“The Cedars” Maternity Sanitarium, Oak Cliff — ca. 1923-1944
by Paula Bosse
A “seclusion home for unwed mothers”…
by Paula Bosse
The rather blurry photo above shows a “maternity sanitarium” for unwed mothers, where “unfortunate women” could spend their days in seclusion until their babies were born there on the premises. The home/sanitarium was called “The Cedars” and was located on N. Ravinia Drive in the Beverly Hills area of Oak Cliff; when it opened, it was just outside the Dallas city limits. (It has nothing to do with The Cedars area south of downtown; its name may have had something to do with the name of a nearby street which intersected Ravinia. …Or it might have been located near a cedar grove. …Or it might have been used to subliminally suggest famed Cedars-Sinai Hospital.)
The sanitarium was opened around 1923 by Mrs. Lillie Perry (1876-1929), a woman who might have had some personal experience with the “fallen women” she cared for, as it appears she might have had a child out of wedlock herself. When she died in 1929, her daughter Lillian Hanna took over the running of the sanitarium. Lillian died in 1938, and that seems to have been around the time that the home became part of the Volunteers of America organization, which, among its many social services, provided maternity care for women and also assisted in adoption placement. The last mention I saw of “The Cedars” was in 1944.
The photo above appeared in an ad placed in the Oct., 1933 issue of the Texas State Journal of Medicine with the accompanying text (for larger images, click pictures and clippings):
1933
Another ad, featuring friendly-looking nurses, appeared in the same issue, a few pages earlier:
1933
Below are a few discreet newspaper ads for The Cedars which appeared over the years in the “personals” section of the classifieds.
1923
1924
1929
1931
1934
Listing from the 1937 Dallas city directory
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Sources & Notes
Ads from the Texas State Journal of Medicine appeared in the October, 1933 issue, which can be found scanned in its entirety on the Portal to Texas History site, here.
Homes for “unwed mothers”/”unfortunate girls”/”fallen women” were generally places families sent their daughters in order to avoid the social stigma that unmarried girls and women faced when pregnant. They just kind of “disappeared” for several months and had their babies in secret, often feeling pressured to put their children up for adoption. An interesting Salon article on the topic is “The Children They Gave Away” by Sarah Karnasiewicz.
More on the Beverly Hills neighborhood of Oak Cliff can be found in articles from Heritage Oak Cliff and Preservation Dallas.
Thanks to Patricia M. who wrote to ask me a question about this place. I’ve learned a lot of interesting things about Dallas I would never have thought to look into were it not for obscure questions from readers. Like this one! Thanks, Patricia!
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Copyright © 2018 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
Flashback : Dallas 
[…] “‘THE CEDARS’ MATERNITY SANITARIUM, OAK CLIFF — ca. 1923-1944” […]
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This is fascinating to me; I would have supported such a clinic in its day. As an aside, I was told my grandfather was in a sanitarium in the Beverly Hills area of Dallas late 1944. I’ve had a hard time locating info on this sanitarium. I’ve reached out to Heritage Oak Cliff to see if they know about the sanitarium.
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Hi, I was told my grandfather was in a sanitarium in Beverly Hills in Dallas late 1944. I was told that electric shock was done on him. I think that was common. Can anyone advise if a sanitarium existed and if so, where those records might be today? Also if there are any pictures I’d appreciate that too. Thank you.
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The Beverly Hills Sanitarium, a private “psychopathic hospital” for patients with mental and nervous disorders, was founded in the late 1920s by Dr. Arthur Schwenkenberg; it was originally located at 210 N. Westmoreland (this was its location at the time your grandfather was a patient there). It was later expanded and became “Beverly Hills Hospital.” It seems to have been in business through at least the late 1970s.
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I was a patient there in December 1977 when I was 20 years old as a condition of probation for drug charges. I am now 62 and found some old records my mother had kept all these years…did some research and found this page. Interesting!!
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I too was there in 1971-72. I had Dr Spiegel and my caseworker/ Psychologist was named Payton. Thanks for the flashback. Good drugs in those days lol.
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Ms. Bosse, my mother was hospitalized in 1952 in Dallas at a hospital in which she received electric shock treatments. My father called it Hollywood Hospital, but I believe he meant Beverly Hills Hospital. In 1952, would it have still been located at 210 N. Westmoreland? Would it still be possible to find records about her hospitalization from 1952? I appreciate any information regarding this that you may be able to offer. Thank you.
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I hope that Paula responds – I wanted to say that I called the state of Texas in the 1990’s asking if they had the medical records from a closed Hospital-the Beverly Hills Sanitorium. I was told they don’t. I’d love to see my grandfather’s records as I e struggled with depression for decades. I don’t think the treatment my grandfather got was any good. He took his own life 3 months after being discharged.
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I am trying to find any information about my uncle who was born at the Cedars on Nov. 9th, 1927. I have his original birth certificate but it doesn’t help me in finding his adopted family name or what happened to him. Is there anyone who might be able to help me locate him or any of his relatives?
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Sondra, I learned that my mother was born at the Cedars in 1931. She was admitted to the Gladney Home in Forth Worth at birth and adopted from there. I believe that the Gladney Home was called the Texas Children’s Home and Aide Society at that time. Might be a good idea to check with The Gladney Center. postadoption@gladney.org
Rhonda
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Thanks for the helpful into, Rhonda.
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I just found my mom’s birth certificate and it says she was born at “The Cedars” Maternity Sanitarium in 1935. She thought she was born at St. Paul’s. It doesn’t make sense though. Her parents were married and she was #8 of 14. They did live in Oak Cliff at the time. When my grandmother was coming out of anesthesia, the nurse asked what she wanted to name my mom, and when my grandmother didn’t quickly respond, the nurse suggested Lillian. Even though Mom was renamed, it’s fun to know where Lillian came from!
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My father was born according to the record on Aug 16 1927 at the cedars. His mother was Kathleen Matlock and his fathers last name was Cook. My father was adopted by Orion and Mariam Nelson. I would like to find his birth certificate, fathers first name and any other info I can find. Are there any records of The events at the Cedars? How do I find them? Jim Nelson cargolead@aol.com
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Hi Jim. His birth certificate is online (on Ancestry) — no father’s name (other than “Cook”). This has all the other info you’ve mentioned, so you may already have it. If you don’t, let me know and I’ll email it to you. I know of no other resources regarding Cedars records. Perhaps adoption records via the state? Good luck!
–Paula
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The state of Texas does not have an amended birth certificate or adoption record for my father. I am trying to use the county of Dallas for help. The state said that some of the non public institutions that had adoptions did not send records to them. places Cedars may have sent babies could help in finding my father. Anyone with info can email me at cargolead@aol.com
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I have tried the state of Texas, the county of Dallas, Gladney adoption, and the Dallas public library. Cedars records could be the help I need, so Help. Jim
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I’m here because I was researching one of Jack Ruby’s court appointed psychiatrists, who diagnosed and treated him was Dr. John Thomas Holbrook. A newspaper article on Jack Ruby said he worked at this “Beverly Hills Sanitarium.” That seemed weird because everything else about him said he was from around Dallas. But I thought, was he from Los Angeles? A google search brought me here and I was glad to find it was in Oak Cliff! Who knew! Anyway, he was one of the shrinks that Dx’d and treated Jack Ruby along with the notorious, CIA MK-ULTRA Dr. Jolyon “Jolly” West (a total psychopath!). Holbrook’s death articles said he died of an “massive MI” but had suicide notes and pills by his side in both his Mexia motel room & at his home!). See the recent bombshell, bestseller book by “Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties (June 25, 2019), by Tom O’Neill, he has an entire chapter about West “treating” Jack Ruby and making him crazy with LSD/mind control “therapy”.
See this fascinating Joe Rogan video interviewing the author about CIA’s West “treating” Ruby:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiYBOboAcAo
Ciao,
Linda
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