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ELOISE INSANE ASYLUM

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 BEFORE MORE MODERN METHODS LIKE MAOI'S, SSRI'S OR MEDIFAST COUPONS FOR PROPER NUTRITION EXISTED. 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

(CLICK PHOTOS FOR LARGER VERSIONS)

MODERN DAY INHABITANTS. THIS PHOTO TAKEN BY JULIE IN THE SUMMER OF 2001. IT IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE ONLY FULL-TIME INHABITANTS AT ELOISE NOWADAYS.
 

ANOTHER PRESENT DAY RESIDENT. THIS WAS TAKEN BY CHRIS IN THE FALL OF 2001. NOTICE THE WINDOW ON THE RIGHT SIDE.

YELLOW MIST. THIS WAS TAKEN BY CINDY. IN DECEMBER, 2001., DURING AN INVESTIGATION. A LARGE YELLOW MIST LOOMED OVER AN AREA ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE MAIN BUILDING, AND SHOWED UP ON SEVERAL PICTURES.

ELOISE RESIDENTS ABOUND. HERE WE HAVE ANOTHER PHOTO TAKEN BY CINDY. THIS ONE SHOWS 2 POSSIBLE ORBS, AND 2 FIGURES NEAR THE BUILDING. ONE FIGURE IS AT THE UPPER LEFT CORNER, AND THE OTHER IS IN THE WINDOW AT THE LEFT.

A RED VORTEX. THESE SHOWED UP IN MANY PHOTOS TAKEN BY M.G.W. MEMBERS DURING OUR INVESTIGATION. THIS ONE TAKEN BY JULIE.
 

ANOTHER RED VORTEX. THIS ONE IS NEAR THE OLD FIREHOUSE. TAKEN BY JULIE.
 

A COLORFUL COMBINATION! HERE WE HAVE BOTH THE YELLOW MIST AND MANY VORTICES. TAKEN BY CINDY.
 

THE FOLLOWING PICTURES WERE TAKEN AT THE MUSEUM INSIDE THE KAY BEARD BUILDING ON THE ELOISE GROUNDS. THE MUSEUM IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, AND HAS MANY INTERESTING ARTIFACTS ON DISPLAY.

THIS IS A PORTRAIT  OF THE DAUGHTER OF A FORMER POSTMASTER AT THE ELOISE COMPLEX. HE NAMED THE INSTITUTION AFTER HER. ELOISE

THESE ARE PHOTOS OF SOME OF THE ELOISE STAFF FROM THE PAST. FROM THE 1940'S

ONE OF THE MANY DISPLAY CABINETS. THIS ONE FEATURES ARM & LEG RESTRAINTS, AND SOME MEDICAL TOOLS.

AN OLD DENTAL CHAIR. THOUGH CRUDE BY TODAY'S STANDARDS, THE EQUIPMENT AT ELOISE WAS OF TYPICAL QUALITY FOR ITS' TIME.

OFFICE EQUIPMENT FROM THE PAST. THIS SHOWS AN OLD ADDING MACHINE (MADE BY BURROUGHS CO.) AND A MAP OF THE OFFICES IN THE MAIN BUILDING.

A HISTORY BOOK. THIS IS A BOOK STUFFED FULL OF OLD NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS, SOME OF WHICH DATE BACK TO THE 1930'S.

SELF-CONTAINED. THE ELOISE COMPLEX WAS TOTALLY SELF-SUFFICIENT IN IT'S HEYDAY. THIS PICTURE SHOWS AN ASSORTMENT OF DENTAL CROWNS, MADE OF STAINLESS STEEL-A COMMONLY USED ITEM BEFORE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GOLD ALLOYS AND PORCELAIN FOR DENTAL APPLIANCES.

ELOISE MENTAL HOSPITAL INVESTIGATION

DATE: DECEMBER 1, 2002     PLACE: ELOISE MENTAL HOSPITAL
TIME: 7:00PM TO 9:00PM     WEATHER: COLD
THESE PICTURES ARE FROM OUR INVESTIGATION DONE ON DECEMBER 1ST, 2001. THE WEATHER WAS CLOUDY, BUT WITH NO RAIN. THE AIR WAS A CRISP 43 DEGREES. ALONG WITH THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS, SEVERAL PHENOMENON WERE OBSERVED. THERE WAS A SEMI-STRONG FRAGRANCE OF ROSES NEAR THE OLD FIREHOUSE. A LARGE RED/GOLD COLORED MASS/FIGURE WAS SEEN IN THE YARD NEAR THE MAIN BUILDING. ALSO, THE APPARITION OF A FIREMAN WAS SEEN IN THE WINDOW OF THE FIREHOUSE. HIS NAME IS BRADLEY ACCORDING TO JULIE, OUR PSYCHIC. SOME OF US HEARD TAPPING SOUNDS COMING FROM THE FIREHOUSE AS WELL. ALSO, TWO PEOPLE FELT HEAT WHEN REACHING INTO A HOLE IN ONE OF THE BUILDINGS. THE ODD PART ABOUT THAT IS THAT IT WAS THE OLD BAKERY, WHICH ISN'T HEATED OR USED IN ANY WAY. WE HAD SOME STRANGE EQUIPMENT FAILURE AT TIMES, BUT GOT NO UNUSUAL EMF READINGS. ALL IN ALL, ELOISE REMAINS A VERY ACTIVE PLACE.

CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

A BLACK VORTEX. THIS PHOTO ALSO SHOT BY CARL INSIDE ONE OF THE BUILDINGS. NOTICE WHAT LOOKS TO BE A MAN STANDING IN THE DOORWAY.
 

TWO ENERGIES. THESE SHOWED UP AS WHITE.
 

SOME OF THE WINDOWS ARE SEALED UP IN SOME WAY. ODD THING-THEY ARE ALL ON THE UPPERMOST FLOORS, WHICH HAVEN'T BEEN USED IN MANY YEARS!

ANOTHER SEALED ONE, THIS ONE WITH BRICKS! (TOP FLOOR)

THIS SHOWED UP IN MANY PHOTOS, AT DIFFERENT SIZES AND INTENSITIES.

  

CONCLUSIONS:

FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCES, I'D SAY THERE ARE SPIRITS RESIDING AT ELOISE. OUR PHOTOGRAPHS DO NOT SHOW THIS SUFFICIENTLY. I HOPE FOR A RETURN VISIT ONE DAY.