article submitted by Brenda Plumb
The document details the history and significance of the Oakdale Regional Center for Developmental Disabilities in Lapeer County.
History of Oakdale
- Opened in 1895 as Michigan Home for Feeble-Minded Epileptic.
- Renamed multiple times, with the final name being Oakdale Regional Center for Developmental Disabilities in 1991.
- At its peak in the 1940s, housed over 4,600 patients across 98 buildings on 1,100 acres.
Economic Impact
- Major employer in Lapeer County, providing substantial paychecks and benefits to staff.
- Facility was nearly self-sustaining, with its own dairy, bakery, and farm.
Patient Programs and Life
- Patients engaged in educational programs, arts, crafts, and religious services.
- The facility aimed to help patients reach their potential through various activities.
Closure and Legacy
- Closed in September 1991 due to downsizing and economic factors.
- Remaining buildings were sold to the City of Lapeer for $1; only the nursery remains as a community college campus.
- The cemetery holds the remains of many former residents, marking the end of an era.
Thanks for posting this. You are the second person to contact me today via FB letting me know that this also happened to your families also. There is alot of suppressed history over the last several centuries and even since the beginning of time. We think as humans were so smart, so intelligent. The reality is we know little to nothing but think we know everything… smh
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