Minnesota Security Hospital

Coordinates: 44°18′29″N 93°58′56″W / 44.307958°N 93.982136°W / 44.307958; -93.982136 The Minnesota Security Hospital is a maximum security psychiatric hospital located in St. Peter, Minnesota. It serves people who have been committed by the court as mentally ill and dangerous.

History

In 1866, the Minnesota Legislature approved the building of a state hospital for the insane, hoping to reduce the growing amount of mentally ill people in jails throughout the state. They first had to find an area willing to deed 20 acres (81,000 m²) of land for the hospital. St. Peter leaders bought a 210-acre (0.85 km²) farm for $7,000 and lent it to the state. Its first patient checked in December 6, 1866. The hospital soon became overcrowded, so the state built two other facilities in Rochester and Fergus Falls. The St. Peter one remained the main hospital. Other hospitals also opened to reduce the population of patients but either closed or turned into retirement home for the elderly.

In 1911, the St. Peter Hospital for the Insane officially opened and turned into the Minnesota Security Hospital.

The Rochester State Hospital closed in 1981, which led to the expansion of the Minnesota State Hospital. In 1985, the hospital's name changed to the St. Peter Regional Treatment Center.

Records

Records documenting the population and activities in the security hospital, including admission and transfer book (1911-1938), admissions index (1911-1963), daily movement of population record, dangerous insane (1911-1913), and scrapbook (1937-1987) kept by longtime Medical Director Dr. Charles G. Sheppard are available for research use.

References

• Minnesota Department of Human Services