Hello and welcome to another episode of Ohio Mysteries Backroads.

Founded in 1898 on 240 acres of farmland donated to the state, Massillon State Hospital opened its doors under the name Eastern Ohio Mental Asylum. Its first patients came from 21 Ohio counties. 

At its peak in the 1950s, the hospital housed more than 3,100 patients and employed roughly 365 staff — part of what many regarded as one of “the most beautiful institutions in the world.” 

But as treatments and mental-health policies evolved, the massive institution began to shrink. By the mid-1970s many patients were transferred out, and over decades the facility gradually shifted identities — eventually becoming Heartland Behavioral Health Center. 

The origins: how farmland donated by early settlers became a state asylum.

Lives within the walls: personal stories, struggles, and survival in a sprawling mental-health institution.

The rise and fall: how peak expansion gave way to decline, changing mental-health philosophies, and shifting societal attitudes.

What remains today: the buildings, the memories, the legacy — and the efforts to preserve or repurpose pieces of its history.

Join us on a journey through time, memory, and healing. If you’re curious about mental-health history, local heritage, or the echoes of institutions long gone — this podcast is for you.

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Dan hosts a Youtube Channel called: Ohio History and Haunts where he explores historical and dark places around Ohio: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj5x1eJjHhfyV8fomkaVzsA⁠

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