Thank you to all who have recently subscribed to this blog. I am so happy to see all of the interest in the Dunning history. I hope this new website will be of help to those working on their family geneology as well. Back in the day, people, especially women and children, were sent away to places like Dunning. Mental illness or developmental disorders were thought shameful. Many of these souls were sent here, completely abandoned by their families. Once they passed through these gates, they spent the rest of their lives here. Dunning even had its own morgue and graveyard. Because of the stigma attached, many families simply explained the person's absence as a death. So many family historians may inaccurately document a particular relative as deceased, when in fact they were sent away to places like Dunning. Autistic children were sent here, those with Down Syndrome, wives who wouldn't "obey" their husbands, suspected infidelity and the list goes on. In those days, divorce was also shameful so many husbands got around this by declaring their wives insane and having them comitted.
Those of you who are interested in Illinois history, may also be interested in another website that we operate, dedicated to the historic (and haunted!) Bachelors Grove Cemetery. http://bachelorsgrovecemetery.blogspot.com .
Blessings,
Sinthyia
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Do you if there is any way to find out a dx of some one who was admitted there? Also, would it also have the information if the family of the person had the body buried or if there was no contact with the patient.
ReplyDeleteMy Grandmother was in Chicago-Read in the 1950's...which was still called "Dunning" even then.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested to see what you do with the blog, but please be respectful. Thanks.
Hi Fuzzy. Thank you for visiting this new blog. It was not created with any disrespect intended, but rather to serve as an historical journal about the people who lived and worked here. I am an author and historian and I grew up in that area. In fact, my grandfather owned a home in Harwood Heights over on New England. I had hoped that people like you would gather here and share stories about their loved ones who were at Dunning. Perhaps you would care to share a story about your grandmother or share any photos you may have of Dunning. I did have a relative who was taken briefly to Dunning, then called Chicago-Read in the early 90’s. This was my step-father, a man educated at Harvard…having an IQ past the level of genius. He past away in 1998 from his illness which caused symptoms that mimicked mental illness.
ReplyDeleteI have always lived in the area and loved passing what once was Dunning (even before I knew of its history). I am just begining to explore in depth events and history of this area and can't wait to see where this blog goes. I also had at least 1 family member at Read.
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