I graduated high school in 1967 and worked here as a secretary for Dr. Allison in the mens 18-65 building. I had also worked in the Geriatric bldg for Dr. Zapata. I remember well the bldgs in which I worked, the smells and, most of all, the patients, especially the geriatric ones. Ally was a wonderful, outgoing and friendly lady who had lived at the hospital for many years. She had suffered from encephalitis. She worked in the office filing for us and was a joy to be around. Then there was Margaret, an elderly lady who, because of a stroke, could not speak but when she turned the corner in the hallway on her way to the small lunch room, she would yell out, raise her arms and walk as quickly as she could toward me wanting her daily hug from me. The doctor I worked for had told me I had missed my calling; I should have been a nurse. Then I was transferred to the mens unit. I remember a young man who walked around yelling at the top of his voice on the grounds. When he reached the hallway the lead to Dr. Allison's office, he would stop yelling. When he walked into our office to have a word with the doctor, he was always so polite, friendly and made small talk about the weather. He would visit with the doctor then come back into my area of the room, bid his farewells and told me to have a great day, then he'd start yelling at the top of his lungs as soon as he walked back outside. One day he stopped coming around and I asked Dr. Allison what happened to him, that I missed his daily visits. He let me know that the young man had died the night before. I was shocked and saddened. The 3 years I worked there were filled with many wonderful days of working with my co-workers and visiting with several of the residents (patients). I was always fascinated by the buildings with their tall windows and beautiful architecture and never in a million years expected the hospital to close down. I'm saddened by the closure but am enjoying the pictures on this website. I'm looking for the 2 bldgs I worked in and have not discovered them in pics here yet.