I became interested in the history of insane asylums and the treatment of mental illness when I began research for my book, Vanished in Hiawatha: The Story of the Canton Asylum for Insane Indians (University of Nebraska Press, 2016).

This book has been out for a year, yet I’m still fascinated by the topic. I’m researching material for a new book about the history of insane asylums—the topic of this website and blog—and want to share some of the interesting information I find.

I plan to put material in my blog that won’t appear in the book, though there is always basic information that will undoubtedly be in both. Thank you for checking in with me, and I hope you learn a little more about this endlessly fascinating topic.