<P> Northern Michigan Asylum was established in 1881 as the demand for a third psychiatric hospital, in addition to those established in Kalamazoo and Pontiac, began to grow . Lumber baron Perry Hannah, "the father of Traverse City," used his political influence to secure its location in his home town . Under the supervision of prominent architect Gordon W. Lloyd, the first building, known as Building 50, was constructed in Victorian - Italianate style according to the Kirkbride Plan . The hospital opened in 1885 with 43 residents . </P> <P> Under Dr. James Decker Munson, the first superintendent from 1885 to 1924, the institution expanded . Twelve housing cottages and two infirmaries were built between 1887 and 1903 to meet the specific needs of male and female patients . The institution became the city's largest employer and contributed to its growth . In the 1930s three large college - like buildings were constructed near the present site of the Munson Hospital parking deck and the Grand Traverse Pavilions . </P> <P> Long before the advent of drug therapy in the 1950s, Munson was a firm believer in the "beauty is therapy" philosophy . Patients were treated through kindness, comfort, pleasure, and beautiful flowers provided year - round by the asylum's own greenhouses and the variety of trees Munson planted on the grounds . Restraints, such as the straitjacket, were forbidden . Also, as part of the "work is therapy" philosophy, the asylum provided opportunities for patients to gain a sense of purpose through farming, furniture construction, fruit canning, and other trades that kept the institution fully self - sufficient . The asylum farm began in 1885 with the purchase of some milk cows and within a decade grew to include pigs, chickens, milk and meat cows, and many vegetable fields . In the 1910s - 30s, the farm was home to a world champion milk cow, Traverse Colantha Walker . Her grave is at the end of the dirt trail between the farm and the asylum . </P> <P> While the hospital was established for the care of the mentally ill, its use expanded during outbreaks of tuberculosis, typhoid, diphtheria, influenza, and polio . It also cared for the elderly, served as a rehab for drug addicts, and was used to train nurses . After Munson's retirement, James Decker Munson Hospital was established in his honor on the grounds in 1926, and was operated by the state well after his death and into the 1950s . It was then replaced by Munson Medical Center in the 1950s, the largest hospital in northern Michigan and one of the largest in the state . A portrait of Dr. Munson hangs inside the main lobby of Munson Medical Center . By the time it closed in 1989, pieces of the property had been split between Munson hospital, the Pavilions, Garfield Township and (later) T.M.G. </P>

Northern michigan asylum a history of the traverse city state hospital