1927 - funds appropriated and land purchased

55th General Assembly appropriated $1 million for land and buildings for a new institution for the care of the insane in Illinois. Institution to be located in Manteno Illinois under the Department of Public Welfare.

Barnard and Senesac family farms make up the 1,220 acres purchased to build MSH.

Barnard family home later becomes the managing officer's (superintendent's) residence at MSH.

Manteno State Hospital would be the 10th and largest state hospital in Illinois and the largest in the USA outside of 2 in NY.

1928 - construction begins

December-constriction begins

Ralph T. Hinton former superintendent at Elgin State Hospital (1911-1914) becomes first superintendent of MSH.

Building Program

Construction begins with the Administration Building, water wells, the 8 - 2 story buildings and power house.

1929 - building program continues

Building Program

November 21, 1929 the formal dedication ceremony and cornerstone are laid at the Administration Building.

June 23, 1929, lightning strikes the tower of the Administration Building and has to be rebuilt.

Staff is hired

1930 - first patients arrive

Manteno State Hospital officially opens

December 27th the first 100 male patients arrive from Kankakee State Hospital

Building Program

Electrical, tunnel, sanitary, sewer system and power house contracts are awarded

1931

1931-1941, Dr. Abraham Low is Assistant to the State Alienist for Illinois, supervising all the Illinois state hospitals, visiting them, conducting seminars with staff and interviewing the most severe of mental patients.

Building Program

Nursing office is located in the basement of Pinel

1932 - building program halted

Patient population reaches 886

Building Program

Due to a loss of funding created by the Depression the building program is halted and emphasis is turned towards improving landscaping

1933 - population 969

Patient population 969

1934 - population breaks 1,000

Patient population 1,193

29% of the budget for the Illinois Department of Public Welfare is cut.

1935 - WPA murals approved

October 1, 1935 total bed capacity reaches 3,000

WPA Murals for Administration Building lobby approved

WPA Murals to be executed and installed by artist Gustaf Dahlstrom

1936 - shock therapy begins

Patient population 2,828

Total capacity reaches 6,300 beds

School for the instruction of attendants inaugurated

Metrazol "shock therapy" treatment trials begin

Building Program

Manteno State Hospital purchases additional 200 acres of farmland

Farms are worked by employees assisted by patients in "colonies"

1937 - Singer Diagnostic Building

Patient population 3,189

WPA employees instituted at MSH, mainly in kitchen and dietary positions

Building Program

October 22, 1937 the Diagnostic Building's first floor is completed

August 1, 1937, Adler I cottage completed

November 16, 1937, tuberculosis sanitarium is opened.

Singer completed and opened on October 15th with a division of 8 units, (4 male and 4 female), and a total capacity of 364 beds

1938 - WPA murals installed & building program continues

Patient population 4,668

Out of approximately 120 nurses on staff, only 16 have had some "nurse's training"

June 14th, 1938 the 11 WPA murals painted by Dahlstrom depicting the legend of the half-indian maiden "Mantenau" are installed in the lobby of the administration building.

Dahlstrom submits drawings of murals for the Singer building.

Over $31,00 worth of farm products id produced on MSH's farm colonies.

Building Program

56,000 sq. ft. of sidewalk laid and roads surfaced with cinder and crushed rock which incidentally came from the Joliet's prison quarry

Began construction on #4 Well with tunnel leading to it from power house, installed with electricity and piped for steam heat.

January 4, 1938, Rush I (east ward) is completed.

January 21, 1938, the second floor of the Diagnostic Building is completed. (Building is later named, "Singer" after H. Douglas Singer (1875-1940)

March 1, 1938, Rush II (west ward) is completed.

March 2, 1938, James II (west ward) is completed.

April 28, 1938, James I (east ward) is completed.

May 1, 1938, Cullen II (west ward) is completed.

May 18, 1938, Cullen I (east ward) is completed.

May 1, 1938, Willis I (east ward) is completed.

May 18, 1938, Willis II (west ward) is completed.

June 9, 1939, Hunter II (west ward) is completed.

June 22, 1938, Hunter I (east ward) is completed.

June 30, 1939, kitchen layout is entirely changed adding 25 to each side of the main kitchen, patient toilets are moved from first floor to basement, and 2 new store rooms are added.

1939 Typhoid Fever Epidemic

Patient population 5,385

Hinton leaves service on November 3, 1930 and is replaced by Walter H. Baer, M.D. as Superintendent of Manteno State Hospital

July 10 through December 24, 1939 a typhoid fever epidemic breaks out resulting in 54-60 deaths and a quarantine is issued, prohibiting the admittance of new patients during those 6 months

24,520 tons of coal were consumed

Building Program

September 19, 1939, a chimney, 180 feet high, 10 feet wide at top, of radial brick construction is completed for the power house.

August 8, 1939 a semi-subterranean root cellar, built for vegetable storage, is completed.

August 18, 1939, additional wings to the tuberculosis sanitarium (later named Trudeau) are completed.

August 19, 1939, Nightingale Hall is completed

Well #4 is drilled.

1940 - Population over 5,000

Patient Population is 5,288 to 5,500

Total bed capacity reaches 6,872

There are 45 graduate nurses on staff

Fire Department inspected by State Fire Marshal

Building Program

A medical library opens in Singer Diagnostic Building

The medical Staff House now provides 25 apartments of 2 and 3 room suites with recreational assembly room, kitchen and dining room.

Nightingale Hall now provides living quarters for female employees, has 52 single unit apartments with a recreational assembly room.

Goodner I and II, and Clouston I and II are male duplex ward buildings with connecting dining rooms, each unit of which has the housing capacity for 224 patients. (Clouston I served as an isolation infirmary throughout the typhoid fever epidemic.)

Main drive is widened in front of Administration Building. Entrance is landscaped, lawns are seeded and trees planted.

January 3, 1940, alterations and additions to the sewage disposal plant are completed.

January 26, 1940, additions and alterations to the Main Kitchen are made.

March 15, 1940, ward buildings, including one male ward duplex unit, female ward duplex units, and three connecting dining room buildings are completed.

April 9, 1940, additions to power house completed.

April 24, 1940, 1,000 KW turbine generator installed.

June 30, 1940, Well #4 is completed at a depth of 223 feet.

1941 - employee workforce diminishes, hospital assigns patient workforce

Patient population 5,731

27 graduate nurses on staff

WWII diminishes staff

"shock therapies" proceed including the introduction of electric shock, insulin and the continuation of metrazol and malaria therapies

4,600 patients are assigned regular work at the institution

Building Program

Freud cottage is remodeled into a typhoid ward

Prince cottage is vacated and Cullen, Drake, Willis, Adler and Williams dining rooms are closed, limiting dining rooms to other cottages.

Architect's office is moved from the north dining room in Dix to make room for patients from Drake cottage.

1942 - population almost 6,000

Patient population 5,995

Walter H. Baer, M.D. leaves MSH for Military Service in April of 1942 and is temporarily replaced by Dr. Edward Ross as Superintendent until Baer returns in 1945

1943

Dr. Gustav Ichheiser, a social psychologist, is staff psychologist at MSH

1944 - "Gennie" committed

Genevieve "Gennie" Pilarski is committed to MSH

1945 - typhoid report published

Typhoid Fever Epidemic at MSH report is published by the State of Illinois

1946 - first publication of MSH News

Patient population 7,222

Bed capacity reaches over 7,000

Manteno State Hospital News is first published on August 9, 1945

1947 - residency programs

Patient population approximately 6,000

Dr. Alfred P. Bay becomes Superintendent of MSH from 1947-1953

Program of shock therapy continues including insulin, electric shock, electro pyrexia, malaria and typhoid fever

2 employees are assigned as general safety officers for MSH

MSH becomes associated with the Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois

Students are extended a residency program for clinical psychological studies at the institutions. Residencies usually last around 2 months.

1948 - depopulation

Patient population 6,891

255 patients are transferred to MSH from Chicago and Elgin and 150 from Kankakee

Various "in-service" programs and training classes continue

Research is conducted on the affects of steroids on breast cancer at MSH

Social services at MSH begins attempts at "depopulation" with programs such as "conditional discharge" and community care.

Bay attempts to get occupation therapy classrooms out of the basements by citing that patients are "more irritable and less willing to participate" in such environments in his annual hospital report

1949 - employee shortages persist

Patient population 6,926

Employee shortages persist even after the end of WWII

MSH is particularly short in the professional areas of physicians, nurses and social workers

1950 - PR programs started

Patient Population approximately 7000

Bacteriological Lab at MSH becomes part of the Illinois Department of Health

Public Relations and Education program formed at MSH to better community, family and press relations.

355 in TB units

Employee shortages persist most among the fields of physicians, nurses and social workers.

"Gennie" is placed in a research ward at MSH where she receives EST two times a week, (by 1953 she has undergone 187 ESTs), and eventually undergoes a lobotomy. Afterwards she is subjected to more EST and shuffled through a plethora of mental and geriatric institutions. She dies on September 23, 1998, a ward of the State of Illinois.

1951 - $11,088,930.73 budget for MSH

June 20, MSH employed 21 RNs, 334 female and 199 male attendants

Patient population approximately 7000

June 20, MSH employed 21 RNs, 244 female and 199 male attendants

$11,088,930.73 budget 1951

1952 - volunteer services

May 1952, Volunteer services program is initiated.

Patient population 7,806

C. Herrick Hammond (original architect for MSH) leaves service as Supervising Architect for the State of Illinois. Served 1929-1952

1953 - first state hospital synagogue

Patient transfers continue from Chicago via bus.

Patient population 7,914

Dr. Charles Bush is Acting Superintendent from 1953 to 1954

MSH becomes first state hospital in Illinois to acquire a Torah and Ark for Jewish services and can now be deemed a legitimate synagogue.

Forbes center for activity therapy is dedicated, December 4th

Film "Working and Playing to Health" shot on location at MSH in Hinton Hall, directed by Willard Van Dyke and sponsored by the Illinois Department of Welfare

1954 - population peaks at 8,195

Patient population peaks at 8,195

MSH of an accredited hospital by inspection because of 51% overcrowding

42% of all patients are transferred to MSH from Cook County Psychopathic Hospital

Continued use of new drugs, especially reserpine and chlorpromazine.

Research continues in a combined pharmacologic and psychiatric program.

Research mainly conducted on the effects of medications and schizophrenia.

Richard J. Graff, M.D. becomes Superintendent of MSH from 1954 to 1966.

Longest term superintendent at MSH at 12 years

1955 - MSH 25th anniversary

Patient Population 8,087

25th Anniversary

Carriel Infirmary opens September 26th

Research and investigative groups are now located in Freud.

Patient drum corp instituted and new Cinemascope movie screen procured for Hinton Hall

1956 - first passenger bus

Patient population 7,847

MSH achieves the highest admission rate in IL and one of the highest in the US

Pathology and morgue moved from Singer to basement of Bowen Hospital building

Research in schizophrenia and epilepsy continued

Over 800 nursing services personnel

MSH gets first passenger bus

1957 - first "Art-O-Rama"

Patient population 8,091

Chronic alcoholism accounts for most voluntary admissions

Street Light Project starts with plan to install Mercury Vapor lamps

First annual "Art-O-Rama", an exhibit and sale of patient artwork.

Major flood causes institution to go without power

A. H. Gollmar leaves practice a physician and psychiatrist (1931-1957) at MSH.

"continues to be the largest state hospital in Illinois"

1958 - AA program initiated

Patient population 8,021

Prince gets X-ray lab

June 2, Second annual "Art-O-Rama"

New terrazzo floor installed at Clouston dining room.

2.3 of all admissions are alcoholic

AA program initiated at MSH

1959 - street lights

Patient Population 7,705

Tranquilizing drug therapy widely used

3 additional wards open

Pharmacy dispensary is moved to the first floor of Singer and out of its basement

55 Mercury Vapor street lights and aluminum street signs are installed throughout the campus of MSH

1960 - severe bed shortage

Patient population 7,315

On daily average 250 alcoholic patients are in residence

Population = 7,334 and beds = 5,522

Total nursing service personnel 807

1961 - fire

Patient population 7,087

A fire in the coat room of Barton Cottage caused $1,000 damage to the building and $2,000 to patients' clothing.

Total nursing service personnel 782

1962 - largest hospital in state

Patient population ?

"continues to be the largest mental hospital in the State of Illinois"

Nursing care for the elderly and voluntary alcoholic patients becoming specialized functions of MSH

Chronic schizophrenics constitute a large part of long-term residents

Research begins examining the validity of psychological testing

Community out-reach services continue to expand

1963 - farms discontinued

Patient population 7,269

Farm program is discontinued

1964 - unable to secure professional staff

Average daily patient population of 7,269

Large number of aged infirm and semi-infirm patients remain in residence.

Approximately 3,600 patients are beyond the age of 60 and about 2,200 of these are beyond the age of 65. A request for a federal grant to evaluate aged patients was approved and the objective was to eventually move such patients to appropriate facilities or their own homes.

Other long-term patients are chiefly chronic schizophrenics.

All standard and accepted forms of treatment continued with some decrease in the use of EST and hydrotherapy. Various tranquilizing and stimulating drugs used to "great advantage".

Personnel Problems

Medical staff continued to have a high ratio of foreign-born and foreign-educated personnel.

Recruitment efforts at the American Psychiatric Association meeting were entirely negative.

No pathologist has been available for over a year.

Only 39 graduate nurses available for entire hospital.

Intensive recruitment efforts, including community newspapers and radio have shown no results and the geographical location of the hospital is a main factor in its ability to secure adequate professional staff.

Average regular full-time workers number about 1,700, but the ratio of patients to employees still highest for all state hospitals.

Turnover around 10%

Building Program

Addition to Carriel infirmary provided through Bond Issue funds.

Construction of medical and surgical building expect in fall and require more than 2 years to complete.

Construction of a patients' service center and commissary are hoped to be begun this fall.

Construction of the 2 million gallon water reservoir.

Hospital's garbage dump ceases function and hospital contracts with commercial company.

Plans include the addition of fire escapes to the two-story buildings and laundry, extension of the tunnel system, road repairs and resurfacing.

1965 - hospital is incorporated into Zone III

Patient population 6,704

Hospital is incorporated into Zone III.

Federal Hospital Improvement Project Grant of $100,000 per year to evaluate aged patients who no longer need hospitalization

Tranquilizer and anti-depressant drug use continues on a large scale, with 3,100 to 3,300 patients constantly receiving such drug. Their use is indispensable.

Electro-convulsive therapy is utilized in selected cases, but there has been some reduction in its application. Insulin coma therapy is rarely used. Hydrotherapy needs are diminishing.

Geriatric project takes over the typhoid carrier ward and few remaining typhoid patients are transferred to other state hospitals for individual isolation.

Plans are made to alter the physical structure of Barton cottage and develop a modified "School for the Living"

Addams cottage is vacated and becomes a patient library, recreational lounge and rehabilitation area.

University of the Illinois School of Social Work designates Manteno for field-work placement of students.

1966 - charges of immorality

Patient population 6,300

"school for the living" established to teach social and homemaking skills to chronic women in preparation for discharge

MSH becomes an "open door" institution giving patients the "freedom" to be integrated into the community

Staff forced to find other accommodations as campus housing is phased out.

Governor Kerner requests the Board of Mental Health Commissioners to investigate charges of immorality (sex offenses) at MSH. Board discovers no evidence of immorality.

Dr. Martin C. Koenig is Acting Superintendent of MSH from August 6, 1966 to February 28, 1967

July 1, 1966, the alcoholism program assigns two staff people to hospital

1967 - hospital goes coed

Patient population approximately 5,500

Hospital becomes decentralized and incorporates all clinical aspects into all units and wards.

Admissions are separated for the alcoholic and geriatric programs.

An alcoholism rehabilitation service was established to serve all programs in the hospital.

Coed units were developed by use of male and female wards with connecting dining rooms. This marks the end of the hospital's segregation of males on the north and females on the south ends of the campus.

The hospital was reorganized into autonomous programs to allow the program director to direct multi-discipline staff and to assume total responsibility for the care of all patients within a unit.

The 300 bed geriatrics program was enlarged to 2,900.  A new unit for approximately 1,800 adult continued care patients was established

Mr. Harold C. Popenbrink becomes Superintendent of MSH and serves from March 1, 1967 to August 31, 1970

1968 - population down to 5K

Patient population approximately 5,000

1969 - population 4,949

Patient population 4,949

1970 - scandals

1970's MSH Scandals

Experimental surgeries on patients without consent in 1950s

Chinese-speaking patient kept in custodial care at MSH because no one could speak his language

High percentage of deaths among patients and charges of sexual assaults

Nearly 50% of all admissions are "voluntary" alcoholic patients

Mr. John Collier becomes Superintendent of MSH and serves from September 1, 1970 to September 30, 1974

1971 - lowest population in 34 years

Patient population 3,045 (the lowest in over 34 years)

1972 - population continues to shrink

1960s and 70s the population at Manteno continued to shrink do to the Federally and State funded transfer of patients to nursing homes. (Federal Government only reimbursed the state at that time if these patients are moved back to local areas.)

1973

1974 - Stienmetz

Mr. Jon Steinmetz becomes Superintendent of MSH and serves from October 1, 1974 to February 29, 1975

1975 - Manteno Mental Health

Manteno State Hospital becomes "Manteno Mental Health Center"

Mrs. Ella Curry, R.N. becomes Superintendent of Manteno Mental Health Center and serves from March 1, 1975 to March 15, 1978

Probably the first Black woman to head a major mental health institution in the United States.

1976

1977 - mittimus and walkaways

Patient population approximately 1,000

80 mittimus patients

43 alcoholic program patients

Federal Government makes changes to reimburse the state at a rate of $85 per day for patients kept at Manteno and only $30 if they are kept at local nursing homes.

Approximately 62 nurses on staff, a shortage of 50-100 nurses, and only 20 nurses per shift for the entire patient population of around 1000.

17 buildings are condemned and deemed hazardous or unsafe and it is reported that these facilities are being allowed to deteriorate through lack of use.

Undomiciled Patients - new type of patient who shows up at any of the Chicago facilities, without a known address, family ties or location. If information cannot be obtained for these individuals, they are sent to Manteno.

Community fears the ever increasing number of "walkaways" (escapees) from the hospital due to the increased number of mittimus patients being kept there.

Within the last year, there were 336 walkaways at Manteno, 38 of which were mittimus patients. All mittimus patients were returned. The average escapee is estimated as spending about 72 hours in the community before being returned to the hospital.

With the ever increasing commitment of mittimus patients, security becomes a problem because Manteno was never designed to handle violent patients.

Brandon building becomes a security building for "mittimus" patients.

Most mittimus patients at Manteno were tried for major felonies and tended to be substantially more violent and intelligent than regular patients. Mittimus patients tend to take advantage of the regular patients and therefore require more supervision and manpower to be cared for.

Mittimus patients were those found innocent by reason of insanity, but in need of psychiatric care. Illinois State laws allowed courts to commit those "unfit to stand trial" to the Department of Mental Health but not offer such cases to any particular facility. Previously judges has been finding ways to commit mittimus defendants to Manteno under the justification that they were not long-term patients, and therefore should be kept close to their own community. - From the August 1978 report from the Legislative Commission to Visit and Examine State Institutions

Screens were installed on the windows of Brandon, a fence erected around the entire building and flood lights were installed around the perimeter.

Grounds passes were eliminated for those housed at Brandon.

1978 - sub-regionalized

Hospital becomes a "sub-regionalized" hospital

Mr. Jon Steinmetz becomes Acting Superintendent of MMHC and serves from March 16 to June 25 when Claude Rousch, Th.D. becomes Acting Superintendent on the 26th until the 30th of July when he is reappointed Acting Superintendent and serves as such until June 30, 1983.

1982

1983 - decision to close

November - Governor Thompson makes a decision to close the hospital

Mr. Ian Aitken is appointed Superintendent of Manteno Mental Health Center on July 1 and serves until it's closing date of December 31, 1985.

1984 - closure teams

February 1, Director appointed closure teams begin the gradual phase out of both Manteno Mental Health and Galesburg Centers. Process to take 2 years

February 7, Governor Thompson announces plans to convert several building on the Manteno Mental Health Center campus into a 300-bed veteran's home.

1985 - closing

December 31, 1985, Manteno Mental Health Center Closes

Patients are released or transferred to Elgin or Tinley Park Mental Health Centers

1986 - VA

"A grant of $3.3 million in "Build Illinois" funds was given to the "Manteno Mental Health Center Redevelopment Corporation" which resulted in the development of an industrial park on the facility's campus"

October, Illinois Veterans Home at Manteno officially dedicated.