Robert McLaughlin works on his computer in his room at Marbridge, a facility for adults with cognitive disorders and developmental disabilities. McLaughlin has seen many changes at Marbridge since he arrived in 1959. (Photo by Brad Rollins)
by BRAD ROLLINS
Marbridge was a working ranch in 1959 when Robert McLaughlin came there to live, a place where the residents – 18 developmentally disabled young men – awoke at 5 a.m. and worked throughout the day.
A year later, the ranch expanded its operations as a full-fledged dairy farm.
“Then we had to start getting up at four” to milk the 85 cows before sunrise, McLaughlin, now 70, says with a laugh. “It was hard work but it’s been a good life.”
Of the 250 or so residents who live in one of Marbridge homes today, McLaughlin has lived the longest – more than five decades – at the Manchaca home for people with cognitive disorders and developmental disabilities. In his years there, he has seen many changes including closure of the farm business in 1970, the opening of a nursing home in 1982 and, later, assisted living and independent living areas.
“Coming here is probably the best thing that ever happened to me,” McLaughlin said.
Ed and Marge Bridges founded Marbridge in 1953 for their son, Jim, and six other developmentally disabled young men. McLaughlin arrived six years later, when he was 18 and having trouble participating in public schools in San Saba, where he lived with his aunt and uncle following the death of both his parents by the time he was 10 years old.
Now spread across 170 acres on Brodie Lane near the Hays County line, Marbridge has long retired its agriculture program, although it does still have horses on campus for equestrian-based therapies.
“The idea used to be that young people would come here and live and learn to work on a ranch and someday they could get a job on a ranch. There aren’t that many ranch jobs around anymore so the programs have kind of changed over the years,” said Barbara Bush, Marbridge’s admissions coordinator.
Instead of ranching, residents choose from 150 different classroom and field programs ranging from archery and horticulture to crafts and choir. Marbridge’s drum therapy program was developed by Jan Berry, one of the Beach Boys who was severely injured in an automobile accident in 1966 that left him partially paralyzed.
The real difference for residents who live here is the sense of community with other people navigating a strange world.
“The social interaction is huge here. Oftentimes these people with cognitive disorders feel isolated but here they have neighbors and they have friends,” Bush said.
