Traverse City State Hospital - Paperback

by Christopher Miller (Author)

Northern Michigan Asylum, which opened in 1885, was known during most of its years as Traverse City State Hospital. More than 200 photographs and images are provided, including many of the features and buildings long gone.

It was run during its first decades by Dr. James Decker Munson, who left his legacy in the landscaped grounds and the medical center that today bears his name. Traverse City State Hospital served the mental health needs of a large part of Michigan for 104 years until its closure in 1989, housing a population as large as 3,000 in its many buildings.This book traces the history of this great institution, from the local and mental health context in which it was founded, through its growth, development, and decline, and finally to its renovation and preservation as a vital part of the Traverse City community.

Author Biography

Author Chris Miller was active as a member of the Committee to Preserve Building 50, one of the community groups that arose to save the historic and natural features of the former Traverse City State Hospital grounds when they were threatened at the end of the 1990s. He is the author of Winona in Vintage Postcards, also available from Arcadia Publishing.