All Blog Posts in "Institutions"
The Buffalo State Hospital Farm Colony, Wilson, New York
June 30, 2014
By Dr. James M. Boles, Senior Research Advisor As the Museum of disABILITY History continues to research the history of Buffalo State Hospital in preparation for a new Abandoned History Series™ publication, more information has been uncovered about the Wilson Farm Colony. Our initial research was directed to the land owned by the Dwight family in the Town of Wilson. This was based upon an inquiry from a Wilson resident and New York State reports. However, with the assistance of the Town of Wi…
Shattering the Stigma of Institutionalization
March 15, 2013
By David Mack-Hardiman, Contributor
The fall of 1928 was an exciting time for John and Molly and their young family in Whitesboro, New York, a sleepy town outside of Utica. Molly was expecting their fifth child and their older children were eagerly looking forward to the change of seasons and holiday season.
Born in New York City, John was orphaned at an early age and was raised by members of his extended family in Central New York. He was a book keeper for a local business, vo…
History of a Home
December 28, 2012
By Meghan McMonagle, Contributor You cannot help but be moved when you are confronted with images of old asylums at the Museum of disABILITY History, located in Buffalo, NY. The majestic exteriors poorly represent the deplorable conditions concealed inside for patients who were forced to reside there, removed from participating in society. Asylums have become a part of America’s past; however, parts of our society still resist the integration of people with disabling conditions into their…
Buffalo State Hospital Annex, Wilson NY
October 11, 2012
By Dr. James M. Boles and Melissa Royer, Contributors In 1908, the Buffalo Psychiatric Hospital opened the Lakeside Colony on property rented from the L.A. Dwight family in Wilson, NY. The Colony operated for a little over 4 years and consisted of thirty-three acres, a stone house and farm buildings in the Roosevelt Beach area of Wilson NY. With frontage on both Lake Ontario and Twelve Mile Creek, the Wilson farm provided the patients from Buffalo State Hospital recreation in the form of swi…
Henry Wesley
September 21, 2012
By Jenna DelSignore, Contributor The Museum of disABILITY History (Buffalo, NY) had the honor of hosting the self-advocacy speaker and former Willowbrook resident Henry Wesley on August 9, 2012. Henry gave his famous presentation on the journey of his life from his time and survival at Willowbrook, through his achievements and adventures of the current time. Henry gave his presentation with his Dynavox speaking device which was accompanied by a picture slide show presentation that he contro…
Early State Schools of New York
November 16, 2011
By Thomas Stearns, Contributor Our publications department at the Museum of disABILITY History is currently in the midst of several fascinating projects. One of which is a book that explores the history behind the first publicly funded institutions of New York State that provided care and education for people with intellectual and cognitive disabilities. *During the era when these institutions were established (1851 – 1912), people with intellectual and cognitive disabilities were generically…