The Forgotten

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A History of the State Developmental Institutions in Fort Wayne

In 1879 Indiana decided to create an institution for children with mental disabilities. In 1890 a brand-new facility dedicated to this cause was opened. It was located just northeast of the city of Fort Wayne, on what would later become East State Boulevard.  Advances in medical and behavioral treatments, as well as overcrowding partly due to an aging population, led to a new modern complex being built by Saint Joe and Stellhorn roads in northeast Fort Wayne.

Using interviews, newspaper accounts, and archival photos and videos from these facilities, this 2-hour historical documentary tells the story of these forgotten places and those that inhabited them.

This documentary special airs next on our main channel, 39.1, Thursday, June 15 beginning at 9pm.