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Muscatatuck Oral History Project
On April 19, 2001 it was announced that Muscatatuck State Developmental Center (MSDC) would close; there were 279 individuals living there, served by approximately 800 employees. With this announcement and the closing of one of Indiana's oldest and largest state institutions it was timely to document the stories of those so closely connected with this institution. The Muscatatuck Oral History Project was created to preserve and share the history of Muscatatuck State Developmental Center, as told by the people who have lived and worked at the center as well as their families and community members.
The closure is inevitable and represents a major shift in cultural attitudes and practices that merits preservation. The current and former residents and employees of Muscatatuck have direct knowledge and experience with a major cultural institution that will, someday, no longer exist. That knowledge and experience is valuable to historians from a documentary perspective. Moreover, it's an important time to gather the stories of people who have been affected by this institution in order to:
- Acknowledge and dignify the lives of people who have lived there, died there, or moved on to other circumstances.
- Understand the role that the institution has played in the lives of residents and the many others who have been involved with the institution over decades, as family members, workers, volunteers, etc.
- Understand, promote and celebrate successful transitions to new forms of community support (not a goal of this phase of the project).
The project will consist of a series of 16 to 20 tape-recorded interviews. The stories will be transcribed and stand as they are offered, in the words of the interviewee. Complete transcripts will be archived but not published. A general publication that features many of the stories will be produced and made available to participants and the public.
For more information:
Contact Jennie Todd