Fairview Training Center
Encyclopedia
The Fairview Training Center was a state-run facility for people with developmental disabilities
in Salem, Oregon
, United States. Fairview was established in 1907 as the State Institution for the Feeble-Minded. The hospital opened on December 1, 1908 with 39 patients transferred from the Oregon State Insane Asylum
. Before its closure in 2000, Fairview was administered by the Oregon Department of Human Services
(DHS). DHS continued to operate the Eastern Oregon Training Center in Pendleton
until October 2009.
. It was established as a quasi-educational institution charged with educating the "feeble-minded
" (today known as people with mental retardation
and various other developmental and learning disabilities
) and caring for the "idiot
ic and epileptic
." The facility was overseen by a Board of Trustees consisting of the Governor
, Secretary of State
and State Treasurer
. Construction had progressed enough by 1908 that the first patients were transferred from the Oregon State Insane Asylum (now the Oregon State Hospital
). They resided on a 670 acres (2.7 km²) compound consisting of an administration building (LeBreton Cottage), a dormitory, a laundry and boiler house. By 1913, two more cottages where constructed and the Board of Trustees was replaced by the Oregon State Board of Control.
In 1917, a commitment law was passed that was to standardize admissions to the institution by insuring that valuable space was used for the "feeble-minded" and not for the "insane
". It also imposed an age limit on admissions to people five years of age and older. The age limit was removed in 1921.
The institution had a working farm that provided both food and training for its residents. By 1920, most of the land to be used for farming had been cleared. 400 acres (1.6 km²) were planted in crops and 45 acres (182,108.7 m²) in orchards. The farm also raised hogs, chickens, and dairy and beef cattle.
In 1923, the legislature established the Oregon Board of Eugenics, and Fairview's superintendent served as an ex-officio board member. The eugenics
legislation provided for the "sterilization of all feeble-minded, insane, epileptics, habitual criminals, moral degenerates, and sexual perverts who are a menace to society." Sterilizations required either the person's consent or a court order. By 1929, 300 residents had been sterilized.
Two types of parole
for residents were established in 1931: home parole and industrial parole. Requirements for parole included a surety bond
filed by the parolee's guardian or overseer, who had to have a net worth of at least $1000 and have lived in the state for at least six months, the parolee had to be sterilized, and the home or workplace had to be inspected. Two-thirds of residents who had been sterilized were paroled, which freed up beds for new patients.
In 1933 the facility was renamed Oregon Fairview Home.
Changes in care and additions to the facility continued through the 1940s-1960s, and improvements were made to the medical care and nutrition of the residents.
In 1965, Oregon Fairview Home was renamed Fairview Hospital and Training Center.
In the late 1960s, the orchard, raising of beef, and general farm activities were eliminated. The raising of hogs was eliminated in 1975 and poultry processing ended in 1977. These activities had formerly provided all the ham, bacon, sausage, eggs, broiler chickens, and pork chops used by Fairview.
In 1969, the Board of Control was dissolved and the Mental Health Division placed under the newly created Executive Department of the state government.
In 1979, the facility changed its name from Fairview Hospital and Training Center to Fairview Training Center.
A group known as Sustainable Fairview Associates purchased 275 acres (1.1 km²) of the former Fairview grounds in 2002. The land included several historic buildings.
In 2004, Sustainable Fairview Associates sold 32 acres (129,499.5 m²) of their holdings to Sustainable Development Inc. for building Pringle Creek Community, a sustainable housing
development.
Pierce Cottage, one of several buildings remaining on the former Fairview site, was gutted by a fire of suspicious origin in January 2010. The building had previously been slated for demolition and recycling. Two men were charged with arson in connection with the fire the next month.
Developmental disability
Developmental disability is a term used in the United States and Canada to describe lifelong disabilities attributable to mental or physical impairments, manifested prior to age 18. It is not synonymous with "developmental delay" which is often a consequence of a temporary illness or trauma during...
in Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, United States. Fairview was established in 1907 as the State Institution for the Feeble-Minded. The hospital opened on December 1, 1908 with 39 patients transferred from the Oregon State Insane Asylum
Oregon State Hospital
Oregon State Hospital in Salem, Oregon, United States, is the primary state-run psychiatric hospital in the state of Oregon since Dammasch State Hospital closed in 1995. The facility is best known as the filming location for the Academy Award-winning film based on Ken Kesey's novel One Flew Over...
. Before its closure in 2000, Fairview was administered by the Oregon Department of Human Services
Oregon Department of Human Services
The Oregon Department of Human Services is the primary health and human services agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The ODHS was established in 1971 as the Oregon Department of Human Resources but renamed in 1999...
(DHS). DHS continued to operate the Eastern Oregon Training Center in Pendleton
Pendleton, Oregon
Pendleton is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. Pendleton was named in 1868 by the county commissioners for George H. Pendleton, Democratic candidate for Vice-President in the 1864 presidential campaign. The population was 16,612 at the 2010 census...
until October 2009.
Early history
In 1907, the Oregon State Institution for the Feeble-Minded was created by the Oregon State LegislatureOregon Legislative Assembly
The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives, with 60 members elected to...
. It was established as a quasi-educational institution charged with educating the "feeble-minded
Feeble-minded
The term feeble-minded was used from the late nineteenth century in Great Britain, Europe and the United States to refer to a specific type of "mental deficiency". At the time, mental deficiency was an umbrella term, which encompassed all degrees of educational and social deficiency...
" (today known as people with mental retardation
Mental retardation
Mental retardation is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors...
and various other developmental and learning disabilities
Learning disability
Learning disability is a classification including several disorders in which a person has difficulty learning in a typical manner, usually caused by an unknown factor or factors...
) and caring for the "idiot
Idiot
An idiot, dolt, or dullard is a mentally deficient person, or someone who acts in a self-defeating or significantly counterproductive way. Archaically the word mome has also been used. The similar terms moron, imbecile, and cretin have all gained specialized meanings in modern times. An idiot is...
ic and epileptic
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
." The facility was overseen by a Board of Trustees consisting of the Governor
Governor of Oregon
The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments....
, Secretary of State
Oregon Secretary of State
The Secretary of State of Oregon, an elected constitutional officer within the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Oregon, is first in line of succession to the Governor. The duties of office are: auditor of public accounts, chief elections officer, and administrator of public...
and State Treasurer
Oregon State Treasurer
The Oregon State Treasurer is a constitutional officer within the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon, elected by statewide vote to serve a four year term. As chief financial officer for the state, the office holder heads the Oregon State Treasury, and with the Governor...
. Construction had progressed enough by 1908 that the first patients were transferred from the Oregon State Insane Asylum (now the Oregon State Hospital
Oregon State Hospital
Oregon State Hospital in Salem, Oregon, United States, is the primary state-run psychiatric hospital in the state of Oregon since Dammasch State Hospital closed in 1995. The facility is best known as the filming location for the Academy Award-winning film based on Ken Kesey's novel One Flew Over...
). They resided on a 670 acres (2.7 km²) compound consisting of an administration building (LeBreton Cottage), a dormitory, a laundry and boiler house. By 1913, two more cottages where constructed and the Board of Trustees was replaced by the Oregon State Board of Control.
In 1917, a commitment law was passed that was to standardize admissions to the institution by insuring that valuable space was used for the "feeble-minded" and not for the "insane
Insanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
". It also imposed an age limit on admissions to people five years of age and older. The age limit was removed in 1921.
The institution had a working farm that provided both food and training for its residents. By 1920, most of the land to be used for farming had been cleared. 400 acres (1.6 km²) were planted in crops and 45 acres (182,108.7 m²) in orchards. The farm also raised hogs, chickens, and dairy and beef cattle.
In 1923, the legislature established the Oregon Board of Eugenics, and Fairview's superintendent served as an ex-officio board member. The eugenics
Eugenics
Eugenics is the "applied science or the bio-social movement which advocates the use of practices aimed at improving the genetic composition of a population", usually referring to human populations. The origins of the concept of eugenics began with certain interpretations of Mendelian inheritance,...
legislation provided for the "sterilization of all feeble-minded, insane, epileptics, habitual criminals, moral degenerates, and sexual perverts who are a menace to society." Sterilizations required either the person's consent or a court order. By 1929, 300 residents had been sterilized.
Two types of parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
for residents were established in 1931: home parole and industrial parole. Requirements for parole included a surety bond
Surety bond
A surety bond is a promise to pay one party a certain amount if a second party fails to meet some obligation, such as fulfilling the terms of a contract...
filed by the parolee's guardian or overseer, who had to have a net worth of at least $1000 and have lived in the state for at least six months, the parolee had to be sterilized, and the home or workplace had to be inspected. Two-thirds of residents who had been sterilized were paroled, which freed up beds for new patients.
In 1933 the facility was renamed Oregon Fairview Home.
Changes in care and additions to the facility continued through the 1940s-1960s, and improvements were made to the medical care and nutrition of the residents.
In 1965, Oregon Fairview Home was renamed Fairview Hospital and Training Center.
In the late 1960s, the orchard, raising of beef, and general farm activities were eliminated. The raising of hogs was eliminated in 1975 and poultry processing ended in 1977. These activities had formerly provided all the ham, bacon, sausage, eggs, broiler chickens, and pork chops used by Fairview.
In 1969, the Board of Control was dissolved and the Mental Health Division placed under the newly created Executive Department of the state government.
In 1979, the facility changed its name from Fairview Hospital and Training Center to Fairview Training Center.
Modern history
Fairview was closed on March 1, 2000.A group known as Sustainable Fairview Associates purchased 275 acres (1.1 km²) of the former Fairview grounds in 2002. The land included several historic buildings.
In 2004, Sustainable Fairview Associates sold 32 acres (129,499.5 m²) of their holdings to Sustainable Development Inc. for building Pringle Creek Community, a sustainable housing
Green building
Green building refers to a structure and using process that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition...
development.
Pierce Cottage, one of several buildings remaining on the former Fairview site, was gutted by a fire of suspicious origin in January 2010. The building had previously been slated for demolition and recycling. Two men were charged with arson in connection with the fire the next month.
Cottages
The cottages on the grounds housed both staff and patients. Some of the structures were named after Oregon governors, including:- Benson Cottage - Frank W. BensonFrank W. Benson (Oregon Governor)Frank W. Benson was an American politician, a Republican, and the 12th Governor of Oregon from 1909 to 1910. A native of California, Benson also served as educator, a land office clerk, and was twice elected as Oregon Secretary of State...
- Chamberlain Cottage - George Earle ChamberlainGeorge Earle ChamberlainGeorge Earle Chamberlain was an American politician, legislator, and public official in Oregon. A native of Mississippi and trained lawyer, he served as the 11th Governor of Oregon, a representative in the Oregon Legislative Assembly, a United States Senator.-Early life:Chamberlain was born near...
- Lane Cottage - Joseph LaneJoseph LaneJoseph Lane was an American general during the Mexican-American War and a United States Senator from Oregon.-Early life:...
- Martin Cottage - Charles Martin
- Meier Cottage - Julius MeierJulius MeierJulius L. Meier was an American businessman and politician in the state of Oregon. The son of the Meier & Frank department store founder, he would become a lawyer before entering the family business in Portland...
- Pierce Cottage - Walter M. PierceWalter M. PierceWalter Marcus Pierce was an American politician, a Democrat, who served as the 17th Governor of Oregon and a member of the United States House of Representatives from . A native of Illinois, he served in the Oregon State Senate before the governorship, and again after leaving the U.S. House...
(image) Destroyed by fire January 27, 2010 - Smith Cottage - Elmo SmithElmo SmithElmo Everett Smith was an American politician, a Republican, and the 27th Governor of the state of Oregon, U.S., from 1956 to 1957.-Early life:...
- Snell Cottage - Earl SnellEarl SnellEarl Willcox Snell was an Oregon businessman American Republican politician, serving in the Oregon House of Representatives, as the Oregon Secretary of State, and as the 23rd Governor of Oregon....
- Withycombe Cottage - James WithycombeJames WithycombeJames Withycombe was a British-born American politician, a Republican, and the 15th Governor of Oregon. Prior to entering politics he was farmer and sheep rancher in the Tualatin Valley, leading to appointment as the state's veterinarian and then as head of what became the Oregon State University...
Fairview in the media
Where's Molly? is a 2007 documentary about Molly Daly who was institutionalized at the Fairview Hospital and Training Center in the 1950s.External links
- Historic images of Fairview from Salem Public Library.
- Images of abandoned structures at Fairview from the University of OregonUniversity of Oregon-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
digital archives - Where's Molly official website
- "In Our Care" a 1959 film about Fairview from The OregonianThe OregonianThe Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
- "Away from the Public Gaze": A History of the Fairview Training Center and the Institutionalization of People with Developmental Disabilities in Oregon from The Teaching Research Institute at Western Oregon UniversityWestern Oregon UniversityWestern Oregon University is a public liberal arts college located in Monmouth, Oregon, United States. It was originally established in 1856 by Oregon pioneers as Monmouth University. Subsequent names include Oregon Normal School, Oregon College of Education, and Western Oregon State College...
- Photo essay of closed Fairview site from FlickrFlickrFlickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...