From its founding in 1883, until it closed in 2018, the Sonoma State Home in Eldridge (later known as the Sonoma State Hospital and the Sonoma Developmental Center) provided the necessary care for many thousands of the State’s wards. At any one time, there were 2,000-3,000 young people residing at the Sonoma State Home, sent there for a variety of reasons. Today, most of us know precious little about this institution other than the stories we’ve heard about its involvement with eugenics. The story of eugenics is certainly an important one, albeit a bit dark and sad. However, when it comes to the people of Eldridge, there are so many other stories worthy of being told, many of them inspiring. In recent years, I’ve compiled the biographies of more than one hundred of the State Home’s former staff, including many of its physicians, nurses, attendants, drivers, pharmacists, cooks, dishwashers, tailors, gardeners, mechanics, electricians, carpenters, janitors, engineers, stenographers, night watchmen, switchboard operators, embalmers, pig farmers, orchard workers, seamstresses, landscapers, and, well, I think you get the picture. Eldridge was in effect its own community, populated by the range of staff necessary to care for thousands of young wards. In this talk, I’ll share stories about some of the people who worked in Eldridge and I’ll discuss a few of the interesting things that occurred there. For example, did you know that the first witchcraft trial in the U.S. since the 17th century in Salem occurred in Eldridge? If you come to this talk, you’ll hear all about that and so much more.