My great Aunt, Emma WINDHAM, daughter of James Samuel WINDHAM and Nancy Gertrude MORGAN, was born about 1894 in Jasper county (Moss). She attended nursing school at the old Charity Hospital in Laurel, Jones county, Mississippi, where she continued to work as a nurse after completing her credentials. During a surgical procedure, she accidentally gave a young girl too much anesthetic and the child died. Emma was overwrought and reportedly killed herself. She was a young woman and had never married. I would like to know if anyone knows where the old Charity Hospital records are kept? I would love to find her education records from the nursing school, and perhaps her personnel records if they still exist. She probably died in the 1920s or 1930s.

When the Charity Hospital (Later named South Mississippi State Hospital) closed its School of Nursing, all records were obtained by The Mississippi Board of Nursing in Jackson. All records since the beginning of the school until its closure should be in the Board of Nursing Files

Thanks for the input; I wrote to the Board of Nursing and sure enough, they have the records for both the old Charity (or State) Hospital and the Laurel General Hospital.

In case others are looking for this type of record, let me tell you what I found out. The Mississippi Board of Nursing issued its first licenses in 1914. The first person licensed in the state from MS Charity Hospital in Laurel was in 1922. If anyone thinks they might find info on their ancestors from the board of nursing, their address is 1935 Lakeland Drive, Suite B, Jackson, MS 39216-5014. The Licensing Officer is Barbara Robison

The old Charity Hospital was located at the end of first avenue
on the north side of town. I was born there in 1949. I had to get my birth records through the state. A few years back the building was still standing. Im not so sure about that now.Sorry I could not be of more help. The records I got was medical not a birth certificate. This was along time ago. There
used to be a old pond behind the hospital. I lived in a house between what was Bruce lumber company and the charity hospital.

Hi! Thanks for responding to this posting. I guess I need to go back and update it with all the details I've found out since that posting in 1999. I did find out that all their records are in Jackson, and most have been computerized, which helps.

did you ever find out where it was located ? or did you ever go??

Wow! Thanks for the information. My grandmother, Rosie Smith, was in nurses training there at about the same time! I will save this information.

Hi, I am wondering if anyone has any further information concerning the Charity Hospital.. (i.e. when it burned, how many times it burned, is the legend that it went on lockdown during the first fire true, does the hospital have a morgue and if so where is it located, etc..) I am a local ghost hunter to the Laurel area and I just recently found out about Charity.. I have been there several times in the past couple of weeks trying to find the morgue and pick up any paranormal activity.

I have had some strange experiences there thus far and taken one picture that picked up some activity surrounding the building. However, nothing that I find absolutely convincing that the hospital is "haunted".

Any information you could provide would be appreciated.

(also, I found a lot of oil stock files in the hospital.. is it possible that the building is located on top of oil?

_Caleb