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Archiver > ARKANSAS > 2007-01 > 1169754909


From: <>
Subject: [ARKANSAS] (no subject)
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 13:55:09 -0600


About the Arkansas Lunatic Asylum...It was also called the Arkansas State Hospital when my grandfather was supposed to have been examined there. He was having seizures and my grandmother was a very superstitious person in her personal life. She went to my grandfather's brother who lived in the same town, Atkins, and they persuaded grandfather's doctor to examine him for the State Hospital. After the examination, I guess they sent him to Little Rock where the doctors, there, said he was ok and sent him back home.
About 1935 another brother was indigent and noone was able to care for him in Atkins so someone sent him to the State Hospital where he resided until his death. Since noone claimed his body, he was buried in the cemetery on the grounds of the hospital. (The Arkansas Democrat newspaper had a large article on the cemetery back in the 1970's I think.)
We found the records to start at the hospital in the court records at Russellville. Then, we went to the hospital and requested the records. Since Jerry's daughter was with me and she was his granddaughter, we received part of the file. They would not release them to me, his cousin.
Several years ago, a member of that family called to get further records and the person who answered the phone said those old files were destroyed because they had no place to keep them. Whether they are still available somewhere is another thing.

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