Even before the first "state prison" in America was established, earlier methods of dealing with scofflaws wsere handled at the local level. Folks unable to function in society, either because of their own issues or problems iwth their family situations would be housed in "appropriate" locations, away from the respectable citizens of the community.
Ancestors might be found in mental institutions, poor houses, asylums, sanitoriums, sanitariums, boarding schools, veterans' homes, and any place where they, and/or the public, would be safe. Here we look at how/where forebears might be found, in various US locations.
About Our Speaker
Jean Wilcox Hibben, PhD, MA, former Southern California college speech professor (MA - Speech Communications; PhD - Folklore), is a national speaker and author. She is the former director and current family history consultant for the Corona, California FamilySearch Center, has worked on background research for two genealogy television programs, and was a host for podcasts on social history.
A former Board-Certified genealogist with over 45 years of research experience, she is a board member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and past president of its Southern California Chapter; program chair and webmaster of the Corona Genealogical Society; and a participant on a number of other society boards. Jean writes the "Aunty Jeff" column for the Informer, the newsletter of the Jefferson County New York Genealogical Society.
You can find out more about Jean Wilcox Hibben at her website: circlemending.org
This program is not sponsored or endorsed by L.A. County Library.