Monson State Hospital

As some of you know, one of the main reasons for my obsession with asylums and dilapidated beauty is because of my aunt.  Bertha Alice Eddy died in 1958 from pneumonia.  Presumably, the pneumonia was caused by poor living conditions and her treatment at Monson State Hospital.  At the time she was there, the facility was known as the Massachusetts Hospital for Epileptics.  I’ve always felt a connection to her, and thank her for bringing my attention to this world.

My grandfather Jimmy, Bertha's brother, hasn't been feeling well recently, and when he found out that Tergg and I were planning on heading to Monson, he got excited.  He'd not seen his little sister, or her grave since 1958, when she was laid to rest.  She was only 22 when she died.  Her death certificate said the cause of death was pneumonia, but according to records, there were many deaths attributed to this.

I've been doing some research over the internet, and I've found that the pneumonia that is supposedly the cause of almost all deaths from the hospital.  The pneumonia is actually more or less a side effect of the torturous "treatments" the patients suffered.  Collapsed lungs and hours in freezing cold baths were just some of the pain that the poor wards of the hospital suffered.  It's a terrifying thought, to think that my aunt could have gone through such trouble.  It's also a fact that I'll never tell my grandfather.  He thinks that his sister died from the natural death that accompanied pneumonia in the 1950's. 

The State Almshouse at Monson in Palmer, Massachusetts was opened in 1852.  It’s name was changed to The Massachusetts Hospital for Epileptics in 1895, but the main name that it’s referred to as is Monson State Hospital.  According to the minimal accounts on the hospital, the care for the patients there was more than horrible.  Quite a few reports comment on the deplorable conditions.  Torture to the point of killing was quite the normal occurrence, according to several sources I researched.  Another odd point of interest is that some accounts say the hospital is located in Palmer, Massachusetts, while other accounts say it's located in Monson, Massachusetts.

Monson State Hospital is located on hundreds of acres in scenic Palmer Massachusetts, near the Quabog River.  The beautiful location of the hospital makes the stories of torture and death sound more like legends, but according to the survivors and the ex-employees, the hospital was a place of nightmares.  
Whether because of having no interest in the place, or following the local rumors of it being haunted, Tergg and I couldn't find one person in the towns of Palmer or Monson that knew too much about the land.  There are security cameras, gates, and no trespassing signs all over the grounds.  Because of this, only the last two photographs in this post have been attributed to Tergg and I.  The first few older looking ones are from antique post cards, and the fourth picture is an image I found on the internet a while ago.  We tried our best to find anything we could, but sadly, made the return trip with nothing.  We weren't able to find the correct cemetery, let alone the grave where my aunt is supposed to be laid to rest.  This doesn't discourage me though; it just fuels my need to find out more information!

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