Ingleside, Nebraska

Ingleside was an unincorporated community one mile west of Hastings, Nebraska. It was one of several sites of the old Nebraska State Hospital system, and had several names throughout its history (the Ingleside Hospital for the Insane, Hastings State Hospital, and the Hastings Regional Center). Local, colloquial titles have included "the Nuthouse", "West Tech", and "The Reej", "the asylum", "the nut-hut". Like many such institutions before the 1970's-1980's, the Regional Center (the last, most "politically correct" title) was a small, bustling center of activity that produced much of its own food, sold manufactured goods produced by residents, and housed, under state care, not only the criminally insane and mentally ill, but also those completely disabled by serious illness such as paralytics and "tube-feeders" who required full-time skilled nursing care, chronic alcoholics and indigent drug abusers, including many temporary psychiatric and clinical services for surrounding communities in the region. As a result of its multi-faceted function, the State Hospitals were always large employers and a monumental source of income for the local economies. Thus, Ingleside also contained several housing units for employees and their families, and in many respects became a community by itself until it was mostly closed down by the state, despite a recent investment in infrastructure and remodel amounting to several tens-of-millions of dollars.