Nevada State Hospital Cemetery

Today I received an update on the memorial dedication of the Nevada State Hospital Cemetery. Anonymous wrote: "A new monument with 767 names (and acknowledging that there are likely up to 400 more unknown) has been installed in the hospital cemetery. It will be dedicated this Friday, January 21, 2011 between 2-4 pm. This event is open to the public. After the outdoor dedication there will be refreshments and historical displays inside the new Agriculture Building adjacent to the cemetery".

This cemetery is a vital piece of Nevada's past; from 1882-1947, approximately 1000 patients from the nearby State Mental Health Institute lie buried on an adjacent piece of property with little or no ceremony to acknowledge their existence or final resting place.

The memorial is a result of a tremendous effort by the Friends of Northern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services Cemetery.

I'm hoping the weather holds and the day of the dedication is clear. If not, I'll bundle up and bring along a thermos of hot coffee. The cemetery is located on 21st Street and Frazier in Sparks; next to the Nevada Adult Mental Health Institute.

To learn more, visit: http://friendsofnorthernnevadaadultmentalhealthservicescemetery.com/ You can access maps, photos, newspaper articles and other related items about the cemetery at this site.

Comments

Carolyn Mirich said…
Friends of Northern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services Cemetery will have several historical displays in the Ag. Bldg. following this event. There will also be displays by other historical societies. Come to see photos of the old asylum and cemetery as well as a timeline of events that led to the terrible condition of the cemetery. There will be letters from people with family members in the cemetery and stories of patients. We hope to see you there and look forward to meeting everyone interested in this cemetery.
January 17, 2011 at 10:05 AM
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