good people could look up an obit for her and scan it for me. I'm not sure she is the one I want, but the obit would go a long way towards telling me. Many thanks, Cathy

Napa State Hospital closed the graveyard and transferred all the bodies to a mass grave at out of town. The cemetery is located on the highway leading into town very near the Napa College. The cemetery has a list of all who were moved there. Napa State Hospital never used Tulocay Cemetery. The pauper graves there are not Hospital inmated who died at NSH. Evalou -----Original Message----- From: norcal-request@rootsweb.com To: norcal@rootsweb.com Sent: Fri, May 28, 2010 12:11 pm Subject: NORCAL Digest, Vol 5, Issue 213 NORCAL LIBRARY http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~yvonne/norcallib.html ----------------------------------------- ORCAL ARCHIVES: ttp://archiver.rootsweb.com/ nter NORCAL. Browse by month. r click the "Search all archives" link to search by keyword. oday's Topics: 1. Re: Insane? (Susan D Slade Grossl) 2. Re: Agnews History Museum (Nancy W.) 3. Re: Insane? (AO.Berry) 4. Burials at State Hospitals (Linda Mock) 5. Agnew (AO.Berry) 6. Developmentally disabled vs. insane at Agnews and elsewhere (Jeremy Nichols) 7. Re: Agnews History Museum (EdrieAnne Broughton) 8. ASH (ROLAND ELLIOTT) 9. Re: Agnews History Museum (HistorySmith.com) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 ate: Fri, 28 May 2010 10:01:00 -0600 rom: "Susan D Slade Grossl" <sdsladegrossl@cableone.net> ubject: Re: [NORCAL] Insane? o: "'ROLAND ELLIOTT'" <rolandelliott2@wildblue.net>, <norcal@rootsweb.com> essage-ID: <005101cafe7e$f7f47d10$e7dd7730$@net> ontent-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Roland, you can always put a smile on my face! Silly man of course I had female elatives..just none who got locked up J Susan From: ROLAND ELLIOTT [mailto:rolandelliott2@wildblue.net] ent: Friday, May 28, 2010 9:12 AM o: sdsladegrossl@cableone.net; norcal@rootsweb.com ubject: Re: [NORCAL] Insane? No Father,No Mother?????????.that is parthenogenesis's On Fri, May 28, 2010 at 8:09 AM, Susan D Slade Grossl sdsladegrossl@cableone.net> wrote: I guess I'm the one out of the norm here. I did not have an Aunt, or other emale relative, but rather a Great Uncle of my Grandfathers who was locked up. is business failed and he apparently had a hard time dealing with it. He was accidentally" scalded to death in a bath by one of the attendants. There was a ig investigation over it and it made the papers. Susan oise, Idaho, USA ---------------------------------------- ORCAL ARCHIVES: ttp://archiver.rootsweb.com/ nter NORCAL. Browse by month. r click the "Search all archives" link to search by keyword. ---------------------------------------- o post a message to the NORCAL mailing list, send an email to ORCAL@rootsweb.com ------------------------------ o unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCAL-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in he subject and the body of the message No virus found in this incoming message. hecked by AVG - www.avg.com ersion: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2898 - Release Date: 05/28/10 6:25:00 ------------------------------ Message: 2 ate: Fri, 28 May 2010 09:12:21 -0700 (PDT) rom: "Nancy W." <wright4766@bellsouth.net> ubject: Re: [NORCAL] Agnews History Museum o: norcal@rootsweb.com essage-ID: <514543.32238.qm@web83906.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> ontent-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 It could have been earlier, my sister went back to teaching about 1965.? I do emember the discussion was when we were together.? We didn't visit often.? It as a stop on the way to visit my parents.? Plane tickets for four was a luxury hat didn't come often. Nancy _______________________________ The developmentally challenged were routinely institutionalized in the old ays.? A lot of people abandoned those children.? The 1980s seems a bit late hough.? I thought ASH was closed by the mid 1970s. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? EdrieAnne ------------------------------ Message: 3 ate: Fri, 28 May 2010 09:37:10 -0700 rom: "AO.Berry" <lassic@telis.org> ubject: Re: [NORCAL] Insane? o: <norcal@rootsweb.com> essage-ID: <42D9F75EFF1C4A07BA2C77407AF44836@ArmendineBerPC> ontent-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original > No. They remained married until his death a year before hers. Payback is hell!!! Armendine ----------------------------- Message: 4 ate: Fri, 28 May 2010 09:48:10 -0700 rom: lindamock@webtv.net (Linda Mock) ubject: [NORCAL] Burials at State Hospitals o: norcal@rootsweb.com essage-ID: <15012-4BFFF3CA-2531@storefull-3172.bay.webtv.net> ontent-Type: Text/Plain; Charset=US-ASCII Most hospitals owned by the State have their own burial grounds on the roperty, most were limited in size.(999 graves) Records kept varied reatly as to information if any was kept..then if they filled the utoa, it was to the local cemetery's, they keep different types of ecords. Most were buried in pauper's graves with little information, ostly name, age and date of death...If an imate was fortunate enough, heir family claimed the remains for burial in the family plots. Napa urials need to check Tulocay Cemetery on Combsville Road. As Napa State ses them...Napa State doesn't release information easliy. So I'd start t the cemetery. ~Linda~ illow Creek, CA. ------------------------------ Message: 5 ate: Fri, 28 May 2010 09:55:49 -0700 rom: "AO.Berry" <lassic@telis.org> ubject: [NORCAL] Agnew o: "Nocalgen" <norcal@rootsweb.com> essage-ID: <7C9B375AEDE14709AAFB3044D3BD5056@ArmendineBerPC> ontent-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original My mother had what is now diagnosed as "early onset Alzheimers" but in the 950s it was diagnosed as dementia from too much bathtub gin. My father had he papers that gave that medical diagnosis. Because she started hiding nives and had become very violent my father had her put in Agnew. Within a ew months he was told she had jerked away from an attendant while going own the steps to take a walk and hit her head. Her brain swelled and she ied within a few days. As an adult I was never able to get any information rom Agnew and my father was dead by that time. Armendine Osthoff Berry ------------------------------ Message: 6 ate: Fri, 28 May 2010 10:03:26 -0700 rom: Jeremy Nichols <jeremy@cds1.net> ubject: [NORCAL] Developmentally disabled vs. insane at Agnews and elsewhere o: norcal@rootsweb.com essage-ID: <4BFFF75E.9030309@cds1.net> ontent-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Re: NORCAL Digest, Vol 5, Issue 212 Even a century ago medical science understood that there was a difference between the "developmentally disabled" and the "insane" and that the two needed to be separated and treated differently. In consequence, in 1891 the State built the "Home for the Care and Training of Feeble-Minded Children" at Eldridge (near Glen Ellen) in Sonoma County. All developmentally disabled persons were transferred there from other state institutions, including Agnews. [There may also have been a similar institution located in the State of Southern California but that is beyond my purview.] The 'Home' later was renamed the "Sonoma State Hospital" and now is the "Sonoma Developmental Center." SDC is still a major California center for care of the developmentally disabled. Many are permanently institutionalized "custodial cases" while others are mainstreamed, in whole or in part. Not all "clients" of SDC are indigent; some receive financial support from their families. The famous Sonoma County author Jack London wrote a short story obviously based upon SDC (his Beauty Ranch was literally next door) called Told In The Drooling Ward (first published in The Bookman, Vol. 39, June, 1914). It is at once both funny and sad. SDC has grown over the years and today has a huge and quite attractive campus. It also has its own cemetery, in which hundreds of patients were buried. In the 1960s all of the tombstones were removed by the State in a fit of political correctness. They were afraid that someone would see from a tombstone that someone's family member had been a patient there. SDC still has a map of the cemetery, it is said, and those who can prove a family relationship are allowed to visit the grave, it is said. Previous to the establishment of SDC, the developmentally disabled were kept at home, locked up with the insane, or sent to local establishments. One such girl, Nora Spurr (1855-1928) was sent to the Sonoma County Hospital in 1878 by her father, a successful Healdsburg lawyer. Nora spent her entire adult life at the county hospital, died there, and was buried by the county in their pauper's cemetery. Nora holds the sad distinction of being the person who spent the most time, 50 years, at the Sonoma County Hospital. Jeremy Nichols Santa Rosa [1]norcal-request@rootsweb.com wrote: Date: Fri, 28 May 2010 05:47:06 -0700 (PDT) rom: "Nancy W." [2]<wright4766@bellsouth.net> ubject: Re: [NORCAL] Agnews History Museum My sister was a special education teacher in San Jose. She taught the older tee s. In the 1980s she had a student that lived at Agnew. I am not sure I underst nd what Agnew was. This girl was not insane, she was simple. At that time did gnew house some of the indigent who were not mentally capable of caring for th mselves? Nancy in Louisiana References 1. mailto:norcal-request@rootsweb.com 2. mailto:wright4766@bellsouth.net ----------------------------- Message: 7 ate: Fri, 28 May 2010 10:18:15 -0700 rom: EdrieAnne Broughton <edrieanne@gmail.com> ubject: Re: [NORCAL] Agnews History Museum o: norcal@rootsweb.com essage-ID: <AANLkTik4bsxwoVEtKnQHcwZztS3eafryeDzKUs3byzmk@mail.gmail.com> ontent-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Agnew was closed, I believe during the Reagan governorship so that would ave been in the early 70s when he emptied all the mentally ill, brain amaged and Alzheimer's patients onto the streets. EdrieAnne ----------------------------- Message: 8 ate: Fri, 28 May 2010 10:25:28 -0700 rom: ROLAND ELLIOTT <rolandelliott2@wildblue.net> ubject: [NORCAL] ASH o: norcal@rootsweb.com essage-ID: <AANLkTiktlUF6PjkZRbsvssmKvxm2kK10mLjNlVLDUEab@mail.gmail.com> ontent-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 It is over cast and temp dropped so you get to here my ASH story.I was ischarged june 9th of 54 and married the 10th of July ,54 so I signed up at an Jose State to finish college,i needed a job and heard the Sheriff's ffice was higher Disabled Vets so I got the job on the swing shift.In the pring of 55 on the 1S1[SO,Swing shift,first district close to the office] ot a call for a 5050[now 5150] at Fire Station #1 off north first street When we got there a very strong babbling ,unwashed women was being subdued y Fire personel.She was claim her children were burning to death at a ddress that did not exist and on and on so we got her in car and I handed y handgun to the driver[who died up here by the way] and got in the back ith her sitting behind the driver as we did not have screens in those days n the 52 Ford.She was semi calm until "Ripper" called dispatch and stated e were 928 enroute ASH ,at that point the went bananas and tried for the river I grabber her and we went to the floor with the raised drive shaft nder may back and a firm hold on a smelly crazy women and Ripper went Code [red lights and siren ]at that point encouragein me to hold tight.When we ot there they knew were coming and took her off me and four men got her in jacket then the came to help me as I was semi paralyxed.had been to ASH efore and when she heard the word it had set her off. ----------------------------- Message: 9 ate: Fri, 28 May 2010 12:11:24 -0700 (PDT) rom: "HistorySmith.com" <jim@historysmith.com> ubject: Re: [NORCAL] Agnews History Museum o: norcal@rootsweb.com essage-ID: <2135073.1275073884843.JavaMail.root@whwamui-soar.pas.sa.earthlink.net> ontent-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Agnew was still open in the 90s. It's now Cisco & a shopping center. Also, just for teh sake of getting history correct, the CA Legislature voted to hange the rules for mental incarceration. As the chief executive, Reagan had o comply though he didn't raise the red flag. As usual, it was poorly thought hrough & so many of the mentally unstable were just dumped on the street. The emocrats blame Reagan & the Republicans blame the Democratic legislature but in act, both were equally at fault. It was once too easy to get people committed, now it's very hard. im -----Original Message----- From: EdrieAnne Broughton <edrieanne@gmail.com> Sent: May 28, 2010 10:18 AM To: norcal@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [NORCAL] Agnews History Museum Agnew was closed, I believe during the Reagan governorship so that would have been in the early 70s when he emptied all the mentally ill, brain damaged and Alzheimer's patients onto the streets. EdrieAnne ----------------------------------------- NORCAL ARCHIVES: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/ Enter NORCAL. Browse by month. Or click the "Search all archives" link to search by keyword. ----------------------------------------- To post a message to the NORCAL mailing list, send an email to ORCAL@rootsweb.com ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NORCAL-request@rootsweb.com ith the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of he message ------------------------------ To contact the NORCAL list administrator, send an email to ORCAL-admin@rootsweb.com. To post a message to the NORCAL mailing list, send an email to ORCAL@rootsweb.com. __________________________________________________________ o unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NORCAL-request@rootsweb.com ith the word "unsubscribe" without the quotes in the subject and the body of he mail with no additional text. nd of NORCAL Digest, Vol 5, Issue 213 *************************************

Just want to give a bit more information about Agnews State Hospital/Agnews Developmental Center/Sun Microsystems Corporate campus since there seem to be many questions about the facility... Agnews was 'born' in 1885 by the California State Legislature to house the mentally ill. It was called Agnews Residential Facility and its official job was to treat and care for the 'neuropsychiatric patient'. The first patient was admitted in 1889. It was the third state institution for the insane. The largest number of fatalities in Santa Clara County caused by the 1906 Earthquake was at Agnews. Approximately 117 patients died when the multi-storied unreinforced masonry building fell. When the facility was being rebuilt, rather that build up; cottages were built around the grounds to house the patients. Other mental institutions began to use this same type of architecture for their patients following the Agnews model. The idea was to have treatment in a separate building from where the patients 'lived', giving the patients more light and fresh air instead of the typical asylum treatment. With better understanding of mental illness and the advent of outpatient treatment of the mentally ill, Agnews began to take developmentally disabled patients as well as the mentally ill in about 1965. In 1971 the Lanterman Act passed and was signed by then Governor Reagan, shutting down Agnews but ONLY AS A MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY. It continued to have developmentally disabled clients until March 2009! In 1996 California put up for sale much of the land that had been the Agnews State Hospital...it was called surplus state land. The community wanted to have some say in what would become of this historic area and the hospital was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Sun Microsystems invested 10 million dollars to make improvements to the historically significant buildings on the site. The auditorium and the mansion are available for groups to rent for gatherings on nights and weekends and are said to be as beautiful now as when they were built in 1913. Although the last 'client' moved from Agnews in 2009, there is still a non-emergency medical clinic on the grounds to address the needs of the developmentally disabled in an out patient setting. Sun Microsystems became a wholly owned subsidiary of Oracle on January 27, 2010. All the above information I got from calling the City of Santa Clara and doing some online research. The rest of these rambling thoughts are mine... Everyone who had a relative at Agnews or any mental health facility has a story. Those of us who do genealogy seem to run across this more that the average person! Why did men have their wives 'put away'? Why did the eccentric woman on the corner have to go to 'get well'? Why did the first cousin once removed of my cousins aunt never come back? I think that we all have questions about someone in our family. That we can't get records from these institutions, in many cases is a brick wall in our genealogical search. At that time NO ONE spoke about 'those things'. I believe that many were thinking "There but for the grace of God go I". Unfortunately we don't have documents from or about the inmates at Agnews...perhaps it's better that way. Psychiatric treatment in the first half of the 20th Century and even later was NOT something that most people wanted to learn about. It was about keeping the patients under control and if that took restraints, lobotomies, electro-shock therapy, or massive doses of drugs that is what happened. We'll probably never know all of the 'whys'. I'm sure many were admitted without what we now would call a substantive reason. I wonder what our descendants will say in a hundred years about 'tough love', teen 'Boot Camp', and other things we understand COMPLETELY now. I journal...everything! My kids are going to learn some really racy things about their grandmother when I'm gone! I figure I want my descendants to know the good, bad, and BETTER about my life and those who are in it...straight from ME! Perrin