Secretary of State, John Hay

The end of the nineteenth century brought about the beginning of the Canton Asylum for Insane Indians. Indian agent Peter Couchman had suggested a separate facility for Indian patients in 1897, Senator Richard Pettigrew had endorsed the suggestion, and the Indian Bureau had cooperated in forwarding his cause.

The asylum, however, was a relatively minor matter for most of the country’s population, who focused, instead, on the Spanish-American War. Continue reading →