Manteno
State Hospital's Mental Health Museum
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| This
cart, recently renovated by Manteno State Hospital's
mechanical department, was one of those pulled by patients
to bring food from the main kitchen to wards back in
the 1930's Demonstrating one of the ways it was pulled
is Leo Walsh, carpenter foreman, who worked on construction
of MSH;s buildings as a roofer at that time, and (behind
him) Ray Devereaux, a carpenter, who almost completely
renovated the cart and was first carpenter hired for
work on the grounds by the original building contractors
in 1929. The cart now stands in front of MSH's Mental
Health Museum at Cottage 8 as a memento of the hospital's
history. |
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| The
hand-drawn hose cart shown here is one of the two pieces
of historical equipment formerly used at Manteno State
that now stand in front of its Mental Health Museum
at Cottage 8. Fire Chief Frederick Adam, shown here
inspecting the cart, said this was one of those used
at the four farms, except that now the fire hose is
removed. In case of a fire broke out, these carts were
pulled by hand by patients and employees of the fire
brigade to the nearest fire hydrant. There, the hose
was unrolled, hooked up and trained on the fire. The
brigades received frequent drills, Adam added. |
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| Manteno
State Hospital's Mental Health Museum was a popular
attraction during Open House, with 263 visitors signing
the guest book. Lottie Bolar, activity program aide
at Singer 6, wears a muff used in previous times to
restrain patients who might otherwise scratch themselves
so hard they would bleed. Volunteer Sophia Kelderhouse
demonstrates how the restraining chair was used during
past centuries. Behind her, wearing a strait jacket,
is Cleve Washington, a student at the Department of
Psychology of the University of Illinois Circle Campus,
Chicago. Mrs. Leonel Pommier, American Legion Auxiliary
hospital chairman for MSH, another of the two volunteers
who assisted at the museum during Open house, is next
to him. James Ervin, an activity therapist with Staff
Development Services, is to her right. The two to his
right are unidentified members of the psychology group.
Mrs. William Morgan, a staff librarian and chairman
of the museum committee, is at far right. She and others
are holding up the entrance to the Utica Crib, used
to hold unmanageable patients in past centuries. Wall
at rear contains pictures of old-time treatment methods,
none of which were more than temporarily effective. |
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