Title: Wisconsin. State Department of Public Welfare: Inspection of Charitable and Penal Institutions
Inclusive Dates: 1891-1947

Creator:

• Wisconsin. State Department of Public Welfare

Call Number: Series 1359

Quantity: 12.4 c.f. (20 archives boxes, 4 card file cartons, 1 half record center carton, and 5 volumes)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:

Inspection records by the Wisconsin State Department of Public Welfare, 1891-1947, of private, semi-private, and public institutions, including mental health hospitals, Indian schools, orphanages, rescue missions, reformatories, county jails, prisons, charities, and hospitals. The records include detailed reports of the condition of the facilities and the quality of inmate care.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-ser01359

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Partially in chronological order and partially alphabetical by county, municipality, or institution.

Wisconsin. State Department of Public Welfare. Investigations File (Series 1354).

Several groups of records relating to the inspection of local institutions caring for resident inmates. This inspection was carried out principally by representatives of the State Board of Control (1891-1939), although some records were created as late as 1947 after the State Department of Public Welfare had succeeded the Board of Control in 1939.

Chronologically arranged inspection reports (Volumes 1-6) contain copies of inspectors' reports on all types of institutions within the State Board of Control's supervisory responsibility. Volume 1 (Box 25) includes the earliest records and covers the government administered institutions as well as the private and semi-private; volumes 2-6 cover the government administered institutions from the time volume 1 ends through 1906; volume 6 covers the private and semi-private intuitions from the time volume 1 ends through 1906. These reports are quite detailed. For poorhouses, county jails, county asylums for the chronically insane, and private and semiprivate institutions, the following information is shown: inspector's name and date of inspection; name of the officer in charge of the institution; number of inmates, attendants, and employees, classified by sex; condition of clothing, food, building, beds, grounds; number of inmates under restraint or in seclusion; general appearance of inmates; remarks pertaining to the capacity, condition, and location of the institution; the inspector's recommendations for improvement; and follow-up notes concerning actions taken on these recommendations. For police stations and lockups, the reports show location, cost, and material of the building; date of construction; capacity; number of cells; material and size of cells; size of the outer room; how heated; how ventilated; fire preventive measures in force; name of inspector and date of inspection; number of male and female inmates; conditon of beds, building, and grounds; and remarks, 1891-1899; county asylums, 1891-1902.

A summary record of inspections (Volumes 7-8 in Box 25) is arranged by county and shows name and location of institution inspected, date of inspection, and by whom inspected. Volume 7 also serves as an index to volumes 2 through 6, 1896-1898, 1900-1906.

Inspectors' reports and correspondence concerning inspection of jails, police stations, and lockups comprise Boxes 1-9. The reports are quite detailed, and relate to administration and management practices; size, facilities, and condition of cells; sanitation; fire protection; food; and other matters; and contain recommendations and criticisms, 1908-1945; chiefly 1913-1942.

The few Indian institutions covered are classified as private and semi-private institutions, and appear only in the records in volume form from 1906 and earlier, specifically only in volumes 1, 6, and 7. Included are St. Mary's Industrial Boarding School for Indian and Half-breed Girls in Bayfield; the Tomah Indian School, Monroe County; and the Bethany Indian Mission School in Wittenberg, Shawano County.

Materials similar in form to those in Boxes 1-9 but pertaining to inspection of county insane asylums, homes, and hospitals comprise Boxes 10-20.

The detailed inspectors' reports cover management data; building, heating, lighting, and ventilation; fire protection; water supply; laundry; cold storage; bedrooms and dormitories; beds and bedding; sanitation; bathing facilities and lavatories; sewage disposal; health care; clothing; food (a day's menu is included); amusements and recreation; employment; religious services; and other topics, 1910-1947, chiefly 1914-1939.

Boxes 21-23 contain a card record of inspections of county jails, police stations, and lockups, 1910-1938, generally arranged by name of city or village in which located. Shows name and location of institution, name of officer in charge, name of inspectors, date inspected, conditions, and recommendations.

Box 24 contains cards of the same format but this sequence pertains to county jails only and is arranged by county, Bayfield through Rusk. Other county jails are represented in the previous group of records.

Material in Boxes 21-24 partially, but not completely, duplicates information found in Boxes 1-9.

Series 1359	Series: Chronological Inspection Reports and Summaries
	Inspection reports
Box   25 Volume   (1)	All institutions, 1891-1892 Note: No index. Scope and Content Note: Includes information on Indian schools.
Volume   2	County and city poorhouses, 1893-1899 Note: Index in front of volume; also partially indexed by Volume 7.
Volume   3	County jails, 1893-1899 Note: Index in front of volume; also partially indexed by Volume 7.
Volume   4	Police stations and lockups, 1896-1899 Note: Index in front of volume; also partially indexed by Volume 7.
Volume   5	County asylums for the chronically insane, 1893-1902 Note: Index in front of volume; also partially indexed by Volume 7.
Volume   6	Semiprivate and private institutions; some county tramp homes and workhouses Note: Index in front of volume; also partially indexed by Volume 7. Scope and Content Note: Includes information on Indian schools.
	Summary record of inspections
Box   25 Volume   (7)	Record, 1896-1898 Note: Also serves as a partial index to Volumes 2-6. Scope and Content Note: Includes information on Indian schools.
Box   25 Volume   (8)	Record, 1900-1906 Note: No index.
	Series: Jails, lockups, and police stations, 1908-1945	⇧
Box   1	Adams County, 1912-1935
Box   1	Ashland County, 1914-1942
Box   1	Barron County, 1912-1939
Box   1	Bayfield County, 1914-1937
Box   1	Brown County, 1913-1942
Box   1	Buffalo County, 1933-1939
Box   1	Burnett County, 1914-1941
Box   1	Dane County, 1939-1942
Box   1	Door County, 1913-1941
Box   1	Douglas County, 1913-1942
Box   1	Dunn County, 1914-1937
Box   2	Eau Claire County, 1913-1937
Box   2	Florence County, 1916-1935
Box   2	Fond du Lac County, 1911-1944 Physical Description: 2 folders
Box   2	Forest County, 1914-1939
Box   2	Grant County, 1914-1944 Physical Description: 2 folders
Box   2	Green County, 1913-1941
Box   2	Green Lake County, 1913-1939
Box   3	Iowa County, 1914-1936
Box   3	Iron County, 1911-1942
Box   3	Jackson County, 1913-1941
Box   3	Jefferson County, 1914-1945
Box   3	Juneau County, 1908-1942
Box   3	Kenosha County, 1914-1945
Box   3	Kewaunee County, 1914-1939
Box   4	La Crosse County, 1911-1943
Box   4	La Fayette County, 1914-1942
Box   4	Langlade County, 1915-1936
Box   4	Lincoln County, 1913-1939
Box   4	Manitowoc County, 1914-1939
Box   4	Marathon County, 1914-1943
Box   4	Marinette County, 1914-1943
Box   5	Marquette County, 1914-1939
Box   5	Milwaukee County, 1913-1942 Physical Description: 3 folders
Box   5	Monroe County, 1914-1943
Box   5	Oconto County, 1913-1943
Box   5	Oneida County, 1914-1939
Box   6	Outagamie County, 1913-1942
Box   6	Ozaukee County, 1910-1942
Box   6	Pepin County, 1914-1939
Box   6	Pierce County, 1914-1937
Box   6	Polk County, 1914-1939
Box   6	Portage County, 1909-1937
Box   6	Price County, 1914-1937
Box   7	Racine County, 1914-1942
Box   7	Richland County, 1913-1938
Box   7	Rock County, 1942
Box   7	Rusk County, 1912-1937
Box   7	St. Croix County, 1914-1937
Box   7	Sauk County, 1913-1944
Box   7	Sawyer County, 1914-1937
Box   7	Shawano County, 1916-1942
Box   8	Sheboygan County, 1913-1943
Box   8	Taylor County, 1914-1939
Box   8	Trempealeau County, 1914-1941
Box   8	Vernon County, 1914-1939
Box   8	Vilas County, 1914-1939
Box   8	Walworth County, 1913-1942
Box   8	Washburn County, 1910-1943
Box   9	Washington County, 1913-1941
Box   9	Waukesha County, 1909-1945
Box   9	Waupaca County, 1912-1946
Box   9	Waushara County, 1913-1941
Box   9	Winnebago County, 1914-1942
Box   9	Wood County, 1914-1940
	Series: County asylums, homes, and hospitals, 1910-1947	⇧
Box   10	Adams County Home, 1914-1938
Box   10	Appleton City Home, 1923-1939
Box   10	Ashland County Home, 1912-1939
Box   10	Barron County Home, 1936-1939
Box   10	Brown County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   10	Brown County Home, 1911-1939
Box   10	Chippewa County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   10	Chippewa County Home, 1914-1939
Box   10	Clark County Asylum, 1920-1939
Box   10	Clark County Home, 1914-1944
Box   11	Columbia County Asylum, 1911-1939
Box   11	Columbia County Home, 1914-1939
Box   11	Crawford County Home, 1920-1945
Box   11	Dane County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   11	Dane County Home, 1914-1939
Box   11	Dodge County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   11	Dodge County Home, 1914-1939
Box   11	Douglas County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   11	Douglas County Asylum for Tubercular Insane, 1914-1923
Box   12	Douglas County Home, 1914-1939
Box   12	Dunn County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   12	Dunn County Home, 1914-1939
Box   12	Eau Claire County Asylum, 1909-1939
Box   12	Eau Claire County Home, 1914-1939
Box   12	Fond du Lac County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   12	Fond du Lac County Home, 1914-1939
Box   12	Forest County Home, 1916-1943
Box   13	Grant County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   13	Grant County Home, 1914-1939
Box   13	Green County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   13	Green County Home, 1930-1943
Box   13	Iowa County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   13	Iowa County Home, 1914-1934
Box   13	Jackson County Home, 1914-1939
Box   13	Jefferson County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   13	Jefferson County Home, 1914-1939
Box   14	Juneau County Home, 1911-1939
Box   14	Kewaunee County Home, 1914-1939
Box   14	La Crosse County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   14	La Crosse County Home, 1910-1939
Box   14	La Fayette County Home, 1914-1939
Box   14	Lincoln County Home, 1914-1939
Box   14	Manitowoc County Home, 1914-1939
Box   15	Marathon County Asylum, 1912-1939
Box   15	Marathon County Home, 1914-1939
Box   15	Marinette County Asylum, 1912-1939
Box   15	Milwaukee County Home, 1915-1939
Box   15	Milwaukee County Hospital, 1915-1939
Box   15	Monroe County Asylum, 1913-1939
Box   16	Oconto County Home, 1914-1939
Box   16	Oneida County Home, 1914-1947
Box   16	Outagamie County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   16	Pierce County Home, 1914-1939
Box   16	Polk County Home, 1928-1945
Box   16	Portage County Home, 1914-1947
Box   16	Racine County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   16	Racine County Home, 1914-1939
Box   17	Richland County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   17	Richland County Home, 1914-1939
Box   17	Rock County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   17	Rock County Home, 1914-1939
Box   17	Rusk County Home, 1924-1939
Box   17	St. Croix County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   17	St. Croix County Home, 1914-1939
Box   17	Sauk County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   17	Sauk County Home, 1914-1939
Box   18	Sawyer County Home, 1928-1936
Box   18	Shawano County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   18	Shawano County Home, 1914-1939
Box   18	Sheboygan City Home, 1914-1939
Box   18	Sheboygan County Asylum, 1912-1939
Box   18	Taylor County Home, 1926-1942
Box   18	Trempealeau County Asylum, 1913-1939
Box   18	Vernon County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   19	Vernon County Home, 1914-1939
Box   19	Walworth County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   19	Walworth County Home, 1914-1939
Box   19	Washington County Asylum, 1913-1939
Box   19	Washington County Home, 1914-1939
Box   19	Waukesha County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   19	Waukesha County Home, 1914-1939
Box   20	Waupaca County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   20	Waupaca County Home, 1914-1939
Box   20	Winnebago County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   20	Winnebago County Home, 1914-1944
Box   20	Wood County Asylum, 1914-1939
Box   20	Wood County Home, 1914-1939
	Series: Card record - jails, lockups, and police stations, 1910-1938	⇧
Box   21	Abbotsford - Frederic
Box   22	Galesville - Plainfield
Box   23	Platteville - Wrightstown
	Series: Card record - county jails, 1910-1938	⇧
Box   24	Bayfield County - Rusk County Note: Other counties found in boxes 21-23.