RG-23. RECORDS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WELFARE
The Department of Public Welfare administers a vast array of human services programs, promotes local social services and planning activities, and distributes federal and state funds to local social service agencies. The Department of Welfare was established in 1921 to take over the responsibilities of the Board of Public Charities, the Commission of Lunacy, and the Prison Labor Commission among others. The Board of Public Charities was originally created in 1869 to inspect all charitable and correctional institutions in the Commonwealth and the Committee on Lunacy was originally established in 1883 to examine facilities for the confinement of the insane. The Administrative Code of 1929 further defined the powers of the new department as a social service agency. In 1937 the Department of Public Assistance was established to provide direct cash relief to Pennsylvanians through 67 county boards of assistance during the Great Depression. In 1953 the supervision of penal and correctional institutions was transferred from the Department of Welfare to the Department of Justice. The Department of Welfare and the Department of Public Assistance were merged in 1958 to form the Department of Public Welfare. As the primary state agency concerned with the social welfare and financial needs of the citizens of the Commonwealth, the department today provides public assistance, medical assistance, and aid to the handicapped, administers mental health and retardation programs, and provides licensing and inspection of nursing homes, day-care centers, and hospitals.
OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH
(All of the following records are restricted. Permission must be obtained from the corresponding hospital Superintendent or the Office of Mental Health before access is permitted.)
Danville State Hospital
Construction of the Danville State Hospital was authorized by an act of the Pennsylvania State Legislature dated April 13, 1868 and the governing board for the institution was created by a separate act on March 27, 1873. Located in Mahoning Township about one mile east of Danville, the institution was originally called the Danville State Hospital for the Insane and still operates as a state mental facility.
Female Admission Registers, 1884-1923. (2 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date of admission, and indexed externally by surname of patient in Alphabetical Register of Female Patients, [ca. 1886-1926]. These volumes document the admission of female patients into Danville State Hospital. Information given about each patient includes name, age, marital status, color (white, black, or mulatto), occupation, county of residence, country or state of birth, number of children, number of siblings, admission number, any previous admission numbers, census of hospital at time of admission, and the admission date. Other commitment information found in these registers includes the name of the person who was financially responsible for the patient; whether the patient was committed by friends, court, or overseer of the poor; whether the patient was an insane convict or was classified as criminally insane; the patient’s physical condition and the nature of any or mental physical disorder; the perceived cause of the insanity; any complications (epileptic, paralytic, suicidal, homicidal, idiot, imbecile); the duration of the attack in years, months and days; the number of attacks; and the age of the patient at the time of the first attack. The register also provides information on the date of discharge and reason (death, restored, improved, not improved); the cause of death; the number of years, months or days in the hospital; and the names of relatives who were also diagnosed as insane.
Male Admission Register, 1884-1923. (1 volume) Arranged by date of admission and indexed externally, alphabetically by surname of patient in Alphabetical Register of Male Patients [ca. 1886-1926]. These volumes document the admissions of male patients into Danville State Hospital. Entries list the admission number, any previous admission numbers, the population of hospital at the time of admission, the admission date, patient’s name, age, marital status, color (white, black, or mulatto), county of residence, country or state of birth, number of children, number of siblings, and occupation. Other commitment information includes the name of the financially responsible person; whether committed by friends, court, or overseer of the poor; whether the patient was an insane convict or diagnosed as being criminally insane; physical condition; the nature of any physical disorder, the nature of the mental disorder, the supposed cause of insanity, complications (epileptic, paralytic, suicidal, homicidal, idiot, imbecile); duration of attack in years, months and days; the number of attacks; and age of the patient at the first attack. The register also provides information on the date of discharge and the reason (death, restored, improved, not improved); the cause of death; the duration of stay in the hospital; and the names of any relatives who were also diagnosed as insane.
Patient Register and Record of Burial Plots, 1872-1937. (1 volume) Arranged numerically by patient registration number. Although the spine of the volume is labeled as burial plot records, the volume primarily contains information similar to that found in the Male and Female Admission Registers. Each patient entry shows a register number, name, sex, color, age, place of birth, residence, occupation, and marital status. Information on the patient’s condition includes the name of the person by whom committed (court order, friend, or family member) and who will pay for keep, cause and form of insanity, names of insane relatives, number of attacks and admissions, and the duration of attacks before admission. Data regarding release include date of discharge, type of discharge, time in hospital, by whom removed and remarks. At the end of the volume is a diagram of burial plots from approximately 1872 through 1937 showing on the grid where each person is buried, the name, and when he or she died. Occasional notations reveal status as veterans or if moved elsewhere for burial.
Dixmont State Hospital
Dixmont State Hospital was originally founded in 1848 in Pittsburgh as the Western Pennsylvania Hospital. It was a general hospital that treated all types of illnesses, including mental illness and as such it was the first institution for the insane in western Pennsylvania. In 1862, the Insane Department at the hospital was moved to a new building outside of Pittsburgh and was named the Western Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane at Dixmont. The name Dixmont was given to honor the social reformer for the insane, Dorthea Dix. The Dixmont Hospital was legally separated from the Western Pennsylvania Hospital in 1908 when it was individually incorporated as the Dixmont Hospital for the Insane. Supported by private contributions since 1852, it had a nine-decade tradition of state appropriations that enabled the hospital to expand its facilities and care for the increasing number of mentally ill persons. Despite the state appropriations, it continued as a private corporation until 1945 when it was taken over by the state and placed under the Department of Public Welfare. From that date, it operated under the name Dixmont State Hospital until it closed in July 1984.
Admission Books, 1883-1944. (3 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date of admission. This series documents all admissions to the Dixmont State Hospital. Information given about each patient includes name, age, color, gender, place of birth, marital status, place of residence and previous register number; dates of current and previous admission, discharge and/or death; how committed; reason for discharge; form of mental disorder; duration and number of attacks; age at first attack; condition at time of discharge; and any remarks.
Autopsy Records, 1920-1939. (1 folder) Arranged in reverse chronological order by date autopsy was performed. A postmortem record of male and female patients of the Dixmont Hospital. Information given about each patient may include name, age, sex, and race; the form of mental disorder; the dates of admission, death and autopsy; clinical diagnosis and cause of death; the name of the physician who performed autopsy; and specific details of the postmortem examination.
Death Certificates, 1909-1912. (1 folder) Arranged chronologically by date of death. Certificates that recorded deaths occurring at the Dixmont Hospital. Information contained about each decedent includes name, gender and race; dates of birth and death; age at time of death; marital status; occupation; names of parents; places of birth of decedent and of parents; cause of death; date and county of burial; name of undertaker and name of the attending physician.
Discharge Books, 1883-1930. (3 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date of discharge or death. A list of persons who were released from the hospital or who died there. Information provided includes each patient’s name, register number, date of admission, date of discharge or death, age at time of discharge or death, race, gender, social class, condition at time of discharge as a result of treatment, cause of death, and name of institution to which transferred if applicable.
First Admission and Re-Admission Cards, 1891-1935. (8 folders) Arranged alphabetically by surname of patient. Cards that document the first admission and re-admissions of patients to Dixmont Hospital. Information given about each patient may include name, date of admission, form of mental illness, age at admission, marital status and number of children, occupation, race, religion, place of birth of patient and patients’ parents, residence by county and city, a brief family medical history, information about present and past attacks, and by whose authority the patient was committed.
Hospital Record Books, 1856-1895. (3 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date of admission. These volumes provide a record of admissions to and discharges from the Western Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane. Information given about each patient includes name and registration number, age, race gender, marital status, occupation, residence, date of admission, date of discharge or death, duration of illness before admission, cause and form of insanity, number of attacks, name of the person by whom committed, reason for discharge, length of time at the hospital, and remarks.
In-Patient Record Cards for World War I, 1919-1920. (1 folder) Arranged alphabetically by surname of patient. These 5" x 8" cards provide a record of World War I soldiers who were provided with mental treatment at Dixmont Hospital. Information given about each patient may include name and address of patient and nearest relative; compensation number; rank and unit designation; age at time of admission; gender, race, religion, occupation, and place of birth; diagnosed form of mental illness; dates of admission, diagnosis, and transfer or release; whether patient was transferred or released; and condition at that time.
Male Patients’ Clothing and Property Books, 1895-1904. (2 volumes) Arranged by date of patient’s admission to the hospital. Indexed externally, alphabetically by name of patient in the Male Patient’s Clothing and Property Book Indexes. A record of the property that belonged to patients while in the care of the Western Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane at Dixmont. Information provided includes patient’s name and race, date of admission, a description of the items on their person at that time, dates and descriptions of additional items that were later acquired, where they were acquired and location where stored. Also included are receipts for items that were placed in the safe or that were transferred to another institution.
Patient History Books, 1859-1950. (64 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date of admission. Books that document the medical history of patients and their families. Information provided about each patient includes name, age, gender, color, and religion; occupation of patient, patient’s spouse, or parents; places of birth and residency; marital status and number of children; places of residence and nativity of parents; names of physicians who certified commitment; diagnosis of mental disorder; personal characteristics; date of admission; and agency or persons who committed the patient.
Patient Population Statistical Tables, 1936-1946. (3 folders) Unarranged. Loosely grouped by year. Statistical data on the patient population for each year. Data appearing on approximately eighteen separate tables relate primarily to patients’ first admissions and compare a specified data element to the primary diagnosed psychoses. Data elements that were charted include race, age, degree of education, economic condition, use of alcohol, marital status, cause of death, age at time of death, and total duration of hospital life. In addition, other related information can be obtained such as the patient’s country of birth, citizenship, financial status, and the number and gender of officers and employees for the year. Also present is a list of names of private patients residing in the hospital who became wards of the Commonwealth when the state assumed responsibility for the hospital in 1945.
Record of People to Be Notified, 1855-1952. (8 volumes) Arranged chronologically, and thereunder alphabetically by surname of patient. These volumes provide a record of contact persons or organizations for patients residing in the hospital. Information provided includes name and color of each patient; register number; date of admission, discharge or death; how committed; whether patient was transferred, escaped, paroled, or died; and name, address, and relationship of nearest relative. If no relative was listed, the agency that committed the person was to be notified.
Will Book of Charles Brewer, 1860-1878. (1 volume) Arranged by type of material. Charles Brewer was born in Taunton, Massachusetts, moved to Pittsburgh in 1814, and died in Allegheny County in 1860 at the age of 76 years. Mr. Brewer bequeathed over $6,000 to both the Western Pennsylvania Hospital and the Western Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane. The total amount of contributions Mr. Brewer gave to various institutions totaled over $370,000. This volume was compiled from the court records of Allegheny County by John B. McFadden, one of the managers of the Western Pennsylvania Hospital and member of the Committee of Managers for the Distribution of the Annual Income Accruing from the Brewer Fuel Fund Amongst the Poor of the Cities of Pittsburgh and Allegheny. This volume outlines assets, names of executors, and persons or institutions to which Mr. Brewer wished to leave a bequest and the amount per annum of the bequest, a summary of the amounts in several accounts, a recapitulation of amounts received and dispersed by the executors, summary of bequests and payments to institutions, and a listing to bequeathed institutions in Allegheny County and the total amount they received. Some of the other institutions Brewer supported included the Young Men’s Bible Society, the Protestant Orphan Asylum of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, the Pennsylvania Colonization Society (the sum was to be applied "by the said society to defray the expense of the passage of colored persons wishing to emigrate from the United States to the Republic of Liberia in Africa"), the Seamen’s Aid Society (to address the moral condition of the seamen of the port of Philadelphia), and the Association Mission of Minnesota Among the Indians.
Harrisburg State Hospital
The Harrisburg State Hospital was authorized in 1845 to provide care for mentally ill persons throughout the Commonwealth. A nine-member board of trustees was empowered to appoint a superintendent, purchase land, and construct facilities near Harrisburg for the "Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital and Union Asylum for the Insane." In 1848 the name of the hospital was changed to the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital and construction began on the facility. The first patient was admitted on October 6, 1851. Initially, every poor district was charged a weekly maintenance fee for the care of each indigent patient. The board for each private patient was based on his or her ability to pay.
In 1869, the Board of Public Charities was created to inspect all public and voluntary charitable institutions in the Commonwealth and to report to the legislature with recommendations concerning their operation. For four decades, the unpaid board and its small staff had no authority to correct the conditions it found, but by persuasion and publicity they were able to improve the quality of care in public institutions. A major objective in the beginning was the removal of the insane from almshouses to the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital and other state hospitals. A Committee on Lunacy was created within the Board of Public charities in 1883 to oversee mental institutions.
In 1921, the name of the facility was changed to the Harrisburg State Hospital. Also in that year, the Board of Public Charities was abolished and the Department of Public Welfare was created to administer all state hospitals. Up until 1955, certain administrative responsibilities, such as the selection of the hospital superintendent and the enactment of rules and regulations governing the hospital, were vested in the Board of Trustees of the Harrisburg State Hospital. In 1955 an amendment to the Administrative Code authorized the Department of Welfare to assume administrative responsibilities for the Harrisburg State Hospital, relegating its Board of Trustees to specific advisory duties. This act also provided for the appointment of a Commissioner of Mental Health within the Department of Welfare to assume overall responsibility for Pennsylvania’s mental health program. As of 2000, the institution still operates as a state hospital.
Admission Card File, 1885-1952. (3 cartons) Arranged numerically by admission number. A record of individuals admitted to the Harrisburg State Hospital. These 5" x 8" index cards provide each patient’s name, date of admission, name of the physician, the case and admission numbers, age, marital status, number of children, and place of birth for both the patient and their parents. Also recorded are the year of arrival in United States when applicable, citizenship status of both the patient and their parents, race, educational level, occupation, religious affiliation, a description of their living environment and economic condition, their place of residence, and the length of time they have lived in Pennsylvania. Clinical information includes etiological factors other than heredity, the nature of the psychosis, the patient’s mental characteristics (temperamental and intellectual), and any family history of mental and nervous diseases, mental deficiency, and inebriety (alcohol or drugs). The cards also provide information on alcoholic habits of the patient (whether an abstainer, temperate, or intemperate), any accompanying physical diseases that were not an integral part of the psychosis, and the duration of the present attack prior to admission.
Admission Registers, 1851-1969. (8 volumes) Arranged numerically by patient’s admission number. A record of individuals admitted to the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital. For the years 1851-1955 the information provided includes each patient’s name and admission number, the date of admission, age, race, class (whether indigent or private), place of birth, marital status, number of children and living siblings, patient’s occupation prior to the onset of insanity, previous place of residence (county, city, and township), the name of the person by whose authority the patient was admitted, the date of medical certificate, the name of the person by whom the certificate was signed, the nature of disorder, the suspected cause of the insanity, any complications, whether the patient exhibited suicidal or homicidal tendencies, whether the patient was paralytic or classified as a congenial idiot, the date of discharge, whether patient died or improved, the total period of residence, and remarks. The registers for the years 1956-69 give only the patient’s name and admission number, the date of admission, admission class (whether indigent or private), county of residence, commitment form number, and the date of discharge or death.
Annual Reports of the Board of Public Charities, 1870-1882, 1885-1906. (32 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date of report. Annual reports of the Board of Public Charities of the state of Pennsylvania. The board’s mission was to gather information on the conditions of all charitable and correctional institutions within the state, to inspect all of their books and papers, and to observe and criticize procedures when necessary. Information provided includes names of the officers of the board, board of directors report (documenting powers and duties of the board, organization, members and officers, subjects of inquiry, minutes, institutions visited, board expenses and a general view of state institutions), a secretary and general agent’s report (documenting institutions interrogated, duties performed by the corresponding secretary, Charitable Institutions and Almshouses, and County Prisons), and an appendix. Statistical data on penitentiaries, reformatories, hospitals for the insane, criminal courts, county jails, alms-houses, township poor farms, and medical charities were compiled at the end of each yearly report from 1873 on and many of these statistical breakdowns contain information on African Americans.
Court Order Books, 1883-1924. (19 volumes) Arranged numerically by admission number. For the years 1889-1893 the books are indexed internally, alphabetically by surname of the patient. Copies of orders by which courts sent individuals to the Harrisburg State Hospital. Information provided includes patient’s name, admission number, and date that the defendant was ordered by the court to Harrisburg State Hospital. African Americans are documented in this series but the admission number of the patient must be known.
Medical Case Book, 1851-1867. (1 volume) Arranged chronologically, and indexed internally by first letter of patient’s surname.
A case book documenting treatments and observations of male and female patients at the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital. Information given includes name, age, sex, and previous occupation of each patient; whether married, single or widowed; appearance of the patient upon admission; and habits and temperament. Also included is a description of the mental disorder, the manner and period of the attack, the changes produced in the patient’s temper or disposition (specifying whether the malady displayed itself by delusions or irrational conduct, morbid or dangerous habits or propensities), and whether the patient had experienced any failure of memory or understanding or was affected by epilepsy or ordinary paralysis such as tremulous movements of the tongue, defect of articulation, or weakness or unsteadiness of gait. The case book lists any affliction related to the patient’s previous health history, what was believed to be the predisposing cause of the illness, whether the patient had experienced any former illness, whether the present illness had been preceded by any premonitory symptoms such as restlessness, unusual elevation or depression of spirits, or any deviation from ordinary habits and conduct, and whether the patient had undergone any previous treatment or had been subject to personal restraint. Many African Americans are documented in this series but individual patient names must be known in order to locate them.
Medical Case Books of the Female Department, 1880-1922. (30 volumes) Arranged chronologically by observation date. Case book documenting observations and treatments of female patients at the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital and Harrisburg State Hospital. Information given includes name, age, sex, and previous occupation of each patient; whether she was married, single or widowed; an accurate description of the external appearance of the patient upon admission; habits and temperament; the appearance of the eyes, countenance or expression and any peculiarity in the form of the head; the condition of the vascular, respiratory, and abdominal organs, and their respective functions; information on the pulse rate and appearance of the tongue, skin, urine, etc.; and the presence or absence of bruises or other injuries. Also included is a description of the mental disorder, the manner and period of the attack, a minute account of the symptoms, changes produced in the patient’s temper or disposition, and whether the malady was accompanied by memory loss, epilepsy, paralysis, confusion, defect of articulation, unsteady gait, illusions, irrational conduct, or morbid or dangerous habits or propensities. The case book lists any affliction related to the patient’s previous health history, any predisposing cause of the illness, whether the patient had experienced any previous mental illness, whether the present illness had been preceded by any premonitory symptoms such as restlessness, unusual elevation or depression of spirits, or any remarkable deviation form ordinary habits and conduct, and any previous treatments or episodes requiring personal restraint. Entries were made either weekly or when the nature of the case required it. In all cases an accurate record was to be kept of the medicines administered, and other remedies employed along with the results, and also of all injuries and accidents. Many African Americans are documented in this series but individual patient names must be known.
Medical Case Books of the Male Department, 1881-1924. (42 volumes) Arranged chronologically by admission number. Case books documenting observations and treatments of male patients at the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital and Harrisburg State Hospital. Information given includes name, age, sex, and previous occupation of each patient; marital status, an accurate description of the external appearance of the patient upon admission, habits and temperament, the appearance of the eyes, countenance or expression, and any peculiarity in the form of the head. Also gives information on the condition of the vascular, respiratory, and abdominal organs, pulse rate, the appearance of the tongue, skin, urine, etc., and the presence or absence of bruises or other injuries. In addition, there is a detailed description of the mental disorder, the manner and period of the attack, a minute account of the symptoms, and the changes produced in the patient’s temper or disposition such as whether the malady displayed itself by illusions or irrational conduct, morbid or dangerous habits or propensities, occasioned any failure of memory or understanding, or was associated with epilepsy, paralysis, tremulous movements of the tongue, defects in articulation, or weakness or unsteadiness of gait. The case book also lists any afflictions in the patient’s previous health history believed to be the predisposing cause of the illness, whether the patient had experienced any former illness, whether the present illness had been preceded by any premonitory symptoms such as restlessness, unusual elevation or depression of spirits, or remarkable deviation from ordinary habits and conduct; and any previous treatments received. During the first month after admission, entries were to be made at least once in every week or, in certain cases, whenever the nature of the case required it. In all cases an accurate record was to be kept of the medicines administered, the observed results, and any injuries and accidents. Many African Americans are documented in this series but individual patient names must be known.
Patient History Books, 1893-1916. (19 volumes) Arranged numerically by admission number. A record of personal and medical histories of patients at the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital. Information given includes each patient’s date of admission, patient number, case book number, name, age, sex, weight, height, hair and eye color, temperament, marital status, birthplace, occupation, educational level, family history, past mental history, present state of mind, and whether or not violent, dangerous, destructive, homicidal, or suicidal. Other information found includes whether or not the patient was an alcoholic, had syphilis, or any drug problems; a description of the patient’s physical condition (facial expression, articulation, skull conformation, ear measurements, palate, motor function of muscles, reflexes, secretion, special senses, trophic disturbances, temperature, pulse, circulation, respiration, sugar level (tongue and albumin); the patient’s mental state; doctor’s diagnosis and the quality, color and odor of urine samples. Many African Americans are documented in this series but individual patient names must be known.
Register of Female Patients, 1852-1884. (1 volume) Arranged numerically by admission number and indexed internally, alphabetically by surname of the patient. A record of female patients admitted to the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital. Information provided about each patient includes name, number, and admission date; the condition of the patient; age, nativity, residence and occupation; the duration of symptoms prior to admission; how the patient was committed and supported; the cause and form of the disease; any complications and results of treatment; period of residence, date of discharge, and remarks.
Register of Male Patients, 1851-1895. (1 volume) Arranged numerically by admission number and indexed internally, alphabetically by surname of the patient. A record of male patients admitted to the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital. Information provided about each patient includes name, number, and admission date; the condition of the patient; age, nativity, residence and occupation; the duration of symptoms prior to admission; how the patient was committed and supported; the cause and form of the disease; complications and results of treatment; period of residence, date of discharge, and remarks.
Mayview State Hospital
Located in Allegheny City to the north of Pittsburgh, Mayview State Hospital is a state-operated mental institution for the poor and insane. The Borough of Pittsburgh had established a home for the care of paupers as early as 1804, which institution was replaced by the Allegheny City Almshouse in 1818. A City Poor Farm was erected in 1852 to which a building for the treatment of the insane was added in 1879. As a result of overcrowding, a new institution named Marshalsea was constructed in 1892. Allegheny City is located on Pittsburgh’s north side and also maintained a separate institution for the poor and insane at Claremont, now known as Blawnox. When Allegheny City became part of the city of Pittsburgh in 1907 the mental patients at Claremont were transferred to Marshalsea. In 1916, the state legislature gave its consent to change the name of the hospital from Marshalsea to the Pittsburgh City Home and Hospital at Mayview. In accordance with an act of 1938 requiring the state to take over all institutions for the care of the mentally ill, Mayview came under state control in 1941. The Commonwealth took over control of the mental section (Mayview State Hospital) and the City of Pittsburgh continued to administer the indigent section of the hospital (Pittsburgh City Home and Hospital at Mayview). In March 1973, the Department of Public Welfare made plans to move patients judged to be criminally insane from Fairview State Hospital to Mayview. In 1982, an adolescent center was transferred from Woodville State Hospital to Mayview. During the closing of Dixmont State Hospital in 1984, the deaf unit was transferred to Mayview. As of 2000, Mayview State Hospital is still in operation.
Admission Book of the Insane Department of the Pittsburgh North Side City Home, 1911-1916. (1 volume) Arranged chronologically by date of admission. A record of admissions to the Insane Department of the Pittsburgh North Side City Home. This volume provides the following information about each patient: name, age, color, gender, social class, place of birth, marital status, former place of residence and previous register number of the patient; admission, discharge and/or death dates; name of the person who ordered the commitment; reason for discharge; and form of mental disorder.
Admission Registers, 1925-1941. (3 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date of admission. These registers document the admission of all patients into Mayview State Hospital. Information includes each patient’s name, case number, age and gender; date of admission; and who ordered the commitment. Additional information recorded before September 24, 1929 may include marital status and color of the patient.
Alms House Registers, 1876-1884. (2 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date of admission. Registers documenting admission of destitute persons to the City Poor Farm in Pittsburgh. Information given about each individual may include each person’s name, age, gender, marital status, place of birth, various places traveled, religious affiliation, color, occupation, and previous address; dates of admission, discharge or death; where patient was transferred from; length of residence in Pittsburgh; number and ages of dependents; and circumstances surrounding his or her arrival at the City Poor Farm.
Alphabetical Admission and Discharge Register, 1850-1881. (1 volume) Arranged alphabetically by surname, and thereunder chronologically by date of admission. This record documents the admissions and discharges at the City Poor Farm. Information given about each inmate includes name, age, and place of birth, and admission and discharge dates. The remarks column provides information regarding the circumstances of the admission and discharge. There is no column designated for color or race, however, "col’d" is written beside the names of several patients.
Case Book of Allegheny City Farm, 1884-1887. (1 volume) Arranged chronologically by date of admission, and indexed internally by surname of patient. Case book documenting the history of patients at the Allegheny City Farm from their time of admission until their time of release. The book contains a series of entries made on different dates charting the medical progress of patients. The entries are not made in a consistent fashion and primarily consist of observations rather than descriptions of treatments applied. Information given may include name, age, gender, color, place of birth, and marital status of the patient; date of admission; condition upon admittance; and cause of illness.
Case Books of Pittsburgh City Home and Hospital, 1879-1912. (23 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date of admission. Case books documenting the history of patients at the Pittsburgh City Home and Hospital from their time of admission until their time of release. The books contain a series of entries made on different dates charting the medical progress of patients. The entries are not made in a regular fashion and primarily consist of observations rather than descriptions of treatments applied. Information given may include name, age, gender, date of birth, color, place of birth, occupation, marital status, and case number of the patient; names and nativity of parents; a physical and mental assessment; and diagnosis.
Death Registers, 1939-1956. (3 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date of death, and indexed internally by surname. These registers document the deaths of patients at Mayview State Hospital. Information provided may include name, age, place of former residence, gender, color or race, marital status, date and place of birth, and occupation of the patient; names of parents; length of time at hospital; age of spouse; date and cause of death; and date and place of cremation, burial, or removal.
Patient History Books, 1879-1884. (2 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date of admission. Books that document the medical history of patients and their families. Information may include patient’s name, age, gender, nativity, color, place of residence, amount of education, marital status, number of children, age of youngest child, occupation, and religion; place of residence and nativity of parents; cause of commitment; duration of insanity; details of attacks; personal habits; date of admission and discharge; and name of person by whom patient was committed.
Register of Discharges and Deaths, 1950-1958. (1 volume) Arranged chronologically by date of discharge or death. A record of persons who were discharged or died at Mayview State Hospital. Information includes name, gender, and case number of the patient; discharge and/or death number; discharge condition, with result of treatment; and disposition notes regarding the discharge of the patient. Totals are given for discharges and deaths by month and year.
Norristown State Hospital
In 1878 construction began on a new mental hospital to serve the southeastern population of Pennsylvania. Prior to this time, the only other state mental hospitals were located in Warren County, Danville, and Harrisburg. The Norristown Hospital was built to relieve the overcrowding of the psychiatric wards of the Philadelphia Almshouse and other hospitals. When the hospital opened for patients in 1880 it was divided into men’s and women’s departments. In 1924, however, the hospital was reorganized under a single superintendent. As of 2000, Norristown still operates as a state hospital.
Annual Reports of the Board of Public Charities and Committee on Lunacy, 1894, 1897, 1907. (3 volumes) Arranged chronologically by year. Annual reports documenting the activities of the Board of Public Charities and Committee on Lunacy. Information found in these reports includes statistics on mentally ill persons residing in county jails and correctional institutions, almshouses, and private homes and asylums; operating expenses of institutions for the insane and their hospital bed capacity; and the numbers of immigrants residing in such institutions. Other statistics provide data on patients’ gender and race, the reasons they were committed, diseases, and deaths. The Committee on Lunacy report contains statistics on the five state hospitals for the mentally ill located in Harrisburg, Danville, Norristown, Warren County, and Dixmont, and contains information on the weekly diet, admissions, and discharges.
Annual Reports of the Committee on Lunacy, 1885, 1887-1890. (5 volumes) Arranged chronologically by year. Printed volumes containing narrative accounts and statistical breakdowns on the populations residing in both private and state mental hospitals. Information found includes data on the patients’ occupations, gender, race, physical and mental condition, diseases, and causes of mortality. Also found are data on geographical areas served by the various institutions, the names of managers, the value of real estate, the construction of new buildings and their capacities, receipts and expenditures for each institution, and records of admissions, discharges, and population sizes.
Annual Reports of the Norristown State Hospital, 1882-1959. (47 volumes) Arranged chronologically by year. Printed volumes containing narrative accounts of the year’s activity. Included are general lists of expenditures and receipts, statistics on number of patients admitted and discharged, nativity of the patients, county they lived in, occupation, marital status, age, how committed (by friends, overseers of the poor, or the courts), form of disease of those admitted, alleged causes of insanity (old age, sunstroke, scarlet fever, domestic trouble, religious excitement and others), duration of the disease before admission, cause of death, and the number of private patients. There are also lists of those that recovered and those that died, showing age, sex, race, country of origin, form of sanity, cause of sanity, period of residence, whole duration of attack, number of attacks, and age at first attack of insanity in the family. Some reports show expenses and income from the farm, and soap and brush factories and are divided into the following sections: the report between the men’s and women’s departments, staff names and occupations, reports of the pathologist on medical problems, amusements, and religious instruction. The reports from 1929 on discuss occupational therapy, psychosis and psychopathic conditions, and community services. Though not part of the reports, photographs of the hospital taken in 1924 are found at the end of the series.
Philadelphia State Hospital
Founded in 1906 as the City Farms at Byberry, this facility originally functioned as a Philadelphia city institution. In 1928 the facility was renamed the Philadelphia Institution for the Feeble Minded, and in 1931 the name was again changed, this time to the Philadelphia Hospital for Mental Diseases. It became a state mental hospital on October 22, 1938.
Annual Report Book, 1928-1935. (1 volume) Arranged chronologically by date of report. For the year 1928 and the period 1931-1934, the Annual Reports contain narrative accounts of operations of the Philadelphia State Hospital as well as the Annual Statistical Reports which were submitted to the Department of Statistics of the National Committee for Mental Hygiene. For years 1928 through 1931, only an Annual Statistical Report is provided. The difference between the two types of report is that the Annual Reports contain a narrative, while the Annual Statistical Reports only contain tables of information. The latter all contain the same type of information describing characteristics of the institution’s population with regard to sex, age, race, citizenship, country of origin, cultural environment, economic condition, marital status, education, illness, and whether improved. Other information about the hospital includes financial data, number of employees, and their racial and gender groupings by job classification. This volume also contains a summary of activities during 1932 through 1935.
Census Book, 1940-1941. (1 volume) Arranged chronologically by month. This book was designed to monitor the patient population at Philadelphia State Hospital. Information given about each patient includes name; dates of admission, discharge, parole, escape, or return; sex and color; and register and case numbers. Handwritten notations include date of death, date transferred, and to which institution.
Death Registers of Females, 1909-1942. (4 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date of death. A record of female patient deaths at Philadelphia State Hospital. Information provided about decedents may include name, register number, date of admission, form of mental disorder, age at death, color, religious affiliation, marital status, place of birth, occupation, length of time at hospital, date and cause of death, and by whom committed.
Death Registers of Males, 1920-1942. (3 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date of death. A record of male patient deaths at Philadelphia State Hospital. Information provided about decedents may include name, register number, date of admission, form of mental disorder, age at death, color, religion, marital status, place of birth, occupation, length of time at hospital, date and cause of death, and by whom committed.
Discharge Registers of Females, 1907-1942. (2 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date of discharge. These registers contain information regarding the discharge of female patients from the Philadelphia State Hospital. Information given about each patient includes name, register number, date of discharge and last admission; age when discharged, removed or die; color and social condition; form of mental disorder; condition when discharged with a result of treatment; and where the patient went after release.
Discharge Registers of Males, 1907-1942. (2 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date of discharge. These registers contain information regarding the discharge of male patients from the Philadelphia State Hospital. Information given about each patient includes name, register number, date of discharge and last admission; age when discharged, removed or died; color and social condition; form of mental disorder; condition when discharged with a result of treatment; and where the patient went after release.
General Registers of Female Patients, 1895-1908, 1920-1939. (4 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date of admittance. This record documents female patient information for the Philadelphia State Hospital. Data given about each patient may include name, race, and date or register number of previous admission; current register number; dates of admission and discharge or death; place of birth; marital status and number of living children; ages when admitted and at time of first attack; number of attacks; previous city and county of residence; occupation prior to insanity and degree of education; form of mental disorder and supposed cause; by whom committed or removed; and relatives who were insane.
General Registers of Male Patients, 1895-1939. (6 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date of admittance. This record documents male patient information for the Philadelphia State Hospital. Information provided about each patient may include name and race; date or register number of previous admission; current register number; date of admission, discharge or death; place of birth; marital status and number of living children; age when admitted and at first attack; number of attacks; previous city and county of residence; occupation prior to insanity and degree of education; form of mental disorder and supposed cause; by whom committed or removed; and relatives who were insane.
Medical Journals, 1932-1933, 1938-1939. (4 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date. A daily census accounting for all residents of the Philadelphia Hospital for Mental Diseases. Information provided includes the average number of patients, the total number of patients, and the average number of patients on parole. All of these classifications are broken down by gender. Notes are given regarding who was paroled, discharged, admitted, transferred, eloped, died, or returned from parole.
Patient Characteristics and Statistical Register Book, 1940-1942. (1 volume) Arranged chronologically by day, month and year. For each date, two entries are found. One is for the Philadelphia State Hospital, and the other is for the children’s "camp" program. Information given includes census data on the following categories of persons: children, epileptics, feebleminded (not insane), tubercular, and colored. The register gives information on the number of persons admitted, discharged, and died for each day and totals for the year. Also included is a daily account of the number of males and females paroled, escaped, and returned; the number of patients on the census and on parole; and the total number of patients on the registers.
Retreat State Hospital
The Central Poor District was established in 1860 on a 146 acre tract of land in Luzerne County about fourteen miles from Wilkes-Barre. Originally equipped only with outdoor pavilions, these were later replaced by permanent buildings. The first of these was the Female Ward, erected in 1878. This was followed by the construction of the Male Ward in 1884, to which an addition was made in 1895. Together, these composed the Luzerne County Almshouse. In 1890 the Central Poor District also assumed responsibility for the care of the mentally ill, opening the Hospital for the Insane in 1900. By 1924 the facility was identified as the Retreat Mental Hospital in the annual reports although it was still governed by the Central Poor District of Luzerne County. By an act of the legislature in 1937, the haphazard system of poor districts was abolished and county institution districts were set up. Although county commissioners assumed control of poor and indigent sick relief in the counties, management of individual institutions remained the same. In accordance with an act of 1938 requiring the state to take over all institutions for the care of the mentally ill, Retreat came under state control September 16, 1943. The almshouse buildings, whose purpose had been superseded by federal and state relief programs during the Depression, were emptied in 1945 and remodeled as patient dormitories. In 1980, due to decreasing use of hospital facilities and cutbacks in the overall Department of Welfare budget, Retreat State Hospital was forced to close.
Annual Reports, 1902-1921, 1924, 1926-1936, 1944-1949. (43 volumes, 3 folders) Arranged chronologically by date of report. Annual reports of the Board of Directors from the Luzerne County Central Poor District and of the superintendent of Retreat State Hospital. Types of information provided in the reports include names of the members of the board of trustees, officers, staff, and consultants; documentation regarding changes in personnel; and patient treatment, activities, and hospital entertainment. There is also a statistical breakdown of the institution’s population documenting first admissions, diagnoses, places of birth of patients and their mothers, citizenship, economic conditions, marital status, educational levels, religious affiliations, use of alcoholic beverages and cause of death where applicable. Other information about the hospital includes documentation on the amount of food produced on the farm and in workrooms, the amount of food and supplies consumed, number of employees and their salaries, and photographs of the institution. The annual reports contain overall financial statements of the poor district and the annual reports and financial statements to the board by the superintendents of the hospital, the almshouse, and the farm.
Biennial Reports of the Board of Trustees, 1948-1964. (4 folders) Arranged chronologically by date of report. Information in the reports includes names of the trustees, officers, staff, and consultants; documentation regarding changes in personnel; general conditions in the hospital, including activities, treatment, and entertainment; and various departmental reports. Also found are tables regarding first admissions which show hospital population, diagnosis, nativity and mother’s nativity, citizenship, economic condition, marital status, degree of education, and use of alcoholic beverages; and various tables regarding religious affiliation, cause of death, psychoses, age, and length at hospital of deceased patients.
General Registers, 1900-1968. (2 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date of admission. The general registers provide detailed information about each patient. Entries may show name, register number and any former register numbers, age, country of birth, country of parents’ birth, county of residence, occupation, legal status, sex, color, marital status, mental diagnosis, cause of illness, religious affiliation and educational level of the patient; date admitted, source of support and by whom committed; whether naturalized; duration and number of attacks; and date and reason for discharge or death. Men and women are listed separately.
Historical File, 1900-1978. (13 folders) Arranged alphabetically by subject. This series contains the original insane hospital admissions list of July 1900; memoranda and programs relating to the hospital’s centennial; miscellaneous court papers (petitions, appointments and reports of investigative commissions, and commitment orders) from the 1920s and 1930s; a 1902 guide to the Pennsylvania laws governing the Central Poor District and its institutions; drafts of a history of the hospital; several issues of the Retreat State Hospital newsletter, Riverview Echo; and two aerial photographs of the buildings and farm. Also included is correspondence covering such matters as flood damage.
Warren State Hospital
Warren State Hospital was Pennsylvania’s third state mental institution. The State Hospital for the Insane at Warren, Pennsylvania was established by an act of the legislature approved on August 14, 1873, and admitted its first patient on December 5, 1880. In 1920, the name of the institution was officially changed to Warren State Hospital. As of 2000, Warren State Hospital is still in operation.
Female Case Books, [ca. 1883-1913]. (17 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date of admission and indexed internally, alphabetically by surname of patient. Case books documenting the history of female patients from the time of admission until the time of release. The books contain a series of entries made on different dates charting patients’ progress. The entries were not made regularly and primarily consist of observations rather than descriptions of treatments. Information may include name, age, marital status, native state, and previous county of residence of patient; date of admission; husband’s occupation; and cause of illness. Miscellaneous loose sheets are contained within the volumes, including correspondence from patients to their doctors and other medical documentation.
Male Case Books, [ca. 1883-1913]. (19 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date of admission and indexed internally, alphabetically by surname of patient. Case books documenting the history of male patients from the time of admission until the time of release. They contain a series of entries made on different dates charting the patients’ progress. The entries were not made regularly and primarily consist of observations rather than descriptions of treatments. Information may include name, age, marital status, native state, and previous county of residence of patient; date of admission; and cause of illness.
Woodville State Hospital
The Allegheny County Home was a municipal corporation, established and chartered in 1852 for the care, treatment, and maintenance of indigent persons with a physical illness. Control of the home was vested in a board of Poor Directors. In 1900 the Allegheny County Home became known as the Allegheny County Home and Hospital for the Insane. The Insane Department was opened on October 1, 1900, with a total of 226 patients, some of whom were transferred from other Pennsylvania institutions for the insane. In 1938, an act of the legislature vested control of the institution in the Allegheny County commissioners. The Allegheny County Home and the Hospital for the Insane then became known as the Allegheny County Institution District Hospital. On June 1, 1941, as the result of the Goodrich Act which brought all mental patients in Pennsylvania under the control of the Commonwealth, the Mental Department of the Allegheny County Institution District Hospital came under the control of the Department of Welfare of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and was renamed Woodville State Hospital. In 1991, because of the overall decrease in facility use and budget cuts to the Department of Public Welfare, Woodville State Hospital closed.
Account Book for Patients, 1974-1982. (1 folder) Arranged chronologically by year. A record of discharges, deaths, and transfers of patients at Woodville State Hospital. The books list number; name of patient; whether or not discharged, died or transferred; and in many instances age, physical condition, sex, and race.
Admission and Discharge Registers, 1900-1962. (2 volumes) Arranged alphabetically by surname of patient and thereafter by date of admission. A record of admissions and discharges at the Woodville State Hospital. The 1900-1941 register lists name of patient, register number, date of discharge, and date of death. The 1913-1962 register lists patient name, date of discharge, date of death, register number, residence, color, age, and marital status.
Discharge, Death and Transfer Books, 1942-1984. (1 box) Arranged chronologically by year. Books pertaining to the discharge, death, and transfer of Woodville State Hospital patients. These books list each patient’s number and name; whether the patient was discharged, died or transferred; and, in many instances, the patient’s age, physical condition, sex, and race.
New Admissions Registers, 1959-1970. (1 carton, 2 volumes) Arranged chronologically by year. A record of patients admitted to Woodville State Hospital. Information given about each patient includes admission number, name, date of admission, and in many instances race, sex, religion, and home address.
Return Admissions Register, 1970-1984. (2 folders) Arranged chronologically by date. Register of patients who were readmitted to Woodville State Hospital. Entries provide date of re-admittance, patient’s name, age, race, gender, birth date, religious affiliation, home address, marital status, and citizenship status.
BOARD OF PUBLIC CHARITIES
The Board of Public Charities was created in 1869 to inspect all charitable and correctional institutions in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This board was abolished in 1921 and its charitable responsibilities became merged with those of the Department of Welfare that was created in 1923.
Committee on Lunacy
The Committee on Lunacy was established by the Board of Charities in 1883 to examine facilities for the confinement of the insane in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It was abolished along with the Board of Charities in 1921.
Institutional Population Records, [ca. 1882-1920]. (49 volumes, 18 boxes) Grouped alphabetically by name of institution. A record of admissions, discharges and deaths of patients or inmates at the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital, Harrisburg; Philadelphia Hospital Department of the Insane; and the Pittsburgh City Home and Hospital. Each hospital’s records are arranged uniquely and contain varying amounts of information. Typical information provided about each patient may include name; dates of admission, transfer, death or discharge; occupation and gender (African Americans are usually denoted with "col’d" next to the name); register number; a detailed medical history; and a description of psychological state upon commitment.
DEPARTMENT OF WELFARE, 1923-1958
Bureau of Community Work
Reports on County Homes, 1917-1935. (6 boxes) Grouped alphabetically by name of county, and grouped thereunder in rough chronological order. Inspection reports written by field representatives of the Bureau of Assistance and submitted to the secretary of the Department of Welfare to facilitate the preparation of recommendations to the county homes. Also included in this series is inter-agency correspondence. Information given in each report includes name of the institution, city and county where the institution was located, name of field representative conducting the inspection, patient population statistics, names and titles of various institutional officers and personnel, information about the buildings and grounds, and recommendations. Records are available for the following institutions: the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital, Harrisburg; Philadelphia Hospital Department of the Insane; and the Pittsburgh City Home and Hospital.
Reports on County Poor Relief, 1932-1939. (3 boxes) Arranged alphabetically by name of county. Reports compiled by field representatives of the Bureau of Assistance and submitted to the secretary of the Department of Welfare to facilitate the preparation of recommendations to the directors of the poor of each county. The reports consist of evaluations of the county homes, almshouses, children in foster care, and the children’s programs. Information contained within these reports includes names, titles, and salaries of staff, population statistics, information on plants and equipment, care and treatment of residents, and evaluation of special patients’ cases. Additional types of information found include menus for various weeks, newspaper articles, and investigative reports prompted by complaints filed. County population statistics refer to African American inmates both individually and as a segment of the population. For example, some African American inmates are recorded in the censuses of Berks County Poor Relief, 1932-1938; Bloom Almshouse in Cambria County, 1933-1937; and Lehigh County Almshouse, 1933.