NORTHERN HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE
An institution for the treatment of the insane created by Act of the Legislature approved April 16, 1869.
The Commissioners appointed by Governor Palmer to fix its location consisted of :
August Adams
B. F. Shaw
W. R. Brown
M. L. Joslyn
D. S. Hammond
William Adams
After considering many offers and examining numerous sites the Commissioners finally selected the Chisholm farm, consisting of about 155 acres, 1 1/2 miles from Elgin, on the west side of Fox River, and overlooking that stream as a site this having been tendered as a donation by the citizens of Elgin.
Plans were adopted in the latter part of 1869 the system of construction chosen conforming, in the main to that of the United States Hospital for the Insane at Washington D. C. By January 1872 the north wing and rear building were so far advanced as to permit the reception of sixty patients. The center building was ready for occupancy in April 1873 and the south wing before the end of the following year.
The total expenditures previous to 1876 had exceeded $637,000, and since that date liberal appropriations have been made for additions, repairs and improvements, including the addition of between 300 and 400 acres to the lands connected with the institution.
The first Board of Trustees consisted of :
Charles N. Holden
Oliver Everett
Henry W. Sherman
with Dr. E. A. Kilbourne as the first Superintendent,
Dr. Richard A. Dewey (afterwards Superintendent of the Eastern Hospital at Kankakee) as his Assistant.
Dr. Kilbourne remained at the head of the institution until his death, Feb. 27, 1890 covering a period of nineteen years. Dr. Kilbourne was succeeded by Dr. Henry J. Brooks and he by Dr. Loewy in June 1893 and the latter by Dr. John B. Hamilton (former Supervising Surgeon of the United States Marine Hospital Service ) in 1897.
Dr. Hamilton died in December 1898. The total value of State property, June 30 1894 was $882,745.66 of which $701,330 was in land and buildings. Under the terms of the law establishing the hospital provision is made for the care therein of the incurably insane so that it is both a hospital and an asylum. The whole number of patients under treatment for the two years preceding June 30 1894 was 1,797 the number of inmates on Dec 1 1897 was 1,054, and the average daily attendance for treatment for the year 1896 was 1,296.
The following counties comprise the district dependent upon the Elgin Hospital:
Boone, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Kane, Kendall Lake, Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago.