2 Comments Posted by JoAnn

As a child I played with children at Letchworth as most of my family worked there. grandmother cooked there. Mother worked in M cottage. They wore clothes, had sheets. Mom use to hire girls from there to help with ironing, housework. Grandfather had one of the men once a week, paid him plus gave him bags of soda, snacks, etc. to take back. Same guy, cannot remember his name.
Mom use to say you could hardly keep them out of each others bed. You would do your checks and have to get them separated and in their OWN beds.
She said many of the "girls" in her cottage were put there by their rich families= lesbians, boy-crazy, just acting out. Remember the US really did not have a policy for mentally ill until the 50's.
While the infirmary she said was terrible. and the worse, I remember "Bruno" running up and down the road "driving" holding his steering wheel. You could not wave to them if they waved to you because they would follow you home.
Also, while apparently there were atrocious things done to some patients by some of the facility attendants, doctors, nurses, etc., there were also crimes perpetuated on some in the neighboring community by male patients. cannot say what for the respect of my deceased family member, but use your imagination. sort of like a letchworth gang banger. I get homesick looking at these pictures. Used to bowl at letchworth, went to the halloween party, christmas party, and play with the kids (hey, I was a kid! too)

My brother was a cook for this hospital. I remember this cafeteria well. Very sad to see it like this.