The Weltmer Institute was located at the southwest corner of Austin and Ash Streets (later home of Milster Funeral Home but razed in 2005) in Nevada. It was founded by Sidney A. Weltmer who was described as a professor, hypnotist, healer, and mystic. The seal for the Weltmer Institute indicates that it must have been founded in 1887. Old postcards and ads refer to it by different names: "The Weltmer School of Magnetic Healing", "The Weltmer Institute of Suggestive Therapeutics", "The Weltmer School of Healing", but usually just "The Weltmer Institute".

The motto of the Institute was, "Where every known disease is cured without medicine or surgery".

Two of the post cards that I have from the Institute contain notes written by patients:

March 13, 1909

"Dear Friend, I thank you a thousand times for telling me of Prof. Weltmer. When I came here last June, I had nearly lost my mind. I was having terrible headaches. My right eye was totally blind. The Specialists said I would lose the other and would not even operate. After six weeks here, the cataract just simply disappeared and I have been using my eyes steadily every since. I am perfectly well. They cure everything here. I never saw such a place.

G. H.

October 1, 1910

"This is a picture of my place. It was full when we got here so we have to room two blocks from it. Last week I seemed lots better. This week not so well. Up and down you see. I like Nevada.

Mrs. C.

The Institute was so successful that extra trains to Nevada were added. At one time, the Institute did an amazing number of treatments by mail. In fact, so many requests were being made that Nevada had to build a larger post office. The Institute operated until 1928 according to Betty Sterrett. However, I received an email from Mrs. A. Ansari and she told that she has a letter written to a Weltmer patient on April 28,1933 that is postmarked Nevada. This causes me to question Mrs. Sterrett's 1928 date. Perhaps 1928 is when the institute left the Milster building? Certainly by the 1920's, there were lawsuits over the Weltmer "treatments".

Reference:

Sterrett, Betty. "Scenes from the Past". Compiled by Donna Logan.1985.

Click here to read some letters written to an Iowa family from the Weltmer Institute.

Postcards from Lyndon Irwin collection.

Click here to see a nice photo and diploma of Weltmer Graduate, Anna Leonard, 1903.