Records for Eloise, (Detroit) Wayne County Poor House

Archived Records for the Eloise Complex

The Eloise Complex of buildings at various different times referred to the Wayne County Poor House, the Wayne County Sanatorium (serving tuberculosis patients), the Wayne County Asylum (serving the mentally ill indigent population), and Eloise Hospital. From the City of Westland web site, "Eloise, which started out as a poorhouse and a poor farm, later became Wayne County General Hospital. From only 35 residents on 280 acres in 1839, the complex grew dramatically after the Civil War until the total land involved was 902 acres and the total number of patients was about 10,000. There were about 75 buildings in the large complex. It became a city in itself and even had it own post office, named after the postmaster of Detroit's six-year old daughter, Eloise."

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The Eloise Museum is located in the former "D" Building, now called the Kay Beard Building, at 30712 Michigan Avenue near Merriman Road in Westland. The museum is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and tours are self-guided.

The Friends of Eloise group meets the third Tuesday of the month (except July, August and December) at 6 p.m. in the Kay Beard Building. The public is invited to attend. Please use the entrance at the loading dock on the west side of the building. The Friends are also interested in obtaining and preserving Eloise memorabilia. For information on Friends, or to make a donation, call Jo Johnson at (734)522-3918.
[Information courtesy of the City of Westland web site]

Eloise Cemetery
Over 7,000 people are said to be buried in this cemetery which served the Eloise Complex of buildings. The Westland Historical Museum Archives has an index of those buried at the cemetery. The cemetery is located at Michigan Avenue at Henry Ruff Rd. in Westland.

~WESTLAND HISTORICAL MUSEUM
AND ARCHIVES~

Westland Achives of Eloise Records

Two very hard working and friendly people are available to help you search the archive's holdings. There is a nice collection of resources available to those looking for information on the past residents of Eloise.

Westland Historical Museum and Archives are located at 957 N. Wayne Rd. (on the west side of the street just south of the signal light at Marquette Street) between Ford Rd. and Cherry Hill Rd. in Westland, MI
Hours: Saturdays 1pm - 4pm
(except holiday weekends)

For information about the Eloise records contact Jo Johnson at:
(734) 326-1110 (Saturdays 1-4pm)
(734) 522-3918 (regular business hours)
or email Jo

Click on the image to view photos of the Westland Historical Museum Complex and the Westland Historical Commission Archives housed at the Collins House.

The Westland Historical Museum Archives contain several indexes of Eloise residents and those buried at the Eloise Cemetery. There are specific lists for those who suffered from tuberculosis, those who were employed at the Eloise Complex, those who were buried in the cemetery, as well as general lists of residents for various periods of Eloise history. This is not an all inclusive list of everyone who was ever admitted to Eloise. Nor do the archives contain patient medical records. But if you know of an ancestor who was a one-time resident at Eloise you may find them listed in one of the archive's indexes, which could lead you to finding more information about them. A detailed list of the indexes will be compiled and added to this page when it is completed.

For over 50 years, the burial location of more than 7,000 former patients of Eloise Mental Hospital in Westland was known only to a handful of people. Now, the Downriver Council of the Arts, Friends of Eloise, and Wayne County Council for Arts, History and Humanities are assembling artists, musicians and writers to pay tribute to these long-forgotten individuals.

Resurrected Voices:
The Eloise Cemetery Project
October 17 - November 19, 2006
Opening Reception: October 17, 5 - 9 p.m.