Washington (State). Dept. of Public Institutions.

Between 1871 and 1897, state institutions were supervised by the governor and boards of trustees. In 1897, supervision of institutions was taken over by the State Board of Audit and Control. Superseding agencies were: the Board of Control (1901-1921), the Dept. of Business Control (1921-1935), and the Dept. of Finance, Budget and Business (1935- 1947). The Dept. of Public Institutions was begun in 1947 and oversaw the following institutions: Western State Hospital (Fort Steilacoom), Eastern State Hospital (Medical Lake), Northern State Hospital (Sedro Wooley), Penitentiary (Walla Walla), Reformatory (Monroe), Training School (Chehalis), Girls' School (Grand Mound), Soldiers' Home (Orting), Veterans' Home (Retsil), School for the Blind (Vancouver), School for the Deaf (Vancouver), Lakeland Village (Medical Lake), Rainier School (Buckley), and the Cedar Creek Youth Forest Camp in Thurston County, opened in 1952. The Dept. had divisions of: banking, capitol buildings and grounds, children and youth services, engineering, institutions, maintenance, parole transportation and deportation, personnel, purchasing, savings and loan associations, and state archives. The Dept. of Public Institutions was superseded by the Dept. of Institutions in 1955.

From the description of Records of the Washington State Department of Public Institutions, 1947-1955. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 154690623