history

This issue of the newsletter is devoted entirely to a single subject, the Cherokee Mental Health Institute. For 75 years that institution has been a part of Cherokee County life. Just as everything else has changed in three quarters of a century so has the “City on the Hill” undergone many changes.

When the institution was built it was called the Cherokee State Hospital for the Insane. Today, of course, it is known as the Cherokee Mental Health Institute. More than the name has undergone change. The treatment programs are far different, the large farm and industry programs which made the state hospital almost self-sufficient, have long since been disposed of. It would be easy to become very philosophical about what changes the next 75 years will bring, but we have tried to avoid that and stick to the history of the institution.

In this issue we have tried to bring together a representative group of materials from several sources to accurately reflect seventy-five years of history. These sources include the 1914 McCulla History of Cherokee County, Iowa; the files of the Cherokee Times; the Cherokee Semi-Weekly Democrat; the Cherokee Daily Times; the Centennial issue of the Cherokee Daily Times; source material at the Mental Health Institute and personal interviews.

The front cover drawing is a portion of a drawing that appeared in the special feature on the Mental Health Institute printed by the Cherokee Daily Times. We thank Mr. Tom Miller and Mike Brown, the artist for permission to use it. If you look closely at the cover drawing you will note the old cannon guarding the entrance. For years this relic of the civil war was a fixture near the flag pole. Some years ago, the cannon was moved to Spring Lake Park. The drawing also shows the large dome which once crowned the administration building. Some years ago, this too was removed as its condition and great weight was weakening the whole structure.

The original furnishings have long since entered the category of antiques or at least collectibles. Some of them have been restored and are in use on the second floor of the administration building, others have found their way into the museum maintained by the hospital.

While doing the research for this issue much anecdotal material about the hospital came to light. Unfortunately, time and space did not allow for its inclusion in this special issue. Many of the leads discovered we hope to follow up with tape interviews for our archives or having them written up for inclusion in future newsletters.

Although the State Hospital opened its doors seventy-five years ago, we were able to locate people who remembered the arrival of the first patients. We were able to find and interview an employee who went to work at the institution 70 years ago, and who knew and remembered many of the principal actors of those early years.

Tom McCulla Cherokee chief lobbyist in the struggle to secure the hospital for this city has long ago passed to his reward. He was for many years the Editor of the Cherokee Times and was the author of the 1914 History of Cherokee County, Iowa.

Wireman Miller the veteran and farmer who represented Cherokee in the General Assembly has also long since died.
The fruits of their labors, the Cherokee Mental Health Institute has been for many years one of the chief employers of Cherokee. Its fate and problems as well as its triumphs have been those of the community as well.