The State "Lunatic Asylum" of Utica, New York opens its doors.
Date: 1843
Unlike previous private facilities (e.g., the Bloomingdale "Lunatic Asylum"), this site provides "organized medical treatment, provisions and care provided by the state of New York." It is founded in response to the horrific conditions people with mental disabilities are subjected to in poorhouses. However, now that care is placed in the state's hands, other issues and concerns around coercion emerge.