Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum Unmarked Graves, A Perspective

Via CNN Chelsea J. Carter, and most news agencies, are reporting on the discovery of some 2,000 unmarked graves on the site of a planned expansion of the Medical Center of the University of Mississippi in Jackson.  It is believed that the graves are likely the result of the Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum having stood on the site in the 1800s (http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/08/us/mississippi-unmarked-graves/index.html?hpt=hp_t3).  Carter reported that poverty and the difficulty of long distance travel during that time may have played a factor in bodies not being claimed upon death (Ibid).

For me, this unusual report brought to mind the large Central State Hospital that once stood on West Washington Street here in Indianapolis. When it was finally phased out, it was in disrepair and had become a relic of past practices such as the Asylum in Mississippi. It too had a cemetery, but with mostly marked graves. My family had a connection to Central State; beyond my mother saying that if I didn't behave better she was going to end up "out on West Washington Street." Little did she know at the time I had no clue what this meant.

But, I did have a troubled great aunt who spent too many years at Central State. Fortunately, when she died she had a sister who saw that she was buried in the family plot outside the small town where they had grown up. At least in death she was afforded some of the respect she may not have received otherwise. Yet, before I come close to bashing those who ran and oversaw Central State or other family members, I need to note that, of course, times were vastly different and most often they were doing the best they could under very difficult circumstances. Sure, I suspect burnout and other factors, not unlike still to some degree, caused some mistreatment or lack of care for the patients at Central State. But I have also read that many good people, doctors, nurses, staff and volunteers gave generously of themselves often for many years to help care for these unfortunate individuals.

Years ago I read, and if you can find a source please note it here in a comment, that during the early settling of the Western U.S. there was a practice that was often kept on the "down low" and failed to find its way to nearly all written works of history.  Winters on the vast, isolated mid-west prairies were often harsh and blizzard-filled. Some families had to resort to living at  least their first winter in a dugout before even a small cabin could be built.

Handmade quilts played a historic and heroic part in helping families pull through in their cramped dugouts and cabins. And, even with a small cabin with a sleeping loft winters could still be unbearable for some. Women especially who where often nearly entrapped by home and hearth were too often susceptible to real Cabin Fever.  The Western Pioneers likely learned pretty quickly that life on the Western Front was even harder than life in the Eastern U.S.  With a steely resolve needed to simply survive and help the children do the same, they made these difficult decisions and took action with stiff-upper lips on par with the British. 

Before Spring could rescue them some succumbed to little understood mental illnesses. A fair number of young spouses found themselves trying to care for a mentally impaired wife or husband and their small children; while providing a living otherwise. So the mental institutions (we'll call them euphemistically) back East often sent "agents" West each Spring and quietly put out the word that they would be camping outside a town. How horribly sad it must have been for family members to bring these young women and men to these "collection points," in relatively large numbers. Yet, finding themselves between a rock and a hard place these people were caring for their loved ones the only way they knew how that would allow for the survival of the children and themselves.  I certainly didn't read about this in my high school history courses. However, if proper documentation has been made and can be found, I think this could be an important part of historical knowledge of our youth and beyond...

Although gathering points for mental hospitals back East are not mentioned specifically, Wikipedia does have a great article on what became known as “Prairie Madness.” It notes that there is a debate as to whether it effected men equally or just in different ways; women tending to fall into symptoms of deep depression and many perhaps turning toward violence (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prairie_madness).

I know this is yet another "downer" story connected to the current news. But it does give us reason to rejoice in how much progress has been made in caring for people who are ill in nearly any way; though much still remains to be done. In thinking about this, and the relatively recent advent of penicillin and other antibiotics and most helpful medications for a range of mental illness I already feel more thankful, even in the face of Super Bugs and other problems we still can't offer much more relief for than in the 1800s.

So while we mourn the lives of the poor souls whose physical remains were buried in unmarked graves in Mississippi and in so many other places, we maintain a reasonable hope toward a future that will continue to grow less cruel in many ways.  Perhaps we can think of concrete ways to express our gratitude to those who have, and to those who continue to give so much of themselves to advance the well being of the human race. Just listening with an empathetic heart to a grief stricken person, neighbor or stranger, can begin to link us to the other giving souls who have laid the foundation for our relative happiness and ease.