Laconia State School History
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Lost in
Laconia:
During a time when
people who were branded and stigmatized as "feebleminded" and a
danger to society were banished to a life of isolation and total
segregation, thousands of children and adults were
institutionalized in large state operated institutions
throughout the country. In the case of New Hampshire, that
place was the Laconia State School. This
documentary traces the history of the institution from its
initial beginnings as the New Hampshire School for the
Feebleminded in the early 1900's until its closure in
1991.
Using archival
footage and current interviews with former residents of the
institution, families of former residents, and people who worked
at the institution, along with an extensive collection of
photos, newspaper articles, and state documents, this
documentary examines the social values and cultural ideals of
the twentieth century, relative to individuals and families who
were labeled "feebleminded", deficient, or disabled in New
Hampshire
Community Support Network Inc. is pleased to announce publication of
the companion guide to the acclaimed documentary film Lost in
Laconia.
This Instructional Guide is designed to
facilitate a deeper understanding of the movie by providing a series of
Discussion Questions for use before and after the film is shown. In
addition the Guide contains a series of supplemental stories and
articles which build on the themes and personal stories featured in the
documentary.
The Instructional Guide is perfect for
educational settings, staff development activities, libraries, or for
anyone who wishes to have a deeper understanding of the societal factors
which gave rise to institutions in New Hampshire and across the country
during the past century.
Lost in Laconia has been
shown to audiences throughout New England and has been featured on New
Hampshire Chronicle; New Hampshire Outlook; New Hampshire Public Radio;
and New Hampshire Public Television. It was also entered in the Somewhat
North of Boston film festival at the Red River Theater in Concord, New
Hampshire.
The film and instructional guide are
available for purchase through,
Community Support Network, Inc.
The Institute on Disability
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Laconia State
School
In keeping
with the CSNI mission statement to educate ourselves, the people we serve, and
the general public, about issues important to people with disabilities and  their
families, we have embarked on a project to keep alive the tragic saga of the
institutionalization of thousands of New Hampshire citizens labeled
feebleminded.
George
Santayana wrote in The Life of Reason, Vol. 1, 1905,
"Those who
cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." In 1901, the New
Hampshire Legislature passed legislation to establish a state school for
feebleminded children. 60 children living in almshouses throughout the state
were admitted to the school in 1903. By 1973, 1100 children and adults with
disabilities resided at the institution, some living in sub-human conditions.
Thousands of New Hampshire citizens were confined to a life with no meaning or
hope for the future. Families were often cut off from friends, family and their
community. In the first half of this century eugenics was widely accepted and
practiced.
In 1991, with
the help of a federal class action law suit, the institution was closed and New
Hampshire became the first state to have no institutions for people with
developmental disabilities. This is a remarkable story worth telling. Using an
extensive collection o f slides, artifacts, and video taped oral histories, I will
trace the evolution and growth of the State's only institution for people with
developmental disabilities. The presentation will provide insight into the
principle features of society's values and changes in those values during the
Twentieth century. It will connect Laconia State School's institutional history
with larger social ideals and principles, which led to national trends and
social policy.
About the Presenter
Gordon DuBois,
has worked for over 40 years in the disability
field in Maine and New Hampshire. He worked at the Laconia State School from
1977 until it closed in 1991. Under his guidance a wealth of documents (records,
letter, manuscripts, artifacts) were cataloged at the NH Department of Archives
and Records Management. DuBois became fascinated with the history of the Laconia
State School and to a larger degree the history of disability and the social
ideals of the twentieth century that drove the institutionalization of thousands
of children and adults first labeled feeble minded, and then mentally retarded.
© Community Support Network, Inc., 2001-2012.
All rights reserved. |
Helpful Supporting Documents
Photo Slideshow
Documentary
Film Project
Time Line
Laconia State Cemetery
History Paper
Laconia Sun
Article
The Farm Article
NH Humanities Council
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