Research

Scope and Content Note

This series of minutes documents the creation and early activities of the managers of the Buffalo State Hospital (known earlier as the Buffalo Asylum for the Insane). Minutes include the establishment of by-laws and of a standing Executive Committee, an Auditing Committee, and a Committee on Grounds. The extensive minutes of the Executive Committee (1870-1888) constitute the second volume of this series.

In addition to minutes of the board (1870-1883), documentation also includes a historical narrative of the creation of the institution, which can be traced to several eminent local physicians and prominent citizens who advocated for a local facility similar to the Utica State Asylum for the Insane. Also include are clippings of laws passed by the State Legislature related to the establishment of a commission to be appointed for the creation of the institution.