State Hospital South in Blackfoot has come a long way since it was established in July 1886 as the Idaho Insane Asylum with 36 “inmates” (26 men and 10 women) who were transferred from an asylum in Oregon.

It’s been 130 years since the hospital first opened its doors and offered a place to live and work for nearly 29,000 patients with mental health issues over the years. The hospital will celebrate all of those years of service from 4-6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 13, at the State Hospital South Cemetery on Cromwell Lane in Blackfoot, Idaho. The celebration will include a dedication of the final set of headstones to be installed in the cemetery, as well as presentations from students who are related to hospital staff. They will share stories about some of the patients who lived at the hospital between 1891 and the early 1980s and who are buried in the cemetery. Continue reading “State Hospital South celebrates 130 years of service” →