Dorothea Dix was born in April 4,1802, in the tiny village of Hampden in the district of Maine in the vast tracts of woodland owned by her rich grand father. Her mother was slightly retarded. At the age of ten she ran away to the Boston mansion of her grandmother Dix.  She began to teach at the age of 15, contracted tuberculosis at the age of 22.  She suffered a nervous collapse at the age of 34.
On a windy Sunday morning in March 1841 Dorothea Dix, went to a women's jail at East Cambridge, Massachusetts. Shocked by the filth and seeing the mentally ill thrown in with common criminals, Dix set out to tour every poor house, prison, and  asylum in Massachusetts. Dorothea founded hospitals in Europe from 1854 to 1857.
Dorothea traveled over 60,000 miles in 26 states inspecting poor houses and other institutions.

When the Civil War started Dorothea Dix was almost 60.   Dorothea served as Superintendent  for Army Nurses.  When the war was over Dorothea Dix decided to raise funds to build one of the nation’s first of the Civil War memorials for Hamden Roads, Virginia.

After founding many institutions in many states Dorothea retired to Trenton, New Jersey when she was 80 years old.  Dorothea lived to be 85 and died on July 17, 1887.  On July 4, 1899 the Dorothea Dix Park was dedicated to her in Hampden, Maine.

 by Derek Elliott and Shawnee Cote