Cambridge ohio old state hospital pictures wanted (Cleveland, Washington: chapel, home)

[bellasmom]

I am from Cambridge and I will be going there over the holidays. I would be happy to take some recent photos and I will post them. Actually, one of my good friend's father was the hospital administrator there in the 70s and 80s. I could ask him about the old photos.

[kris440]

Originally Posted by akelly1999

Many, many years ago my father was in (I was told) Cambridge State Hospital. I never got to see him until his death. In the late 90's I traveled to Cambridge to find the hospital and to get a copy of his death certificate.
If it was indeed the Cambridge State Hospital, it had a main administration bldg. and the rest of the buildings were like old army barracks, although, I didn't see any tunnels. The buildings standing were similar to the ones used here in Chillicothe as army barracks, called Sherman Camp. I wanted to see his medical records but was told by the staff there that all old medical records that far back were sent to The Ohio Historical Society in Columbus.
I later found out that there was another hospital there similar to State Hospital. I didn't find out where that one was. I don't want to go into why my father was there but I would like to see some old photos of the hospital if anyone has any they could send me via e-mail. It is a very nice hospital and grounds set out in the countryside. Actually, I was very impressed with the city of Cambridge, it is a very pretty city and the people there were very nice. also, does anyone know for certain that the medical records would be at the Historical Society? I have no idea why they would be sent there.
Do all old medical records go there or just ones from this hospital. Since I didn't know my father, I am very interested in finding any information on hiim that I can.
I do my family research (genealogy) and have much info on my mother's side but I am finding it very difficult to get any info on my father. So I would appreciate any info anyone could give me on this state hospital.
Thanks so much.
akelly@roadrunner.com

Yes the records are at the Historical Society. I recieved my Grandmothers from there. I have not been out to Cambridge but I know my Grandmother was at Cambridge and at Cleveland State Hospitals. They do not tell you much, sorry to tell you that. To get any hardcore information you have to go to probate court and have the records opened. However, I was told by the Ohio State Board of Mental Health that there is no guarantee that anything is even there, they shread these records every 10 years. You might also check with the local town/city that your father lived in at the time, as there is a good chance that he did not put himself in there, the town/city he lived at the time may have. My Grandmother has some court records in Cleveland but I have been scared to find what they might contain, so I have not dared to have them opened through probate court. My Grandmother was sent to live in Cleveland State Hospital by the State of Ohio, she didn't admit herself.

I am also doing a bit of investigating for Genealogy. She was the reason why I got into it, because not even my father knew anything much about her, let alone where she was even buried.

I hope I help you a bit.

Kris

[jjwc4lad]

I worked at Cambridge State Hospital in the 80's and the early 90's. Sorry that I can't help you with the information about your father, but I can tell you that there are postcards on ebay of the center from years gone by. It has now been torn down and new cottages built. There may be a few buildings left, but not like anything as it would have been when your father was there. Sorry to say I don't have any photos. Good-luck with your search. jjwc4lad

[kelly1984]

does anyone know about any outbreaks in the early 1900's that claimed alot of people at massillon state hospital in ohio? i heard they also did alot of experiementing there on people as well......drakek214@yahoo.com

[tomie1956]

I was born in Cambridge, Ohio, at GMH. We lived on the SouthSide until my father was transfered to Dover, Ohio in 1962. My Aunt Louise and Uncle Bernard Boyd work at Cambridge State Hospital, I believe that Aunt Louise was a nurse. I haven't been to Cambridge in many years. All of my relatives from there have either passed away or moved away. I am going home for Thanksgiving and I will ask my mom if she has any pix from there.
Good luck in your search.

[jwilson211]

Believe it or not, I lived at Cleveland State Hospital on Turney Road from the time I was 3 until I was 14. My father was the chief stationary engineer at the power plant. We lived in the employees hall. We have talked a lot about this experience over the past few days. Who was admitted there and why. It was seemingly easy to have someone admitted in the 50's. I hear it has been torn down and is now a housing development. Weird. I came to know many of the patients well and so many were sweet people - just had some development issues or hormone imbalances.

[Marcia Rucker]

Originally Posted by jwilson211

Believe it or not, I lived at Cleveland State Hospital on Turney Road from the time I was 3 until I was 14. My father was the chief stationary engineer at the power plant. We lived in the employees hall. We have talked a lot about this experience over the past few days. Who was admitted there and why. It was seemingly easy to have someone admitted in the 50's. I hear it has been torn down and is now a housing development. Weird. I came to know many of the patients well and so many were sweet people - just had some development issues or hormone imbalances.

I was excited to see this post, because I was looking for some history of the hospital, as I had lived there, too. My father was a doctor on the staff from about 1937 (or 38) until the early months of 1942, when he joined the Army. In those years, we lived in the staff wing of Clark Cottage, which was a (relatively) modern building at the far end of the hospital. The greenhouses and the farm were immediately behind it. After the war, we returned and lived in various places on the grounds. The hospital was an amazingly self-sufficient little "village" during that period (late 1930's to early '50's). It had its own power plant, and heat for the radiators in all the buildings was produced centrally, with pipes under the sidewalks (and possibly under the streets), which also served to keep the pavement clear in cold weather. It had, as I've mentioned, its own small farm and orchards (though by the '30's I think they had become less important than before in the economy of the hospital). There was a central laundry, in the maze of little outbuildings behind the main building, and a food warehouse for the large central kitchens. (My mother phoned the warehouse every day and put in an order for the day's groceries for our family.) There was also a little store where patients with grounds privileges could buy small items, and which I remember very well, because as a young child I was given a nickel once a week to get an ice-cream cone there. Along the sidewalk near the store was a spectacular garden of peonies and iris (and probably a lot of other plants whose names I don't remember or never knew). I'm sure patients kept that garden, but I don't recall any particular names or even faces of the gardeners.

[ZMemories]

to Bluforest, I ran across your message when I googled for Cambridge State Hospital info...I too lived there in the early 60s in a quonset hut, there was a swimming pool, lots of hallways to play in, I had a black & white dog there, a groundskeeper lived across from us, and I went to St. Bernadettes for school. Let me know where I can find more info. There was a farm across the big road where you could buy fresh eggs.

[bettyhartung33]

Hi My husband's sister was in Cambridge state hospital. She was born in 1942 and was put into the hospital around 3 years of age. She died in the hospital at the age of 12 in 1954. I am working on family history and would love to find out what was going on. My husband remembers very little. Dose anyone know how I could get the records or any Info. thanks so much

[clbouchie]

my Step-dad's father was put in this Mental health and development hospital sometime inbetween 1940-1965. Robert Joseph Cercone was a patient until his death and I am trying to do some research for the family tree and have been unable to find out any information on his grave whereabouts and what he died from. I was unofficially told that he was "crazy" but that is just not acceptable to have in the records in the tree. I would love to know how to get information on why he was admitted, when, how he passed and where his grave is located. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I do know that one of his sons is writing an offical letter to get more information from the Historical Society and the court house but was hoping to get some other info here if possible.
Thank you So much