Posted in North Dakota
August 09, 2016
This Sanatorium In North Dakota Has A Dark And Evil History That Will Never Be Forgotten
North Dakota hasn’t always had a clean history. There are parts of it that, while the intentions may have been good from the outside, were quite dark behind closed doors.
In 1912, a tuberculosis sanatorium was built in the Turtle Mountains of North Dakota. It was simply known as the State Sanatorium but later would become known by what most people remember it as today: San Haven Sanatorium. The year following its opening, it only had 12 patients. By 1922 that would increase to 140.
Even when the tuberculosis epidemic started to become less seen in the country, the hospital was as busy as ever. The nearby North Dakota Institution for the Feeble-Minded, an early name for an establishment to treat the mentally ill, began sending its patients there as the space became available. Soon, over 1,300 mentally disabled patients were being treated there. In 1973, the entire sanatorium was taken over by the institution.
Even when the tuberculosis epidemic started to become less seen in the country, the hospital was as busy as ever. The nearby North Dakota Institution for the Feeble-Minded, an early name for an establishment to treat the mentally ill, began sending its patients there as the space became available. Soon, over 1,300 mentally disabled patients were being treated there. In 1973, the entire sanatorium was taken over by the institution.
The way we treat those with mental illness today and how we treated them back then is vastly different. What went on behind the doors of the now-abandoned and dilapidated buildings might be the stuff of nightmares to some. The understanding of how to treat non-physical ailments was not very clear then and the methods used would probably be considered barbaric now.
Even back then, the sanatorium experienced controversy over how the patients were being treated. The excessive amount of people there gave way for issues such as overcrowding and lack of care because the 400 employees simply couldn't keep up.
In 1992, the sanatorium officially closed its doors. It is crazy to think it was only a few decades ago that this place was still in operation.
North Dakota has some other creepy locations that can easily freak you out, especially with their weird pasts.
