All the parents had to do was go before a judge and tell him their child was unmanageable and he would sign an order to commit the child to Central State Hospital and she had no recourse. They may have had to have a doctor's statement to back that up, but I don't know about that. I'm not sure if there was an age to where the child could get out on their own, or not. Surely there was. > From: "Dianne Armstrong" <di@montanapets.org> > Subject: Re: [TNDAVIDS] TNDAVIDS Digest, Vol 8, Issue 5 > > Yes that's the one. I'm not sure the exact date they closed. I did talk to > the hospital that became the repository or still operates out of the same > location. They said all records were previously destroyed but my experience > is usually something survived, just not sure what. Clara Reynolds was put > there as a teenager around 17-19 years old, around 1900-1910. Some family > members are still living that visited her and said she seemed as normal as > anyone else, that Clara was quoted to say she was put there for "smarting > off" and continued to ask help in getting out which never happened. I'd > really like to know the real story. I don't think her father was a very nice > person from what I can uncover and the family are split up after her admit > although I don't know if that was coincidental or related to that and the > whole family left the area after she was committed. > Dianne > > > >