The county's insane asylum

ACLKES, DUDLEY, NOBLE, GOBBLE

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 2/17/2007 at 11:51:38

"Fairfield Ledger Weekly", April 20, 1881

Jefferson County’s Insane

This week the insane commissioners of this county received word from the trustees of the Mt. Pleasant asylum that the institution was over crowded and that Jefferson county’s quota of patients was exceeded by six persons, and that it would be necessary to return some of them for care by the county. The number to be returned is four, and the patients are John ACKLES, Hecla M. DUDLEY, Zilphia K. NOBLE, and John B. GOBBLE, all considered incurable, but nothing is said as to their condition otherwise. How Jefferson county is to provide for these insane is a question for the commissioners and Board of Supervisors to determine. At the poor farm now are six rooms fitted up for the use of insane patients, and all, we believe, are now occupied. The accommodations and treatment – although as good probably as could be given outside of an asylum – are not what they should be by any means. If this plan of returning patients to their homes is to be further pursued it will be far better for each county to provide its own asylum and treat its own demented people at the start. We see nothing now for Jefferson county to do but erect a suitable building, and do the work which it has been presumed heretofore the asylum would do.

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.