How can I find my ancestor who was at Chattahoochee Florida State Hospital?

It was common once upon a time to send relatives with all manner of mental health issues to Chattahoochee, aka Florida State Hospital. In my forays through death certificates of my ancestors, I find quite a few of them as dying there. My own grandmother was sent there in the 50s, most likely for what we call today ‘postpartum depression’.

In the family letters and notes, I find many of my ancestors were sent there due to such issues as alcoholism and elderly dementia. Chattahoochee was the go to place for relatives struggling with any sort of mental health issue.

Sadly, Chattahoochee was exposed in the 60s for the rampant abuse, neglect, and profiteering that still plagues many of our nations mental health facilities.

For those of you doing genealogical research, the 1950 census is now available. You might find your ancestor there, listed simply as “inmate.”

I also have an extensive list of links to testimony from former patients, cemetery records, and images from the hospital. You can find that here: https://exploringfloridahistory.org/…/exploring…/