djp59 wrote:Those pictures are amazing, what a great job!

Can I ask a question? Did you both hold a lot of anger towards your family's for taking you there?

Thanks again for sharing your stories!!

djp59... This question has risen afew times for both of us. But I'm glad you ask because I really haven't completed my last answer with Heidi Smith.
As I said before, Once I got out, this was never brought up again within the Family.
I never held a grudge against anyone in my Family for this. I've often wondered if anyone in my family did think that I held this against them by leaving Michigan or not returning so soon after our Mother died in 1970. But tcsh had nothing to do with my leaving. After our Mothers death, the family broke up, We were taken to Texas to meet our real Father and his family.I didn't like Texas, so I left to find a new start. I headed for Southern, California.
As I got older I figured out why I was in tcsh, and as things fell into place I understood why my Mother had taken me there.
Back then my disability was fairly rare to most Doctors, so it were treated like lepracy. I remember being taken to TC many times see different DR's.
I understand now that my mother didn't know what to do, so after getting advice from many different dr's who had no professional knowlege on my condition, the only thing she knew to do was commit me to a State Hospital.
If any blame should be given, it should go to the Doctors.

My running away several times is what got me out of there.

Traverse City State Hospital now has it's own place on FaceBook. (link below)

It seems to have quite afew fans and friends too. Some of the fans are asking how they can take a tour in Bldg#50. So some of our posters who have visited may be of help.
We all need to become a fan and try and devert some of the traffic over here.

Mike

TCSH FaceBook..

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=581254666&ref=profile#/pages/Traverse-City-MI/Traverse-City-State-Hospital/112382051878?ref=mf

Ron it has taken me all this time to figure out that is you in pic of your head! LOL Your standing in the hall way with your hands in jacket pocket!!! Boy am I slow...never knew you could do that with a computer and make it look so real

Another memory keeps surfaces, smells.
I recall when escorted through the other men's halls, the halls always smelled like dirty socks or like a locker room/gym.
.
Please visit us at http://www.hall-18.com

ronl wrote:Another memory keeps surfaces, smells.
I recall when escorted through the other men's halls,

the halls always smelled like dirty socks or like a locker room/gym.

.
Please visit us at http://www.hall-18.com

Is that what that smell was? I could never fiqure it out. It was a stale smell.

Maybe it was dirty clothes. How often do they do your laundry? Was there a spot where you put the dirty clothes?

audrey wrote:Maybe it was dirty clothes. How often do they do your laundry? Was there a spot where you put the dirty clothes?

Hi Audrey,
No it wasn't dirty clothes. The clothes were thrown into a canvas hamper and taken to the laundry every or every otherday. The laundry room ran 24/7.
I know exactly what smell Ron's talking about. it was strong.

Did they work in the barn? Any pigs in the barn or on the farm?

Finally finished reading all the pages, many were read again and again. I do find a history, a story, and bravery. The world needs brave people.

Keep on a'writing, keep going, gets more interesting, says I.

wilycoyote4 wrote:Did they work in the barn? Any pigs in the barn or on the farm?

Finally finished reading all the pages, many were read again and again. I do find a history, a story, and bravery. The world needs brave people.

Keep on a'writing, keep going, gets more interesting, says I.

Hi Wiley,
The farm is what kept the place self sufficient since 1885 when it opened. From what I've heard, unit the 50's patients worked the fields. When Ron and I were there , there were smaller gardens on different areas on the grounds.
Mike

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8h6wm0Z_SI


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-immo2C1LI

Sorry, Mike, I didn't write correctly. I meant the smell could come from farm work. Maybe they brought the farm smells back to the hall?

wilycoyote4 wrote:Sorry, Mike, I didn't write correctly. I meant the smell could come from farm work. Maybe they brought the farm smells back to the hall?

Ok, I mis-read it seprate from the issue at hand, sorry

Could it have been that it didn't have proper ventilation? Were any of the windows ever open? That would make it smell bad if you couldn't get any fresh air. It would make me feel even more trapped if I had to live somewhere that I could not have windows open. Peace!

audrey wrote:Could it have been that it didn't have proper ventilation? Were any of the windows ever open? That would make it smell bad if you couldn't get any fresh air. It would make me feel even more trapped if I had to live somewhere that I could not have windows open. Peace!

Yes, Audrey, you have a good point there. The place was closed up tight most of the time. There were some vents, but not direct. You may have seen some of the pictures where there was a fan on the side (outside) of the building(?) That was for ventilation(to pull the air out) but they were small. Stinky feet and farts always lingered like smoke in a bar room.

Mike,
That had to have been horrid to be all closed up inside. So much was unknown then that it seems like you were treated like animals. They didn't know what to do so they just boarded you up in a building.