Lincoln Developmental Center

Defunct school in Illinois, United States

Lincoln Developmental Center

* Illinois Asylum for Feeble-Minded Children
* Lincoln State School
* Lincoln State School and Colony

Illustration, 1891

Type| State school
Location| Lincoln, Illinois
Founded| 1877

The Lincoln Developmental Center was a state school for people with developmental disabilities in Lincoln, Illinois. It was founded in 1877 as the Illinois Asylum for Feeble-Minded Children, became the Lincoln State School in 1954, and adopted its final name in 1975. It was closed in 2002 by Gov. George Ryan after reports of abuse, neglect and preventable deaths.[1][2]

According to historian David Bakke, "conditions at the Lincoln State School were horrible; overcrowded and understaffed. It was a community unto itself. The deaths of residents were not investigated, and their bodies were buried on the grounds".[3] According to Edwin Black, author of War Against the Weak,[4] milk from cows diseased with tuberculosis were willingly fed to the patient/residents.

## Names

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History of name changes:[5]

* Illinois Asylum for Feeble-Minded Children (1877-1909)
* Lincoln State School and Colony (1909-1953)
* Lincoln State School (1953-1975)
* Lincoln Developmental Center (1975-2002)

History of administrative responsibility:[5]

* Board of State Commissioners of Public Charities (1871-1909)
* Board of Administration (1909-1917)
* Dept. of Public Welfare (1917-1961)
* Dept. of Mental Health (1961-1975)
* Dept. of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (1975-2002)

## Illinois Youth Center

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In 2021, the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice proposed using the Lincoln Development Center property for a new Illinois Youth Center.[6] Construction on the project began in March 2023.[7] Funding from the Rebuild Illinois Capital program will provide renovations of two 4,300 square foot cottages for housing, with additional cottages for programming and administrative use. A new 27,000 square foot multipurpose building will include educational, recreational, and dietary services.[7]

## Notable people incarcerated

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* Henry Darger, who made outsider art
* John Doe No. 24, unidentified deaf man who spent 30 years at Lincoln
* Frank Robert Giroux

## References

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1. ^ "Historical Society looks back at the Lincoln State School with collection of LDC artifacts".
2. ^ Lowe, Kenneth (August 26, 2012). "Behind Closed Doors: Lincoln, 10 years after LDC closure". Herald-Review.com. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
3. ^ Bakke, Dave (February 4, 2016). "Old Lincoln state mental facility still causes grief". The State Journal-Register. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
4. ^ Black, Edwin (2012). War Against the Weak: Eugenics and America's Campaign to Create a Master Race. ISBN 978-0914153290.
5. ^ a b "Inmates' personal accounts, 1865-1935". researchworks.oclc.org. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
6. ^ Miller, Jean Ann (February 2, 2021). "New facility to locate at former Lincoln Development Center". Lincoln Courier. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
7. ^ a b "Construction Begins on Illinois Youth Center in Lincoln". www.illinois.gov. March 22, 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2024.

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