Scioto Village School for Girls
I have been somewhat amazed at how much interest has been shown in my post regarding the Girls Industrial School or, as it was later known, Scioto Village School for Girls. Like the Boys Industrial School/Fairfield School for Boys, the girls lived in “cottages” that were, more or less, based on their social maturity levels. Of course, this system broke down whenever the institution became overcrowded and a newly admitted girl would then have to be placed in the first available bed.
Over the years, the names of the cottages changed as old ones were torn down and new ones were built. However, here is a list of some of them taken from a 1970 Sci-Lites High School Yearbook: Ohio, Scioto, Mac, Galloway, Hayes, Woodbine, Allman, Buckeye, Hunter, Mapledale, Davey, Sherwood, and Terrace. The girls attended school and also participated in such vocational programs as home economics, laundry (“fabric services”), cosmetology, and needle trades.
At one time, the institution had a fully operational maternity ward and a number of babies were born there. Not far from the hospital was a cemetery. A number of girls had died at G.I.S. during the great influenza pandemic that swept the country during the early part of the 20th century. Apparently, there was no one who wanted or could afford to claim their bodies.
Somewhere, I have a handful of postcards picturing scenes at G.I.S. When I locate them, I will post them to my blog. For a correctional institution, it was a remarkably pretty place. I had an office in the school that overlooked the Scioto River, which was a stone’s throw away.
brenda simmons said,
January 23, 2011 at 8:06 am
I’m looking for a baby that was born there. Are there any documents?
PERSON OF KNOWLEDGE said,
March 13, 2011 at 10:51 pm
YOU KNOW MY MOTHER WAS A WARD OF THE STATE SHE WAS SENT THERE FOR NOT HAVING A HOME AND NO FAMILY. SHE WAS IN BUKEYE COTTAGE AND SHE WAS MADE TO SCRUB FLOORS ON HER HANDS AND KNEES WITH A TOOTHBRUSH. OH AND IN CASE YOU THINK I’M LYING MR.HELLER WAS THE HEAD OF THE COTTAGE. SHE WAS MADE TO GET UP AT 4 AM AND WORK IN THE BAKERY. SHE GOT BURNT ON THE BREAD MACHINE AS THE BREAD WAS PACKAGED IN WAX PAPER AT THAT TIME A WAS SEALED SHUT. IT WAS BANDAGED AND SHE WAS TOLD TO GET BACK TO WORK. FOR PUNISHMENT YOU WERE PUT IN A ROOM TOTALLY NAKED WITH NOTHING IN IT BUT THE FLOOR AND WALLS. AND THE OLDER GIRLS WOULD PICK ON THE SMALLER ONES AND INTRODUCE THEM TO JACK THE STICK. WHICH IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT IS ITS A WOODEN PLUNGER STICK. THERE WAS A GIRL IN THERE NAMED KIM HODAK NOT SURE OF THE SPELLING OF HER LAST NAME. YOU GOT 6 ROLLED CIGERETTES ADAY AND 9 ON WEEKENDS. MY MOTHER DIDN’T MIND WORKING IN THE BAKERY IT KEPT HER FROM GETTING BEAT UP. HOPEFULLY NOW ITS NOT RUN WITH AN IRON FIST. AND THEY AREN’T AS BAD AS THEY WERE PERHAPS THEY ACTUALLY TEACH SOMEONE SOMETHING. AND DAVEY COTTAGE WAS KNOWN AS THE LESBIAN COTTAGE AT THAT TIME.AND IF THE GIRL WAS PREGNANT WHEN SHE CAME IN SHE WAS MADE TO SIGN ADOPTION PAPERS SHE WASN’T PERMITTED TO SEE HER CHILD. AND YOU HAD TO MAKE LEVELS AT THAT TIME. YOU WERE ON A LEVEL SYSTEM. AND THE CP’S DIDNT HESITATE TO BUST YOU IN YOUR MOUTH EITHER. MY MOM EVEN HAD TO WORK IN THE LAUNDRY WHEN SHE WAS DONE AT THE BAKERY FOR THE DAY SHE WOULD GET BACK TO THE COTTAGE AT 7 PM NO DINNER AND STRAIGHT TO THE SHOWER AND LOCKED IN HER ROOM FOR THE NIGHT TILL 4 AM
Judy said,
March 21, 2011 at 3:02 am
The last paragraph (not complete) came up on a search on Google for Ethel Gale Chapman——–
Do you still have the birth certificate? Could you mail it to c/o Judy Archer Brucker, 3914 73rd Street, Urbandale, IA 50322. Did you find any other admission records etc?
The Girls’ Industrial School « Central Ohio’s Historic Prisons
Feb 28, 2010 … Also think her father was Gale Joseph Chapman. Ethel we think was born in … We have located the birth certificate for Ethel Gale Chapman, …
ohioprisons.wordpress.com/2010/02/28/the-girls-industrial-school/ -
Jeanette Kellie,Mrs. said,
March 24, 2011 at 3:56 pm
I was a young lady at scioto village year1986-88.my home or should I say cottage was davey.i remember my case manager mr.Aberizzi something close to that. I do have some awesome stories to tell of the things I seen and done and had done to me. As for now I am on a mobile,but I will b back with much more info to share.
Jodi Scott Spruill said,
December 28, 2011 at 10:24 am
I was there 1983-1984. I was only 14 and it was a horrible place to be. Widespread sexual abuse, the education was non-existant and drugs were easy to come by. I had a root canal strapped to a chair with my head strapped down. Novicain does not work on me. I’ve always had to be knocked out for dental work. They thought I just wanted drugs and was lying so they did the root canal anyway. I passed out several times during the procedure.
pam haddix rabin said,
April 9, 2011 at 5:46 pm
are there any records from 1970 or a copy of the sci-lites year book? i was 1 of 3 preagnant girls who ran away from there in 1970. what were we thinking?
ruth berry forsythe said,
December 7, 2011 at 12:15 am
pam, i think i rember you cause i was there in 1971, i was pregnant also, i wrote a response today on how to find your records and graduation records, hope to hear from you soon, merry christmas
pam haddix rabin said,
April 9, 2011 at 5:55 pm
i have fond memories of mrs anderson. i remember a girl named rose and a girl named valerie. our big crime was being pregnant and running away. it was`t all bad. i also spent a year across the street in riverview, that was much worse!
joetta darmstadter said,
May 13, 2011 at 12:30 pm
That’s were i graduated from even had prom with the tico boys the year 1973-also had a drill team
judy said,
June 19, 2011 at 2:07 pm
Hi, my name is Judy. I was there in the early 70s. My only crime was not going to school and I was in the Ohio cottage. I remember washing my stuff on a washboard that was hard back in those days. I dont remember the cottage mother at that time. I know we were allow to smoke, but we had to get a note from our mom or dad. But if any one remember any of this or was in there at that time, maybe we can talk. Oh, and we had dances and the boys got to come to them too. Bye
teresa said,
June 22, 2011 at 7:01 pm
Hey Judy,
My name is teresa, I was in scioto village in the late 60′s and early 70′s. I was in davey Hall. My favorite matron was Ma Nelson.
she was a wonderful person. Of course there was also the devil. ms. Jackson.
I remember the dances with the boys too. Gosh this brings back alot of memories. talk later, take care.
ruth berry forsythe said,
August 18, 2011 at 5:21 pm
judy, i was there in the pregnant cottage until i had my baby and then moved to another cottage, i graduated from there in aug 1972 and was released 10 days later, i now work at a medical supply warehouse that delivers supplies to scioto, i see women come pick up for them occasionally, i remember the dances and the smoking and making a friend linda straker who i have never heard from since i left. do you know how i can get a copy of my diploma it was lost in a fire
Gail Jean Wheetley said,
August 15, 2011 at 12:38 am
hi, I graduated there in 1971, think i was there around 2 years…..if my memory serves, i was in Ohio cottage, not sure and I spent some time in Galloway, there are several people I would like to find from there, it was like my home……Gail Minter was the name
ruth berry forsythe said,
October 3, 2011 at 5:15 pm
gail, i think i remember you, i was pregnant in 1970-71 and was moved to another cottage, cant remember which one, my little sister was there also, kathy berry, she was in ohio cottage, i live in pataskala now maybe we can correspond
hope to hear from you soon
ruth berry forsythe
Sally Reece said,
October 3, 2011 at 2:26 am
My mother was there in the 1940s, probably until 1945-46. Does anyone who was there remember Margie Wisner?
ruth berry forsythe said,
October 3, 2011 at 5:11 pm
can any one tell me how to get my diploma from scioto, i graduated in 1972 august and was released 10 days later to zanesville, ohio
thanks in advance, ruth
Jeanette Dent Kellie said,
November 2, 2011 at 11:39 pm
I still have a friend that i was looking for,My name was Jeanette Dent when I went to Scioto,back in1987 I got released in aug 1988 all together I did 15 months. I still wonder how my friends that i met there are doing,Lawanna Blanco from Alber,New Mexico,and Carrie Dewey from Dayton,OHIO. I hope and pray that they are in good health.
mary stevenson said,
December 5, 2011 at 12:55 am
i graduated in 1971, remember mrs jackson and mrs nelson from my cottage. would like to have my diploma, was the first graduate from that place to go to college!!
ruth berry forsythe said,
December 7, 2011 at 12:09 am
mary, i just recieved my diploma, or my grades with graduated on it from 1972 from a wonderful woman, here is her name and phone number, syliva van leer
department of youth services 740-881-8083 or send your request to 7990 dubllin rd, delaware, ohio 43015 this is the bureau of records and sentence computation, silvia is a wonderful woman and will help you in any way she can, i hope you can get yours and have a wonderful christmas…… god bless…. ruth berry forsythe
Terri Bies said,
February 12, 2012 at 6:31 pm
Hi..My name is Teressa (Terri back then) and I was there in 1980 and also in Davey Cottage..Don’t remember that much about it however, I do remember the assigned smoke breaks and the big wooden box that contained our cigarettes and the little store we would be allowed to go to when we had money to buy little extra’s.