Description of Commitment Records Database
Now Available Online!
Search the Central State Hospital Databases at the Indiana Digital Archives
Inquests and Admission Books
With the help of volunteers, summer interns, regular staff members and one especially dedicated patron, the Indiana State Archives arranged and then compiled a database index to commitment papers from county authorities authorizing the admission of patients to the Central State Hospital.The database includes some 22,000 names, with information classified in six fields: first, middle and last names; date of commitment; county of residence; and CSH identification number. The last was not always included on the papers, so, in some cases, this field is left blank in the database.
Much more information was listed on the commitment record itself, but entering all that data onto the computer was not a feasible project for the Archives, as a single document may run to several pages. Nor, given the unusual sizes of the forms used, was it feasible to reproduce a sample record here.
Patrons may contact the Archives to obtain photocopies of complete records. A variety of other sources, such as an incomplete set of admission and prescription books exist and may include more information on individual patients. Volunteers have been working hard to index the Admission Books, which are now searchable online!
Note: When sending an email to the Indiana State Archives, please be sure to include a very clear subject heading, i.e, Civil War, Soldier's Home, Hospital Records, Morton Telegrams, etc. Emails without a clear subject heading may be mistaken as spam or a potential virus and be filtered out automatically. If you have not received an initial response from the Indiana State Archives within a few weeks, please resubmit your request.