The Untold History of the First Illinois State Hospital for the Insane

by Joe Squillace

This book has been awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Illinois State Historical Society. Moral treatment, the vogue of early American psychology, freed the mentally ill of their chains. They were, however, still relegated to separate institutions, commonly called asylums, for at least a brief respite from the stressors that were thought to cause their madness. Did it work? Were the patients actually treated more humanely? The Untold History of the First Illinois State Hospital for the Insane tells the stories of the people who were subjected to this new treatment on the American Frontier. As author Dr. Joe Squillace shows, the institution first had great difficulty in getting established, but the town of Jacksonville, Illinois, where the Hospital was built, rallied to make it a more humane and person-centered institution. The Hospital’s leaders, too, attempted, within the constraints of their time, to treat their patients with respect. But, at a time when mental illness was still not well understood some patients were tortured and imprisoned, even though they were not insane, even by 19th century standards. What is revealed in Untold History is an institution that struggled, much like today’s institutions do, to address the needs of those living with mental illness, in a culture that did not understand it fully. Dr. Squillace traces the history of the institution from its origins in the 1840s to the 1930s, outlining the various treatments administered at the institution. The book demonstrates that the institution was deeply embedded in the larger community, rife with tangled and notorious Illinois politics. Sadly, many unknown and forgotten people were buried unceremoniously in potter’s fields after dark. Macabre stories ensue. The Untold History of the First Illinois State Hospital for the Insane provides a tangible connection to a rural Illinois county’s struggle with treating mental illness as the medical community’s understanding of it developed throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.

273 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 9, 2020

Reviews

[Geri · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating read

American history lovers and healthcare professionals interested in the evolution of mental illness treatment in the United States will want to read Dr. Joe Squillace's latest book.

With a scholar's attention to detail and a writer's love of narrative, Squillace explains the lofty ideals and the political intrigue that gave birth to the first state hospital for the insane in Illinois. He takes an objective look at the corruption and graft surrounding the establishment and administration of the hospital. And he examines how many of the patients fared poorly, sometimes disturbingly so, at the Illinois State Hospital. The book includes many vintage photos that help illustrate the institution's impact on the patients, the workers, and the frontier community that surrounded it.

A history lesson, as well as a cautionary tale, "The Untold History of the First Illinois State Hospital for the Insane," is a fascinating read.

[Pamela Mettler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent recounting of stories about psych patients, attendants, superintendents and physicians from the founding of Jacksonville State Psych Hospital during the mid-1800s up through the early 1900s. I was amazed at how much palm greasing for contracts, political maneuvering and curious expenditures went on there. I wish the author would write a companion book that covers the 1900s until the closure of the institution. I could not put this book down.