FERGUS FALLS STATE HOSPITAL:

An Inventory of Its Patient Records at the Minnesota Historical Society

Government Records

Part or all of this collection is restricted.
For details, please see restrictions.

OVERVIEW


	Creator:	Fergus Falls State Hospital.
	Title:	Patient Records.
	Dates:	1890-2001.
	Language:	Materials in English.
	Abstract:	Records containing information on patients, many with data on individual patients. They include selected items documenting discharged patients (1890-approximately 1961), census books (1890-1971), cemetery (1890-1968) death (1961-2001) and burial (1918-1968) records, Detention Hospital census book (1914-1917, 1920-1927), patient clothing record (1893-1913), monthly ward reports/movement of population (1894-1902), patient cash journals (1894-1906), and patient personal property receipt and miscellaneous expense record book, mainly detailing escapee and parolee travel expenses (1902-1904, 1911-1915).
	Quantity:	11.8 cubic feet (14 boxes, 3 partial boxes, 1 tube, 1 folder) and 3 text files : PDF (1.8 MB).
	Location:	See Detailed Description for shelf locations.

Also included are letters from (1911) and interviews with (1910-1911) patients concerning treatment, a patient address/employee commentary book (1913-1920), patient and employee tuberculosis test cards (1930s), admission building night report (1931-1933), monthly population statistical reports (1935, 1939-1965), monthly reports (1942-1949), West Side (women's ward) night report (1948-1949), Convalescent Ward Patients Council minute book (1953-1962), and records of patients transferred to the Rochester State Hospital for medical treatment (1974-1981).

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ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Access Restrictions:

Some of these records include private information about individuals. Records with private information are closed for 75 years from date of last entry in the record. The restricted records are noted in the finding aid. Researchers must apply for permission to use these records. Please consult library staff for more information.

Digitized originals are closed. Access and use requires the permission of the State Archivist. Please consult the reference staff for more information.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Fergus Falls State Hospital. Patient Records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession numbers: 2000-57; 2004-27; 2008-43; 2013-60; 2019-33; 2024-41

Processing Information:

Digitized by: Minnesota Historical Society, April 2019

Catalog ID number: 990017045390104294

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION


Location
107.F.1.8F	Samples of discharged patients’ documents:
		Samples of documents for patients discharged from the hospital, including correspondence, behavior notes, lab reports, accident reports, death certificates, and related records. Arranged in numerical order by patient’s file number.
		File Nos. 1-397, 1890-1937. 5 folders.
		File Nos. 7301-7351, 1910-circa 1950. 4 folders.
			RESTRICTED
		File Nos. 12,601-12,650, 1921-circa 1961. 5 folders.
			RESTRICTED


		Census book, July 1890-June 1893. 1 volume.
			This volume contains unique information not found in No. [1] of the census books listed below.


Location
113.H.3.1F-2	Census books:
		Nos. [1]-3, July 1890-July 1914. 3 volumes.
Location
113.H.3.2F-1		Nos. 4-5, August 1914-June 1944. 2 volumes.
			RESTRICTED
Location
113.H.3.2F-2		No. 6, July 1944-1962. 1 volume.
			RESTRICTED
Location
113.H.3.3F-1		No. 7, 1963-June 1971. 1 volume.
			RESTRICTED


Location
105.G.3.2F	Census books:
		The following volumes contain unique admission, discharge, and statistical information not found in Volume No. 6 above.
		June 1949-February 1959. 1 volume.
			RESTRICTED
		April 1950-January 1960. 1 volume.
			RESTRICTED
		March 1959-October 1962. 1 volume.
			RESTRICTED


Location
113.H.3.3F-1	Census books: Detention Hospital:
		August 1914-July 1917. 1 volume.
Location
107.F.1.8F		1920-1927. 1 volume.


Location
105.G.3.2F	Census list, January 12-13, 1979.
		RESTRICTED
		Daily report of admissions, discharges, visits, transfers, and hospital statistics.


Location
105.G.3.3B	Cemeteries 1, 2, and 3 Indexes, August 28, 1890-September 4, 1968. 3 folders and 3 PDF files (1.8 MB):
		Three indexes, provided by the Fergus Falls State Hospital, listing burials in Cemeteries 1, 2, and 3 (see description of each cemetery in following entry). For each burial, the data includes grave location (section-grave-cemetery number), date of birth, date of death, date of burial, Minnesota death certificate number, name on certificate, and comments.
		Alphabetical Index of cemeteries 1, 2, and 3.
			Digital Version
		Cemetery Data: By ID number and cemetery number.
			Digital Version
		Cemetery Data: By cemetery number.
			Digital Version


Location
105.G.3.2F	Cemeteries 2 and 3 Indexes, September 26, 1912-September 4, 1968. 1 folder and 1 volume in folder:
		RESTRICTED: Closed Originals.
		Cemetery 2, Sections 11-64, September 26, 1912-January 24, 1949.
			Includes date of burial, name of decedent, and grave number. Arranged in numerical order by section number, thereunder by date of burial and grave number.
			Digital version
		Cemetery 3, Sections 1-4, February 2, 1949-September 4, 1968 February 2, 1949-September 4, 1968.
			Includes date of burial, name of decedent, and grave number. Arranged in numerical order by section number, thereunder by date of burial and grave number.
			Digital version


Location	Drawer
A3/OV5	11	Cemeteries 2 and 3 Plats, compiled in 1958 and 1961. 3 items in 1 folder.
			Plats compiled by A. J. Erickson (original maps of Cemeteries 1, 2, and 3 are maintained by the state Human Services Department/State Operated Services Division).
			The two 1961 plats cover Cemetery 2 and list decedent names and grave locations. The first includes sections 11-39 (sections 1-10 and half of section 11 are missing) and details burials between September 26, 1912 and February 16, 1931; the second includes sections 40-64, detailing burials between February 16, 1931 and January 24, 1949. The plat of sections 11-39 is incorrectly labeled Cemetery 1.
			The 1958 plat covers Cemetery 3 and includes sections 1-4, detailing burials between February 2, 1949 and September 26, 1960. There appears to have been updates at a later date to account for deaths that occurred in 1959 and 1960.
			There may be some discrepancies in the numbering between the previously described index and these plats. There are also no plats available for index entries 1-1-1 through 11-16-2 or 4-11-3 through 4-64-3.


Location
106.I.4.15	Cemeteries 1, 2, and 3 Map, undated. 1 photograph in map tube, color, 108 x 44 in.
		Updated in 1993 by Rick Bugbee; lists burials from 1890 through 1968.


Location
126.I.16.10F	Patient’s clothing record books:
		Lists of individual patient’s clothing and personal possessions upon admission to the hospital.
		1893-1898. 1 volume.
		1899-1902. 1 volume.
		1913. 1 volume.
		1894-1907. 1 volume.
			Includes a records of nurses’ sick leave.


Location
113.H.3.3F-2	Monthly ward reports/Movement of population:
		August 1894-July 1896. 2 volumes.
			Pages covering August 1894-July 1895 are out of order.
Location
113.H.3.4F-1		August 1896-July 1897. 1 volume.
Location
113.H.3.4F-2		August 1897-July 1898. 1 volume.
Location
113.H.4.1F-1		August 1898-July 1899. 1 volume.
Location
113.H.4.1F-2		August 1899-July 1900. 1 volume.
Location
113.H.4.2F-1		August 1900-July 1901. 1 volume.
Location
113.H.4.2F-2		August 1901-July 1902. 1 volume.


Location
126.I.16.10F	Patient’s cash journals:
		Record of individual patient’s expenses for fruit, candy, and other personal items.
		December 1, 1894-November 30, 1898 . 1 volume.
		December 1, 1898-July 29, 1902. 1 volume.
		August 4, 1902- June 6, 1903. 1 volume.
		October 6, 1904-April 1, 1905. 1 volume.
		May 1-October 9, 1905. 1 volume.
		March 12-July 31, 1906. 1 volume.


		Patient’s property and expense record book, 1902-1904, 1911-1915. 1 volume.
			Pages 1-32 (April 21, 1902-January 11, 1904) contain receipts, some pasted in, for patient’s personal effects turned over by the hospital to relatives or guardians; pages 35-130 (October 1911-November 1915) are labeled “Patient’s Traveling Expenses” and mainly record costs of fares and meals for the return of escapees and for parolees returning home and rewards for holding escapees. There are also records of miscellaneous administrative expenses including typewriter repair, doctor and dental work, dry goods, books, drugs, office supplies, equipment and building repairs, livestock vaccine and registration fees, and advertising for employees.


Location
107.F.1.8F	Letters from patients, 1911.
		Chronological handwritten letters from discharged patients, primarily addressed to Dr. Knox, regarding their favorable treatment at the hospital.


		Interviews with patients, 1910-1911. 1 volume.
			Brief questions and answers regarding individual patients’ treatment at the hospital; each patient is identified by name.
			Arranged chronologically.


Location
126.I.16.10F	Patient address/employee commentary book, 1913-1920. 1 volume.
		Contains two separate sets of data, alphabetical listing of patient’s addresses or that of a close relative (undated) and a listing of what appears to be commentary on employees at other institutions, listing their name, grade (A-good, B-indifferent, C-bad), and the institution where they were employed. Entries written in red are supposedly those who might or have applied at Fergus.
		The entries, which cover 1913-1920, are listed first alphabetically by surname letter, then chronologically under each letter.


Location
105.G.3.3B	Permit for burial or removal, February 22-October 26, 1918; June 23, 1941-March 1, 1949; July 1951-October 1958; December 1958-September 1968. 4 folders.
		Cover burials in the hospital’s cemetery; data includes name, date of death, place of death, registrar’s number, age, sex, place of birth, proposed date of burial, and grave location number (cemetery-section-grave).


Location
113.H.4.3F-1	Tuberculosis test cards, [1930s]. 1 card file drawer.
		Tuberculosis test cards for hospital patients and employees; information recorded includes name, birth date, gender, age, race, marital status, address, admission or employment date, patient or employee, parents’ names, test date [circa 1936-1937], and positive or negative test result.
		Separate sets for males and females; each set is arranged alphabetically by person’s surname.


Location
105.G.3.3B	Admission Building night report, April 20, 1931-November 16, 1933. 2 volumes.
		Admission of patients and arrival and departure of staff from building.


Location
126.I.16.10F		Population reports, Monthly statistics, 1935, 1939-1965. 3 folders.


		Monthly reports, 1942-June 1949. 2 folders.
			Include information on admissions, discharges, deaths, and hospitalizations. Other types of data that may be included are personal hygiene work (shampoos, haircuts, oil treatments, manicures, facials, depilatories, and curls), employee illness and resignations, dental work, and x-ray work.


		West Side night report, 1948-1949. 1 volume.
			Nurses’ records of nighttime activity in west side (women’s) wards, including notes about noisiness and restlessness among patients, patients exhibiting violent behavior, patients sick, and types of treatment or drugs given.


		Convalescent Ward Patients Council minutes, 1953-March 8, 1962. 1 volume.
			Includes the constitution and by-laws (1953) and minutes of the weekly meetings of this group which dealt mainly with organizing entertainment events, such as bingo, parties, dances, and card games for the ward.


Location
105.G.3.2F	Rochester treatment records, 1974-1981. 3 folders.
		RESTRICTED
		Information on patient transfers, primarily to Rochester State Hospital, for medical treatment. They include patient medical history, treatment received, and dates of transfer.
		The 1974-1979 records are arranged alphabetically by patient name, while those for January 1979-November 1981 are arranged chronologically.


Location
100.B.5.3B	Lists of patient deaths, 1961-2001. 2 folders.
		Contents include names, dates, causes of death, and disposition of the bodies for patients who died while at Fergus Falls State Hospital.

CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:: Cemeteries -- Minnesota -- Fergus Falls -- Maps.; Medical records -- Minnesota.; Mental health personnel -- Minnesota.; Mentally ill -- Minnesota.; Parole -- Minnesota.; People with mental disabilities -- Institutional care -- Minnesota -- Interviews.; People with mental disabilities -- Institutional care -- Minnesota -- Statistics.; People with mental disabilities, Writings of, American -- Minnesota.; Psychiatric hospital care -- Minnesota.; Psychiatric hospital patients -- Minnesota -- Interviews.; Psychiatric hospital patients -- Minnesota -- Statistics.; Psychiatric hospital patients -- Clothing -- Minnesota.; Psychiatric hospital patients -- Diseases -- Minnesota.; Psychiatric hospitals -- Minnesota -- Statistics.; Psychiatric hospitals -- Minnesota -- Employees.; Psychiatric hospitals -- Minnesota -- Finance.; Psychiatric hospitals -- Admission and discharge -- Minnesota.; Psychiatric nursing -- Minnesota.; State hospitals -- Minnesota -- Statistics.; State hospitals -- Minnesota -- Finance.; State hospitals -- Admission and discharge -- Minnesota.; State hospitals -- Officials and employees -- Minnesota.; Tuberculosis -- Diagnosis -- Minnesota.

Organizations:: Rochester State Hospital (Minn.)

Document Types:: Burial records -- Minnesota -- Fergus Falls.; Plats (maps) -- Minnesota -- Fergus Falls.; Statistics.

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FERGUS FALLS STATE HOSPITAL:

OVERVIEW

SCOPE AND CONTENTS

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

CATALOG HEADINGS