ROCHESTER STATE HOSPITAL: SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE:

An Inventory of Its Correspondence at the Minnesota Historical Society

Government Records

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


Expand/CollapseOVERVIEW

Creator: Rochester State Hospital (Minn.). Superintendent's Office.
Title:Correspondence.
Dates:1885-1961.
Language:Materials in English.
Abstract:Correspondence concerning hospital administration and facilities, patients, medical matters, relations with other hospitals and with various supervisory agencies, nurses training, deaths and discharges, supplies and equipment, personnel, and the superintendent's professional affiliations.
Quantity:30.1 cubic feet (28 boxes and 3 partial boxes).
Location: See Detailed Description for shelf locations.

Expand/CollapseARRANGEMENT

In various subseries.


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Expand/CollapseADMINISTRATIVE 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.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Rochester State Hospital (Minn.). Superintendent's Office. Correspondence. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 983-23

Processing Information:

Catalog ID number: 001704607


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DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Expand/CollapseGENERAL

Location
114.B.15.5B 1894-1950s.
Correspondence concerning hospital administration, patients, superintendent's professional affiliations, and other miscellaneous activities. Consists largely of letters sent, including numerous pages cut from letterpress books by hospital staff, intermingled with some letters received.
Mainly unarranged.
Location
114.B.15.6FBusiness letters, January 1938-August 1942.
Concerns hospital administration, facilities, medical matters, patients, and relations with other hospitals.
Arranged in a rough alphabetical order by subject.
Architect.
Anoka State Hospital.
Board of Health.
Civil Service.
Inquiry About Patients Not Here. 2 folders.
Inquiry About Patients Who Have No Letter File.
Library.
Minnesota State Employees Union No. 10.
Minneapolis General Hospital.
Miscellaneous.
St. Cloud Reformatory.
School of Nursing.
Statistics.
State Board of Control.
Surveys of Mental Patients.
St. Peter State Hospital.
Tuberculosis Cases.
Veterans.
Willmar State Hospital.
Dr. B. F. Smith's Personal Letters.
Location
114.B.15.7B 1942-1961. 62 folders.
RESTRICTED
Correspondence with state hospitals and other state institutions; with state agencies, particularly the mental health commissioner and the Division of Public Institutions; and with various other hospitals, including the Mayo Clinic and Minneapolis General Hospital.
Mainly unarranged.
Location
114.B.15.8FCorrespondence/Subject Files, 1936-1950s.
Rationing, 1943. 3 folders.
Farm Reports, 1936-1954.
Nursing Affiliations, 1946-1956. 3 folders.
Rock Crushing Plant: Products, etc., 1953-1959.
Furniture, 1950-1951.
Architects, 1950s. 6 folders.
Meetings: Institutional. 3 folders.
Location
114.B.15.9BCorrespondence Regarding Administration, 1927-1933.
Arranged alphabetically by subject, A-H and S-X, apparently by subject, although there are no specific subject annotations on folders or documents.
Correspondence Regarding Physical Plant and Construction, 1919-1936.
Mainly unarranged.
Hospital Construction Files, 1950-1961. 7 folders.
Location
114.B.15.10FBoard of Health, 1916-1924.
Largely board reports on diphtheria cultures and blood tests for individual patients.
Veterans, 1920-1934.
Correspondence with U.S. Veterans Bureau concerning veterans of military service being treated at the hospital. Includes reports of neuropsychiatric examinations.
Casualty Reports, 1920-1924.
Reports of incidents that resulted in injuries to patients, completed by ward attendant and sent by medical superintendent, apparently to Board of Control.
Statistics, 1930-1950s. 2 folders.
Miscellaneous notes and forms, largely financial.
Location
114.B.15.11B 1950-1961.
RESTRICTED
Correspondence with various state and local governmental agencies, with medical organizations, and regarding some specific hospital projects or units.
Mainly unarranged.
Location
114.B.15.12FParole/Discharge Letters, 1898-1915.
Correspondence (largely letters received) regarding patient discharges, including follow-up correspondence with ex-patients and/or their guardians, and reports of parole agents to the superintendent.
Arranged chronologically by year.
Location
114.B.15.13BParole/Discharge Letters, 1916-1919.
Correspondence Regarding Patients, 1920-1924.
Arranged alphabetically, G-Z.

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Expand/CollapseLETTERS RECEIVED: GENERAL

Regarding general hospital administration, including employment, nurses’ training, supplies and equipment, and building maintenance and improvements, with a few relating to patients. Correspondents include members of the Board of Control and Health Board, other state hospitals, job applicants, and manufactures and retailers.


Arranged chronologically by groups of years; thereunder alphabetically.


Location
114.B.15.2F 1886-1901.
Location
114.B.15.3B 1901-1919.

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Expand/CollapseLETTERS RECEIVED: PATIENT LETTERS

Letters to superintendent and hospital staff members from patients and ex-patients.


Mainly unarranged.


Location
114.B.15.4F circa 1896-1900s.
Labeled: Selection of interesting patient letters.
1919-1924.

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Expand/CollapseLETTERS RECEIVED REGARDING PATIENTS

Letters received from relatives and guardians of patients inquiring about or discussing their physical and mental health, well-being, and care at the hospital.


Arranged alphabetically by first letter of surname; chronologically by groups of years.


Location
114.B.14.6FA-C, 1892-1896.
Location
114.B.15.1BB, 1889-1902.
Location
114.B.14.6FB, 1904-1906.
Location
114.B.14.7BB, 1915-1916
Location
114.B.14.6FA-C, 1907-1913.
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114.B.15.4FA-C, 1918-1919.
Location
114.B.14.7BD-E, 1889-1893.
D-E, 1901-1904.
Location
114.B.15.1BD-E, 1911-1912.
Location
114.B.14.7BD-E, 1912-1918
Location
114.B.14.8FD-E, 1918-1919.
F-G, 1888-1910.
Location
114.B.14.9BF-G, 1911-1916.
F, 1918-1919.
H-J, 1888-1892.
Location
114.B.14.10FH-J, 1904-1919.
Location
114.B.14.11BK-L, 1888-1891.
K-L, 1917-1920.
M-N, 1888-1893.
Location
114.B.14.12FM-N, 1895-1896.
M-N, 1908-1915.
Location
114.B.14.13BM-N, 1917-1920.
O-R, 1888-1899.
Location
114.B.14.14FO-R, 1901-1904.
P-R, 1910-1911.
O-R, 1911-1919.
Location
114.B.14.15BS, 1885-1896.
S, 1905-1906.
Location
114.B.14.16FS, 1916-1919.
T-Z, 1888-1890.
T-Z, 1903-1908.
Location
114.B.15.1BT-Z, 1910-1919.

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Expand/CollapseLETTERS SENT: MISCELLANEOUS

Correspondence regarding purchases, hospital facility construction, and patient discharges. Correspondents include the Board of Control, various suppliers, and contractors.


Location
114.B.11.14F 1901-1913. 2 volumes.
The 1901-1908 volume contains an index.

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Expand/CollapseLETTERS SENT: NOTIFICATIONS OF DEATH

Letters sent to patient guardians upon death of patient; each volume contains an index.


Location
114.B.11.14F 1893-1918. 2 volumes.
Location
114.B.11.1B 1918-1912. 1 volume.

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Expand/CollapseLETTERS SENT: NOTIFICATIONS OF DISCHARGE

Letters sent to patient’s guardian upon discharge or transfer from the hospital; each volume contains an index.

Many pages are illegible.


Location
114.B.11.13B 1892-1914. 6 volumes.
Location
114.B.11.14F 1914-1919. 2 volumes.

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Expand/CollapseLETTERS SENT REGARDING PATIENTS

Letters sent in response to inquiries from relatives or guardians of patients regarding their mental or physical health.


Arranged chronologically.


Location
114.B.11.9B July 1889-June 1891. 6 volumes.
June 1891-September 1892. Missing.
September 1892-October 1893. 3 volumes.
Location
114.B.11.10F October 1893-January 1894. 1 volume.
January 1894-1895. Missing.
January-August 1896. 2 volumes.
August 1896-December 1899. Missing.
December 1899-October 1900. 3 volumes.
December 1899-March 1900 volume contains illegible pages due to water damage.
Location
114.B.11.11B October 1900-January 1901. 1 volume.
January 1901-June 1909. Missing.
June-September 1909-November 1910. 5 volumes.
Location
114.B.11.12F November 1910-February 1911. 1 volume.
February 1911-August 1912. Missing.
August 1912-September 1913. 5 volumes.
September 1913-March 1914. Missing.
March-May 1914. 1 volume.

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Expand/CollapseCATALOG 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:
Health services administrators -- Minnesota -- Records and correspondence.
Medicine -- Minnesota.
Mentally ill -- Minnesota.
Nurses -- In-service training -- Minnesota.
People with mental disabilities -- Institutional care -- Minnesota.
People with mental disabilities -- Mortality -- Minnesota.
Psychiatric hospital patients -- Attitudes.
Psychiatric hospital patients -- Minnesota -- Records and correspondence.
Psychiatric hospital patients -- Health and hygiene -- Minnesota.
Psychiatric hospitals -- Minnesota -- Administration.
Psychiatric hospitals -- Minnesota -- Ç‚x Employees.
Psychiatric hospitals -- Minnesota -- Design and construction.
Psychiatric hospitals -- Admission and discharge -- Minnesota.
State hospitals -- Minnesota -- Administration.
State hospitals -- Minnesota -- Employees.
State hospitals -- Admission and discharge -- Minnesota.
Places:
Minnesota -- Statistics, Vital.
Rochester (Minn.)

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