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ELOISE IN 1940
ELOISE WAS ONCE ONE OF THE LARGEST MENTAL HOSPITALS IN THE COUNTRY. AT ONE TIME IT HOUSED OVER 8,000 PEOPLE WHO WERE MENTALLY ILL, HAD TUBERCULOSIS, OR WERE JUST PLAIN POOR. IT WAS OPENED IN 1839 AS THE WAYNE COUNTY POORHOUSE. MANY BUILDINGS WERE BUILT THROUGHOUT THE YEARS TO SERVE THE RESIDENTS THERE. BY THE EARLY 1940’S THERE WERE 75 BUILDINGS INCLUDING A MORGUE,
BAKERY, LIBRARY, POLICE DEPT., AND FIRE STATION. IN 1945 IT WAS RENAMED THE WAYNE COUNTY GENERAL HOSPITAL, BUT PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS CONTINUED TO CALL IT SIMPLY “ELOISE”. IN THE 1950’S SUCH CRUDE METHODS FOR TREATMENT INCLUDED INSULIN AND ELECTRO-SHOCK THERAPY. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY REPORTS OF PATIENT BEATINGS, UNSANITARY CONDITIONS, AND OVERCROWDING DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. 3,800 MENTAL PATIENTS WERE CRAMMED
INTO QUARTERS MEANT TO HOUSE 2,500. 125 WOMEN SHARED FIVE TOILETS. IN 1964 NEW THEORIES FOR TREATMENT AROSE, AND PATIENTS AT ELOISE WERE OFTEN RELEASED AFTER 90 DAYS. IN THE 60’S AND 70’S TWO NEW BUILDINGS WERE BUILT; A MEDICAL HOSPITAL AND A LONG TERM CARE FACILITY. BY 1987, SIX YEARS AFTER CLOSING, ELOISE WAS REDUCED TO EIGHT BUILDINGS. ELOISE HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME AS THE “CRAZY HOSPITAL”. IN THE SMALL MUSEUM, LOCATED INSIDE THE KAY BEARD BUILDING ON MICHIGAN AVE., ARE ARTIFACTS INCLUDING LEATHER ARM RESTRAINTS. THERE ONCE WAS A MORGUE ON THE PROPERTY, AS WELL AS A CEMETERY. THE OLD ELOISE CEMETERY IS LOCATED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF MICHIGAN AVE. ACROSS FROM THE MAIN BUILDINGS. THERE ARE AS MANY AS 7,145 FORMER ELOISE RESIDENTS BURIED THERE. SO FAR ONLY 593 MARKERS HAVE BEEN UNCOVERED, AFTER BEING HALF BURIED IN THE GROUND FOR SO LONG. (THE LAST BURIAL TOOK PLACE AROUND 1948.) THE REMAINING BUILDINGS NOW HOUSE THE WAYNE COUNTY OFFICE ON AGING, AND OTHER PROGRAMS SUCH AS “MEALS ON WHEELS”. SEVERAL ACCOUNTS TELL OF HAUNTINGS IN THE BUILDINGS, AND AT THE CEMETERY AS WELL. GHOST INVESTIGATORS HAVE TAKEN PHOTOGRAPHS IN THE AREA. WITH SUCH A LONG AND SOMEWHAT DISTURBING HISTORY, IT’S NO WONDER THE POOR TORTURED SPIRITS OF ELOISE STILL REMAIN THERE.
Written by C.Blake
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