DATE: October 9, 2015
HISTORICAL
SITE: Glore Psychiatric
Museum
LOCATION: 3408 Frederick Ave., St Joseph, Buchanan Co.,
Missouri 64506
PERSONAL
REFLECTIONS:
This
was actually one of our stops that I was most looking forward to. How creepy
can you get? A psychiatric hospitals museum and it was voted one of the
creepiest museums in the United States. Dirk and I got to the museum with less
than 2 hours left before it closed. The guy working the desk told us where we
should go first and in what order to see the most popular stuff. I was right,
the place is creepy.
I
had really been anxious to begin researching this subject. So much of mental
illness is hidden from society...we're embarrassed if family members suffer
from any disorder and we avert our eyes if anyone crosses our path, but that
has pretty much been the history of mental illness through the ages.
But
you can't really tell the story of the Glore Psychiatric Museum without
touching on the history of madhouses, insane asylums and mental institutions.
Terms used to describe a person with mental issues have changed over the years.
I used the terms when I could remember to, but many times I found myself
changing something. While researching I was surprised at how cruel some of them
seem today but that were just commonly used words at some other time in
history. And yes, some are meant cruelly or mocking, but how many could we
list? Let's see how many we can do...insane, lunatic, crazy, retard, nutcase,
wacko, mentally disabled, moron, imbecile, idiot, handicapped, developmentally
disabled, disturbed, spastic, mad, dumb, loony, screw loose, mental, schizoid,
demented, delusional, weird, numskull, nut job, lost, daft, differently abled,
feeble minded, freak, hysterical, maniac, psycho, mental midget, deranged,
"special", stupid, cuckoo, bananas and neurotic. I'm pretty darn sure
there are others. Hey, I have an idea...if you can think of terms I missed;
toss them to me in the form of a comment to this article.
One
of the most important things to remember is that while many of the “treatments”
by today’s standards would be considered torture, at the time of their
introduction, were actually “cutting edge” taking into account what was known
about the brain and how it works.
The
very first reference of a known hospital for the insane was one built in Cairo
in 872. In medieval Europe, the insane were mostly kept at home with the family
but if they couldn't handle the person or there was no family, they were housed
in monasteries, in cells at regular hospitals or in “madhouses”. In England,
Bethlem Royal Hospital, built in 1247 earned the nickname of “Bedlam”. Although
it eventually became a modern psychiatric facility, in the 15th century, it
held just 5 insane men and went on to become, historically, known for the worst
of the worst practices.
Moving
along to the 17th century, the care of the mentally ill still pretty much was
the responsibility of families and parish authorities. There were times when
the insane were housed with other members of the community.
And
then there were always charitable asylums, workhouses or correctional
facilities. It should be noted that throughout history, the mentally ill have
been housed with criminals and indeed many inmates have some sort of mental
disorder. Some say our correctional institutions have taken the place of
asylums. For example, 28% of inmates at Rikers need mental health services.
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| Gyro-Wheel |
There
were more English “madhouses” than anywhere else in the world. In 1632, it was
noted that a mental hospital in England had 21 rooms where the “distracted”
people stayed and by 1676, this was expanded to keep 100. The most dangerous
patients were chained in their rooms. The term “madhouse” may have come about
as householders who were boarding lunatics later formalized them into a
business.
In
the 18th century, the insane were placed in public almshouses and, for those
who could afford it, private hospitals. By mid-century, charitable funded
asylums had expanded throughout England.
 |
| The Cage |
In
America, the first charitable funded hospital opened in Pennsylvania in 1751
and provided rooms in the basement with shackles attached to the walls. Within
a couple of years, there was a demand for more space and a ward was built next
to the hospital. And in 1773, Virginia became the first state to establish an
institution for the mentally ill paid for by state funds. I found the name
interesting…“Public Hospital for Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds”. That
must have been a difficult sign to make and put up over its front doors.
England
started licensing institutions in 1774 and there were 16 that petitioned to be
licensed first. But in 1789, King George III experienced a remission in the
mental disorder he had been suffering and “enlightenment” happened…people could
be cured and here came “moral treatment”. Within 10 years, patients were
unchained and physical punishment was banned, although staff could still use straitjackets. A group of Quakers built and ran a “retreat” where they
advocated rest, talk and manual work with the goal of reintegration into
society.
 |
| Solitary |
In
the 19th century, Americans really bought into the European idea of “moral
treatment” and its promise to cure mental illness. Moral treatment was the
method used to “cure” a person using kindness and appealing to parts of their
brains that still seemed rational. This is when “asylums” were open. These
places were to be quiet, out of the way and were meant to have no more than 250
patients at any time with the patients having responsibility for the upkeep and
care of the hospital, staff, themselves and other patients. A talk based
approach was found to be successful with some although "success” can be
interpreted in many ways.
At
this point, more private patients were being treated than the poor. Finally, by
about 1870, all states had, at least one asylum funded with state dollars. The
first book on psychiatric diagnosis and treatments was written by Dr. Benjamin
Rush in 1812. He felt mental diseases were caused by irritation of the blood
vessels in the brain and advocated the use of bleeding, hot and cold baths,
purging, mercury pills, the tranquilizing chair and gyroscope. His book was
used as a reference for at least 50 years.
 |
| Straitjacket |
And
you thought the name of that hospital above was long, how about the hospital
that opened in Philadelphia, in 1817, with the name "The Asylum for the
Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of their Reason". That’s my favorite
and certainly one condition we are all guilty of occasionally. This hospital is
still functioning but under the name "Friends Hospital".
Men,
women and children, if hospitalization was necessary, were kept in the same
place. 1841 saw the first retreat for mentally disabled children opened;
thereby removing some of the most vulnerable patient population. Occasionally
women were institutionalized due to their opinions and/or “unruliness”.
Fathers, husbands, brothers had the legal right to commit women in their family
for behaving in ways the male society did not agree with. Legislation, late in
the century, finally forbade the undiagnosed admission of anyone into an
asylum.
Treatment
was changing too. The 1850’s saw the introduction of writing, art, group
therapy and drama as part of treatment.
 |
| Steamer |
Then
“senility” was classified as a mental illness. Now families could easy have
their elderly members committed to these asylums for nothing more than getting
old. The average number of patients in asylums in the US jumped 927% with
similar numbers in England and Germany. The reason for the dramatic increase is
still debated today but I can’t help but think that the great latitude in
diagnosing mental illness had something to do with it. It seemed relatively easy,
at this point, to get a doctor to say a person was mentally incompetent. And
with the states picking up the costs in state run or charitable institutions,
there were no monetary considerations in the decision.
Let
me tell you...today’s haunted places have nothing on Glore Psychiatric
Hospital. The original hospital and the Administration building was built in
1872 and lies behind a barbed fence. Now part of a "correctional"
complex", the buildings holds about 600 criminal offenders in treatment
for drug abuse.
 |
| Cold Baths |
When
built, the state called this place “The State Lunatic Asylum No. 2” and when it
opened on November 9, 1874, the first 25 patients were admitted. The
intent/goal/mission, whatever you want to call it, seemed overly simplified.
The first superintendent, Dr. George Catlet called it “the noble work of
reviving hope in the human heart and dispelling the portentous clouds that
penetrate the intellects of minds diseased”. (As an aside, Dr. Catlett is one
of 4 doctors who did the autopsy on Jesse James).
It
didn’t take long for the first deaths to occur…just barely over 1 month after
they admitted the first patients, two died. It being December, the ground was
frozen so only one hole was dug for both bodies. That was the start of a very
sad cemetery. Of the estimated 2,000 deaths, only a handful of tombstones
remain. Many of the patients in the early years were dropped off by families
moving west and no one ever returned, so many of the gravestones simply have a
number because the name wasn’t known. When I say dropped off, that was very
literal.
 |
| Wheelchair |
But
as with other state asylums, the State Lunatic Asylum quickly filled their 275
beds. During the time the facility was open, they added another 125 beds,
filled those and then 350 more. Many of the patients, over the years, came from
families who could just no longer care for someone with special needs. In the
beginning, like other asylums of the day, the institution was self-sufficient
but the more overcrowded it became, the more the facility had to depend on the
outside for food and other materials.
About
the only thing that slowed admittances was a devastating fire, in 1878 that
burned the place to the ground. When they reopened in 1880, not only were the
mental patients moved back in, but now those suffering from tuberculosis,
syphilis, alcohol addiction and physical disabilities were admitted.
By
1890, financial considerations were forcing more patients into state run facilities
and the number of patients was far exceeding the 250 that the “moral treatment”
suggested. Another thing was getting ready to affect mental health care and
that was the realization that the “moral treatment” idea just wasn’t curing most
patients. The realization that a “one size fits all” approach cant and never
will be able to be applied to mental illness.
 |
| Restraint Chair |
In
1899, the name was changed to St. Joseph State Hospital and in 1903, to “State
Hospital No. 2” and the last patient was buried in the asylum cemetery in
October 1949.
So
by the 20th century, we had to be progressive as far as mental health is
concerned, right? Many new “exciting” treatments were found. Some have been
found to be dangerous or of no value while some are still in use; albeit on a
limited basis. But in the end, we were still far from how we view mental
illness treatment today.
 |
| It's Shocking |
By
1904, the U.S. had about 150,000 patients living in mental hospitals. While in
most cases, doctors and nurses tried to help the patients, the numbers were
overwhelming and care slipped. As care slipped, it allowed, as it always had,
less than desirable people to come in and, sometimes clandestinely, but many
times right out in the open, abuse the residents. That’s not to say this abuse
just started happening in the 20th century. It’s always been easy to abuse
those who are “hidden”, who have no voice, who, in many cases, have no family
to advocate on their behalf. Even in the “modern” world of the early 20th
century, the mentally ill were “deposited” into institutions and left. Most
knew, at that time, “recovery” wasn’t thought very possible.
Between
the years 1910 to 1930, many radical therapies came out of Europe including barbiturate
induced deep sleep and insulin shock therapy. These were developed to “cure”
dementia praecox or what’s now referred to as schizophrenia.
Two
things happened to further the decline in the operation of asylums. First the
stock market crash and subsequent depression and then WWII. Both led to severe
cuts in state funding and a huge shortage of personnel. But there were still
“advances” happening. 1935 saw the first lobotomy performed in Portugal and in
1938, electroconvulsive therapy was introduced.
 |
| Ice Pick Lobotomy |
In
1946, a U.S. doctor developed a “refined” method of lobotomy using something
that looks like an ice pick. The procedure took only about 15 minutes and was
an “office” procedure. In 1949, 5,074 patients had lobotomies and by 1951,
18,608 patients.
By
the early 1950’s, the hospital had over 3,000 patients with diagnosis ranging
from mild depression to criminally insane. This is the period of the emerging “community”
treatment in outpatient clinics so the facility underwent a very slow change.
Advances in medicines meant some patients were able to be released back to
their families and the removal of the criminal element allowed them to get down
to a manageable level. In 1994, a new 108 bed hospital for intermediate and
long term patients was built across the street and the current location was
changed to a correctional facility in 1997. The “asylum” underwent one more
name change in 1999…The Western Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center.
It
was common place up until 1950 to force sterilize mental patients, but steam
was gaining on a complete overhaul of the way we diagnose and treat mental
health issues and the places people go to get help. First, nursing homes for
the elderly were opened, so “senility” moved away from being a mental health
issue back to where it belongs. We get old!
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| Autopsy Room |
Around
the time the new building was going up in 1968, a celebration of “mental
health” week was announced. George Glore, who had worked at the asylum for many
years, wanted to do something to try to reduce the stigma of mental illness.
George worked with the hospital carpenters and patients to construct full size
replicas of 16th, 17th and 18th century
“treatment” devices. Showcasing the advancements in the treatment of mental
health, the exhibit was wildly popular and the Administrators encouraged George
to build upon the exhibit.
 |
| Morgue |
The
“mental hygiene movement” saw the change from institutionalizing to treatment
through outpatient clinics. Although there were still experiments to try to
physically “fix” people, it was mostly the introduction of medicines that made
the most advancements in recovery or maintenance and so moving patients from
asylums and back to their families and communities.
The
museum now not only exhibits Glore’s replicas but also spotlights some of the
more “modern” treatments prescribed. I can’t say that many of the modern
treatments are really that much different than torture but again…can’t judge
yesterday by our standards and morals of today. That being said, the exhibits
are pretty cool in a macabre sort of way and yes, you get the creeps in the
morgue and autopsy room.
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| Tranquilizers |
Is
this place haunted? Some say yes, although if that was true, wouldn’t it be
more so in the original building? This was just the clinic and morgue, but
whatever. The supposed manifestations that have been seen/heard/experienced are
of a male walking around on the 3rd floor; the motion detector going nuts when
no one is in the basement and some people who are “sensitive” say that entities
seem trapped down there. There’s the woman’s voice asking for help and the
sounds of whimpering and crying. But, and this is one that would freak me out…a
man runs down the basement hallway, towards the elevator, screaming “why are
you here? Get out!”. If that ever happened…I’d do it.
In
the end, it’s a sad place…a testament to what humans can do to other humans.
You know it’s going to be a sad place when you are told that if a family
actually brought someone in, they were told to bring in the clothes they wanted
the patient buried in because chances were high they would never leave the
hospital. Many patients never had visitors and died alone and unclaimed.
In spite of a fierce snowstorm, the laying of the
cornerstone on November 16, 1880, was very well attended. The cornerstone was
put in place during a heavy snowstorm on November 16, 1880. 
It took another decade to rebuild the chapel on its original
foundation at a cost of $45,000.00
Near the church, on the Drury campus are two cannons left
behind from the Civil War era. They moved around Springfield quite a bit before
calling Drury University home in the late 1800’s.
Then in 1905, Springfield High School borrowed it and for
some reason the Drury campus manager told them they could keep it. Well, the
Drury students didn’t agree, so they went and took it back. They mounted it on a solid stone pedestal in its current
location, facing the street.
