FERGUS FALLS STATE HOSPITAL:
An Inventory of Its Superintendent's Correspondence at the Minnesota Historical Society
Government Records
OVERVIEW
| Creator: | Fergus Falls State Hospital. | |
| Title: | Superintendent's Correspondence. | |
| Dates: | 1901-1969. | |
| Language: | Materials in English. | |
| Abstract: | Correspondence of superintendents Dr. G. O. Welch (1893-1926) and Dr. William L. Patterson (1926-1968). | |
| Quantity: | 0.9 cubic feet (26 folders). | |
| Location: | See Detailed Description for shelf locations. |
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
Welch's files cover the years 1901-1913 and are divided into three sections: administrative, construction, and patients. The administrative letters detail such matters as legislative appropriations, procurement of supplies, personnel, operation of the institution farm, contagious diseases among patients and staff, insurance, and maintenance of buildings and grounds. The construction correspondence documents various out buildings and additional facilities, including barns, cold storage facility, kitchens, nurses' dormitory, and water and electrical systems. The patient letters cover abuse, accidents, autopsies, discharges, escapes, legal, operations, paroles, property, transfers, and sundries. Major correspondents are the Board of Control and the board's consulting engineer, Charles L. Pillsbury, and architect, Clarence H. Johnston.
Patterson's files mainly document the administration of the institution, particularly its relation with the Division of Public Institutions/Department of Public Welfare (DPW). Included are series of letters with DPW medical directors Dr. Dale Cameron and Dr. David J. Vail and DPW patient program services director Fred M. Chapman; articles by Patterson and biographical information; and photographs, mainly portraits of Patterson or photographs documenting the 1958 ceremony naming Patterson Fergus Falls' outstanding citizen and breaking ground for an addition to Patterson Hall.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Fergus Falls State Hospital. Superintendent's Correspondence. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.
Accession Information:
Accession numbers: 252; 2000-57
Processing Information:
Catalog ID number: 001704536
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
| 109.H.18.4F | Welch, Dr. G. O.: | ||||||||||
| Correspondence maintained by Welch, superintendent from 1893 to 1926. Primary correspondents in this series are the Board of Control and the board’s consulting engineer, Charles L. Pillsbury, and architect, Clarence J. Johnston. | |||||||||||
| Administrative correspondence, 1901-1913. 11 folders. | |||||||||||
| Arranged alphabetically by subject. Covers matters including legislative appropriations, procurement of supplies, personnel, operation of the institution farm, contagious diseases among patients and staff, insurance, and maintenance of buildings and grounds. | |||||||||||
| Construction correspondence, 1901-1913. 6 folders. | |||||||||||
| Arranged alphabetically by subject. Relates to barns, coal shed, cold storage facility, industrial building, kitchens, laundry, sewing room, nurses' dormitory, and water and electrical systems. | |||||||||||
| Patients, undated. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Filed in the following categories: abuse, accidents, admission, autopsies, discharges, escapes, legal, letters, operations, paroles, property, transfers, and sundries, with the largest number of letters relating to legal matters, transfers, and sundries. | |||||||||||
| Patterson, Dr. William L.: | |||||||||||
| Correspondence and related materials documenting Patterson, superintendent/medical director from 1926-1968. | |||||||||||
| Articles by, undated and 1921-1928. | |||||||||||
| Biographical information, 1949-1969. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence-general, 1936-1968. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence with Dr. Dale Cameron, 1954-1956. | |||||||||||
| Medical Director, Department of Public Welfare. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence with Fred M. Chapman, 1950-1951. | |||||||||||
| Supervisor, Patient Program Services, Division of Public Institutions. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence with Dr. David J. Vail, 1954-1955, 1961-1967. | |||||||||||
| Medical Director, Department of Public Welfare. | |||||||||||
| Photographs, 1913-1964. | |||||||||||
| Black and white and color photographs, mainly portraits of Patterson and photographs of the 1958 ceremony naming Patterson Fergus Falls' outstanding citizen and breaking ground for an addition to Patterson Hall. | |||||||||||
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:
- Health services administrators -- Minnesota -- Records and correspondence.
- Medicine -- Minnesota.
- Mentally ill -- Minnesota.
- People with mental disabilities -- Institutional care -- Minnesota.
- Psychiatric hospital care -- Minnesota.
- Psychiatric hospital patients -- Minnesota.
- Psychiatric hospitals -- Minnesota -- Administration.
- Psychiatric hospitals -- Minnesota -- Design and construction.
- Psychiatric hospitals -- Minnesota -- Employees.
- Psychiatric hospitals -- Minnesota -- Equipment and supplies.
- State farms -- Minnesota.
- State hospitals -- Minnesota -- Administration.
- State hospitals -- Minnesota -- Design and construction.
- Persons:
- Cameron, Dale.
- Chapman, Fred M.
- Johnston, Clarence H. (Clarence Howard), 1859-1936.
- Patterson, William L. -- Portraits.
- Pillsbury, Charles L.
- Vail, David J.
- Welch, G.O.
- Organizations:
- Fergus Falls State Hospital -- Photographs.
- Minnesota. Department of Public Welfare.
- Minnesota. Division of Public Institutions.
- Minnesota. State Board of Control.
- Document Types:
- Photographs.
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