Oak Forest Hospital of Cook County

First facility in Cook County The Chicago State Hospital was the only large-scale facility available in Cook County, Illinois to address a variety of longer-term health-related needs of the poor when its doors opened in 1854. Early on the facility, located in Dunning, became known in conversation as the Dunning Insane Asylum or simply "Dunning", most likely referenced this way due to the name of the train station near the facility. Although the facility began as a poor farm or almshouse, eventually it began to accept people considered to be mentally ill in some fashion, as well as other biological-based diseases. This agreement was in some ways more of a formality since Cook County had already called for bids and the facility was fairly complete, both in construction and in an operational manner in 1910. ==The initial development years==

Cook County initiates development of Oak Forest Infirmary in 1907 While the State conducted activities intending to provide better patient living conditions over the next few years at the Dunning facility, The DuPont Farm and Ammunition facility 1906 explosion Although the property submitted by C. L. Buss was less than a quarter-mile away from Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, the DuPont Farm and Ammunition Storage facility most likely played a role in the choice of the county to purchase the property offered for sale. Opening in 1894, the location had its own track spur off of the Chicago, Rock Island Railroad in between the Midlothian and Oak Forest whistle stops as well as a listing in the train schedule.(4) The primary product manufactured at the location was smokeless gunpowder, which was a clear game-changer in the gunpowder industry as well as forever altering the face of warfare. The DuPont station served as both a passenger drop off and pick up location for staff along with the occasion guest while providing a means to begin their distribution process of their product they were manufacturing. Explosions were not uncommon in gunpowder factories and storage facilities and 12 years later in 1906, an explosion leveled the DuPont facility. Although there is currently no clear evidence as to the precise location of the facility, apparently the shock-waves from the explosion traveled a decent enough distance in which the windows of the Midlothian Country Club were shattered, according to a newspaper report. The newspaper adopted the name of the geographical location to be "DuPont, Illinois." The material fallout from such an explosion must have affected the surrounding farms and small town community to varying degrees, and at some point prior to the call for bids by Cook County for the grounds, there was a transfer of the property to a "C. L. Busse" or "C. L. Buss" (depending on what records you are referencing) prior to the bid submission. ==Alternate identities==

The Oak Forest Infirmary was eventually referenced in 1911 County meeting minutes as the Cook County Poor Farm or the Poor Farm at Oak Forest, Illinois. Other known identities are The Cook County Almshouse, Cook County Poorhouse, Cook County Infirmary, Cook County Old-Age Home, and Oak Forest Tuberculosis Hospital. Despite its adoption of "Oak Forest" in its name over the decades, the property has always resided outside of the city's jurisdiction and never was annexed to the City of Oak Forest, Illinois. ==References==