Washburn Asylum WASHBURN MEMORIAL ORPHAN ASYLUM: An Inventory of Its Records Finding aid prepared by Deborah Kahn Minnesota Historical Society
St. Paul MN.

Manuscripts Collection

 Finding aid encoded by Rich Arpi August 23, 2007Finding aid written inEnglish August 2008Converted from EAD Version 1.0 to Version 2002 by Monica Manny Ralston, Daniel Sher, and Joyce Chapman. OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION Minnesota Historical Society Washburn Memorial Orphan Asylum (Minneapolis, Minn.). Asylum records. 1886-1949. Primarily superintendent's and executive secretary's reports (1923-1949) and personal history records (1886-1928) documenting a Minneapolis (Minn.) organization that initially provided care and housing for orphans, half-orphans, and other dependent and neglected children under the age of 15 (1886-1929) and subsequently operated as a foster home placement and support agency (1929-1949) under the name Washburn Home. 1.5 cu. ft. (2 boxes). See Detailed Description for shelf locations. HISTORY OF WASHBURN MEMORIAL ORPHAN ASYLUM

The Washburn Memorial Orphan Asylum was founded in Minneapolis (Minn.) in 1883 with a bequeath from the estate of milling magnate Cadwallader Colden Washburn (1818-1882), co-founder of the Washburn-Crosby Co., to build and operate a home to serve orphaned children without regard to age, gender, race, or religion. The orphanage, which opened in November 1886, in practice cared for orphaned, half-orphaned, and other dependent and neglected children under the age of 15 for over 40 years.

As social welfare policies and practices for the care of dependent and neglected children changed from institutional to home care during the 1920s, the orphanage increasingly concentrated on placing children in foster homes and boarding homes. The number of residents gradually decreased, and the orphanage closed in 1929. It was succeeded by a foster home placement agency that also provided support services for the children and their parents. It operated 1929-1949 under the name Washburn Home.

The organization's mission continued to evolve to meet changing community needs, and in the early 1950s it began to focus its attention on the mental health needs of dependent and neglected children. In 1951 it established the Washburn Memorial Clinic to provide mental health services to such children and their families. The clinic and the organization, which had retained its original corporate name since its founding, were officially renamed the Washburn Child Guidance Center in 1968.

 SCOPE AND CONTENTS OF THE RECORDS

The records contain information on the operation, finances, and management of the orphanage and foster home placement agency and on the children and families served.

 CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics: Child care services -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis. Child welfare -- Minnesota -- Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. Children -- Institutional care -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis. Foster home care -- Minnesota -- Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. Orphanages -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis. Orphans -- Minnesota -- Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Access Restrictions:

Since these records contain birth records, including illegitimate births, those materials are closed for 100 years, pursuant to Minn. Stat. 144.225. The collection also includes adoption records; when less than 100 years those materials require a court order for access, pursuant to Minn. Stat. 259.61, 259.83, and 259.89. Please consult the reference staff for more information.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Washburn Memorial Orphan Asylum Records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples

 Accession Information:

Accession number: 16,124

 Processing Information:

Processed by: Deborah Kahn, August 2007

Catalog ID number: 006469873

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION 147.F.11.2F 1 Superintendent's and executive secretary's reports, June 1923 - April 1949. 7 folders and 1 volume.

Monthly, and beginning in 1940, annual reports to the board of trustees. They include statistical and narrative information on orphanage and foster care applications; resident and placement cases; children's personal and family histories; educational and recreational activities, health and medical care, and, in later years, psychiatric and psychological treatment and services; staff's work-related and professional activities; and orphanage and foster care operations, finances, and management.

 Personal history records:

Information on children and their families. Individual entries vary but may give the case number; child's name, date, place, and circumstance of birth, nationality, and religion; parents' names, places of birth, current residences, occupations, employers' names, and dates of death; family's history and current circumstances; date and reason for child's admission or placement and by whom; child's nearest relatives, medical and dental history and treatment during residence or placement, date and nature of discharge or placement and to whom, and date and cause of death. The dates of some volumes overlap one another.

 November 1886 - February 1898 (case nos. 1-236). 1 volume. November 1886 - February 1898 (case nos. 1-235). 1 volume.

Includes a personal name index. Documents the same children as the preceding volume, but individual entries give more information.

 142.G.17.4F-2 2 November 1886 - July 1905 (case nos. 1-400). 1 volume. August 1905 - February 1924 (case nos. 401-761). 1 volume. April 1915 - January 1928 (case nos. 1-133). 1 volume.

Volume title: Child history record. Includes a personal name index.

 147.F.11.2F 1 Our soldiers and sailors, [194-?]. Inventory of files and contents received from Washburn Home by Family and Children's Service, July 1, 1949.