Isaac was born March 1, 1853 to Thomas Jones and his wife, Emiline Groff. Isaac never married. On August 19, 1902, at the age of 49 years, 5 months and 18 days, he was admitted to the Pontiac State Hospital where he would remain for the next 38 years, 3 months and 29 days. Isaac died on December 18, 1940 aged 87 years, 10 months and 17 days. His body was donated to the Ann Arbor Medical School at the University of Michigan 2 days later. The cause of death is attributed to Myocardial failure and general arteriosclerosis with senility as a contributing case of death. The autopsy showed coronary thrombosis arteriosclerstic brain disease.

The patient records of the Pontiac State Hospital are sealed. It is not possible to find out more about him specifically, but things can be surmised from his death certificate as well as things in general about where he lived before he died.

The Pontiac State Hospital opened on August 1, 1878 as the Eastern Michigan Asylum. In 1911, they changed their name to Pontiac State Hospital. By 1937 there were 1,818 patients.  The facility was closed in 1997 and demolished in 2000.

There should be a probate record for Isaac Jones in 1901/2 based upon the following newspaper articles. I hope to find the probate record as that may be the only way to find out what happened to this 49 year old to cause him to spend the rest of his life in an insane asylum.

 

 

 

 

The following 2 articles appear in the probate court report that appeared in the Saginaw Herald on August 21, 1902. They were on the same page – a few entries apart (with the second appearing first).

 

 

The following shows that he indeed was admitted to the asylum

 

Again, on October 18, 1902 was another article in the Saginaw News – this time a letter from the Judge of the Probate.