Now called the Oregon State Hospital\, Ore gon's first official state insane asylum opened in Salem in 1883. This tal k explores the lives of some of the women who called the asylum home betwe en 1900 and 1910. Case studies of individual female patients reveal how me ntal illness was diagnosed and treated during the turn of the century and what institutional life was like for women at the Oregon State Insane Asyl um. The case studies also illuminate the way in which political\, social\, and cultural values were reflected in the diagnosis of insanity as well a s the pitfalls of the large-scale asylum model that was\, at the time\, th e foundation of nationwide mental health treatment.
\nRebeka h Averette \;is the collections manager for the Deschutes Cou nty Museum. A native Oregonian\, Rebekah spent most of her life in the Por tland area before moving to Bend in 2017. She studied History and German a t the University of Oregon\, served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine\ , and received an MA in Teaching at the University of Washington. After te aching for many years\, Rebekah decided to pursue a career in public histo ry. She recently completed her Masters in History at Portland State Univer sity with a focus on women's history in Progressive Era Oregon. In her spa re time\, Rebekah loves exploring the outdoors\, reading historical fictio n\, trying out (with varied success) recipes from historic cookbooks\, and gazing at her cat.
\nQuestions? Contact beccar@dpls.lib.or.us\, 541 -312-1063
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