HISTORY 2

In 2006 a former CSH employee, Carol Hixon, sent images and information about the remarkable involvement of her family in the history the hospital. Below is her account of that history, in her own words, along with her photographs. This website is deeply grateful to her for her efforts in providing this material

 

 

                           

                                                                  O'Dell Wester In front of Bell Tower 1945, possibly earlier

                           

                                                                  O'Dell Wester (on left with tie) and others on the Hospital grounds

                                            

                                                        O'Dell Wester (seated) in his office at CSH with other unknown employees

                         

                                                O'Dell and Maxine Wester in their employee 'homes' apartment, mid 20th century

                                                                               All above images courtesy of Carol Hixon

                                                                                                                 POSTCARDS

Below are samples of postcards depicting Camarillo State Hospital. While these may seem unusual now, in the first half of the twentieth century postcards were often produced for all sorts of institutions and attractions.

                                 

             

                                        Below are front and back views of a CSH postcard sent in 1957 by tourists from Missouri

                          

                                         

In 1951 the first Psychiatric Technician class was graduated at Camarillo State Hospital. Below are remakable photos of two of the new graduates receiving their diplomas. The person presenting the diplomas is Rev. Grice. Next to him is Mary Wilkerson who was the Director of Nursing at the time. Also standing beside the graduates is Joe Messinger, the instructor. The photographs are both courtesy of Virgie Yates who worked at the Hospital for 45 years

                                    

                                                Virgie Yates receives Psychiatric Technician diploma in 1st CSH Psych Tech graduation-1951

                                    

                                            Kathryn Yates receives Psychiatric Technician diploma in 1st CSH Psych Tech graduation-1951

The graduation ceremonies in the above photos took place in 1951 in the the newly constructed Recreation Hall located within the Employee 'Homes' section of the hospital grounds. This was the first building on the right side of the street entering the 'Homes' area (see below image). The building was also used as the P.T. program classroom from the early 1970s until the early 1980s when the Psychiatric Technician Program classrooms and offices were relocated to the south main hospital complex. From then on the building in the homes was utilized by the CCC program

                                          

                                       Aerial photo of some of the Employee's residences ('The Homes') located northeast of main complex                                                                                                                                   In the following Virgie Yates tells about the Rec. Hall, the 'homes', and provides an interesting portrait of employee 'homes' life at Cam at mid 20th century:

"...That was quite an addition to the homes area. There was only Home 2, 3,4, and newly constructed 5 at the time the Rec hall was constructed. Our rent was $8.25 per month for a married couple which included clean linen that was exchanged, soap, toilet tissue, etc issued every Thursday from an area in Home 2. The Employees Dining Room which was located across from the Chapel next to the main kitchen was open for all meals with complete service. The menu included complete breakfast entree, lunch and dinner included soup/salad and such items as Pot Roast, Leg of Lamb, Roast Pork, occasional steak, and dessert. The meal ticket books sold for $11.00 for 30 meals. That was deducted from your paycheck which was $160.00 a month when I went to work in 1949. Paychecks were issued from the Supervisors Office somewhere between the 1st and the 5th of the month. Home "1" also existed when the Rec Hall was constructed..." Virgie Yates