This collection of mailable vintage-photograph postcards douments the
rich history of Northern Michigan Asylum, which opened in 1885 and was
known during most of its years as Traverse City State Hospital. It was
run during its first decades by Dr. James Decker Munson, who left his
legacy in the landscaped grounds and the medical center that today bears
his name. Traverse City State Hospital served the mental health needs of
a large part of Michigan for 104 years until its closure in 1989,
housing a population as large as 3,000 in its many buildings.This book
traces the history of this great institution, from the local and mental
health context in which it was founded, through its growth, development,
and decline, and finally to its renovation and preservation as a vital
part of the Traverse City community.