Oregon State Insane Asylum Staff, 1908-1910

The following is a transcribed staff list from the Biennial Report of the Oregon State Insane Asylum for the Biennium covering the years 1908 -1910.  The list includes information on staff members, their positions, and monthly salary.  Also cross-referenced, is the 1910 Federal Census shows the marital status, age in 1910 and birthplace of some of the staff members.

The Tale of John Krine, 1913

John’s tale begins with a paperclip.  In putting away some old records found in storage today, I came across one employee card with two rusting paperclips clipped to the back of it, making it difficult to refile the two cards I had been looking at.  Irritated, I pulled out the offending card and found the bizarre and intriguing story of John Krine/Kirne (the exact spelling is a little unclear, as you can see in the signature above).

John Krine was hired on as an Attendant at the Oregon State Hospital on April 3, 1913.  The tall, blue-eyed 52 year old widower had come from Indiana where he was previously employed as a clerk.  As an attendant, he received $30 dollars a month and worked on a ward directly supervising and caring for patients.  Krine worked at the hospital for just over two months before he was discharged, not an uncommon occurrence for new employees at the State Hospital during that time.  The payroll cards show a high attrition rate for new staff members.   If not for the paperclip, Krine would have just been another short-tenured attendant.

Staff, 1903

The following is a schedule of monthly wages for employees at the Oregon State Insane Asylum (OSIA).  The schedule was adopted by the Board of Trustees of OSIA, April 1, 1903.[1]  For a little perspective, the average household income in the U.S. in 1901 was $62.50 a month [2] and $1.00 in 1903 is worth $25.20 in today’s money.[3]

Laundry workers at OSIA, Oregon State Archives OSH0012

 

Bookkeeper	100.00	Stableman	35.00
Stenographer	50.00	Musicians	Left to Superintendent
Steward	80.00	Engineer	100.00
Dept. Overseer	75.00	Asst. Engineer	35.00
Commissary	60.00	Carpenter	60.00
Basementman	45.00	Asst. Carpenter	45.00
Supervisor	60.00	Plumber	55.00
Night Watchman	60.00	Blacksmith	45.00
Porter	35.00	Tinner	45.00
Portress	30.00	Mason Plasterer	50.00
Chief Cook	75.00	Painter	40.00
Cook & Baker Cottage Farm	70.00	Shoemaker	45.00
1st Asst. Cook	40.00	Tailor	45.00
2nd Asst. Cook	35.00	Seamstress	30.00
Baker	60.00	Laundryman	45.00
Can Washer	35.00	Asst. Laundryman	37.50
Table Girl	25.00	Laundress	37.50
Farmer	60.00	Druggist	50.00
Gardner, Farmer	50.00	Matron	50.00
Gardner, Landscape	40.00	Night Attendants (male)	40.00
Farm Help	25.00	Night Attendants (female)	40.00
Dairyman	40.00	Attendants (Male)	42.50
Hackman	35.00	Attendants (Female)	40.00