Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Department of Mental Hygiene - DeWitt State Hospital
- Abstract:
- DeWitt State Hospital, formerly an Army facility, was purchased from the federal government in September 1946 and began receiving patients in early 1947. To decrease over-crowding in other state mental hospitals, it was required by law to receive patients only on transfer. The records of DeWitt State Hospital consist of 183 file folders spanning the period 1900-1972. The records are organized into one series: Patient Case Files.
- Extent:
- 183 file folders
- Language:
- English.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The records of the Department of Mental Hygiene - DeWitt State Hospital consist of 183 file folders spanning the period 1900-1972. The records are organized into one series: Patient Case Files.
The Patient Case Files provide medical history and biographical information about patients housed at DeWitt State Hospital. Files typically contain various types of reports, notes, death and discharge certificates, and occasionally significant correspondence. Files have been heavily sampled and reflect only a small percentage of total patients. Files ending in zero and fat files have been retained. Fat files are large because either the patient was institutionalized over a long period or was admitted repeatedly for a specific illness, frequently alcoholism.
- Biographical / historical:
-
DeWitt State Hospital, formerly an Army facility, was purchased from the federal government in September 1946 and began receiving patients in early 1947. To decrease over-crowding in other state mental hospitals, it was required by law to receive patients only on transfer (Statutes 1946, Ch. 129). From the beginning, the hospital was equipped to receive both mentally ill and mentally deficient patients. In July 1950, DeWitt became a permanent hospital and began receiving first admissions directly from its geographical service area - the counties of Modoc, Lassen, Sierra, Yuba, Sutter, Placer, and El Dorado (Statutes 1950, Ch. 14). By 1960, the hospital had exceeded its rated capacity with over 2800 patients. After 1960, population at the hospital steadily declined until it was closed in 1972.
- Acquisition information:
- The California State Archives acquired the Department of Mental Hygiene - DeWitt State Hospital Records in a series of transfers according to state law.
- Accruals:
-
No further accruals expected.
- Physical location:
- California State Archives
Indexed terms
Access and use
- Location of this collection:
-
1020 "O" StreetSacramento, CA 95814, US
- Contact:
- (916) 653-2246