Psychiatry and the community:
Using Oral History to make the connection
Using Oral History to make the connection
Mrs. Briggs:
What resonated most in Mrs. Briggs interview was the response of the community to the psychiatric facility in Ogdensburg, New York. According to Mrs. Briggs, she did not recall the institution being cast in a negative light in the 1960's, perhaps because people approached mental illness in a different manner than they do today. The community members of Ogdensburg and the surrounding areas saw the institution as a positive addition to the community; not only did many people know someone who had benefited from the psychiatric services offered by the institution, but also someone who was gainfully employed by the St. Lawrence State Hospital. Although there seems to be a more skeptical approach to mental illness today, Mrs. Briggs never remembers the community responding to the institution poorly.
Mrs. Briggs' interview also focused on the "Open Door Policy" she remembered being in place at the hospital. As a social worker, one of her jobs was to help integrate the patients back into society, and the stories she told during our time together indicated many things about the community. She mentioned that when patients were to leave the institution, she often found it very easy to find them a place to live, and in many cases, even a job. She also indicated that much of her job focused on making these people a vital and integral part of society once more. From taking them out to town, to going on picnics, it was her job as a social worker to introduce these patients to social experience in the community once more.
Brian Doe:
In Mr Doe's interview, he mentioned over and over that growing up as a young boy in Ogdensburg, with the institution in his back yard, he had many memories of the St. Lawrence State Hospital. Whether it was riding bikes through the grounds, or going for walks along the finely manicured lawn, Mr. Doe remembered the hospital being a beautiful and nicely kept place that people enjoyed walking through.
When all but one of the original buildings were closed, Mr. Doe wanted to learn more about the hospital, and upon learning more, decided to write a book, which turned into the St. Lawrence State Hospital Preservation Society's webpage (which you can find here).
Because there has been much debate about demolishing the buildings original to the 1890 construction, Mr. Doe and the other members of the preservation society have set out to make community awareness a primary goal. The Preservation Society hopes to make the community more informed about the rich history of the St. Lawrence State Hospital, in order to celebrate the interesting background that is surely worth saving. Although preserving the grounds and buildings of the institution requires hard work and dedication, not to mention hours and hours of reading laws and regulations, the satisfaction of knowing a piece of Ogdensburg history is being preserved is worth the long hours and late nights. In our interview, Mr. Doe mentioned that he considers anyone who has a passion for the history of the St. Lawrence State Hospital and an interest in preserving the buildings to be a Preservation Society member, and he hopes to get a comprehensive list of who identifies as a member in the near future.