Massillon State Hospital Grounds

As we explore the former Massillion State Hospital Buildings, I'm Joined by my Fellow Explorers Terry, Richard, and Kara (Links Below). Here is a Little History of the Area Enjoy. The State Hospital was built on grounds originally owned by James Duncan, founder of Massillon. In 1817. He and his wife Eliza moved into a cottage on the land called “Estramadura Farm,” or “The Plains.” The home was built by William R. Dickinson to raise Merino sheep, and Estramadura was the name of the region in Spain where the sheep originated. By 1821, the Duncan family moved to Kendal, Ohio, and later built homes in Massillon. During William McKinley’s first term as the governor of Ohio, the city of Massillon was chosen for the very first state hospital in the United States and Canada in 1892 (the site was authorized in this same year). The construction of the hospital began in 1893 with the groundbreaking for McKinley Hall. This hall was built while William McKinley was governor, and was the first hall used to house mental patients. The hospital opened on September 6, 1898, housing 300 patients from 21 different counties. The McKinley Hall hospital was one of the most popular and “the most beautiful institution in the world”. By 1950, the hospital housed 3,100 patients with approximately 365 full and part time workers and nurses. The expanse of the land was so beautiful that many family picnics took place on the lawn, as well as the Massillon football games at nearby Sunnyside Field, and baseball games. Terry Altman:    / @terrysodyssey   Richard Dremden Wolf:    / @richarddremdenwolf   Kara Wolf:    / @karawolf