Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1914-03-31
THE DOCTORS
OF THE COUNTY
Hampton Corbin was the Pioneer,
Locating for Practice in
Homer in 1854.
MANY OTHERS SINCE THEN.
DR.. A. G. Baum was the First to Lo-
cate in Webster City, Coming
in the Fifties.
MANY OTHERS SINCE THEN.

County by f. @. and J. w. Lee:
The first doctor in the county
was Hampton Corbin, who com.
menced practice in and about HON
err in 1854. A few years later he
became county judge. Judge Doane.
who was we'll acquainted with him,
described him in the following Ian
guage.
DR.. Corbin located at Homer,
think, in 1854, where he practiced
medicine for several years with
marked success although he never
held diploma from any medical
college. So great was his popular
ity among his neighbors that it
was difficult for him to get away
from the practice even after he had
positively decided to do so. DR..
Corbin was in several respects a
remarkable man. His leading
characteristics were great frmness
of mind, and almost intuitive judg-
ment. He was pre-eminently posi-
tive man and had decided convic-
tions upon all questions of the day,
whether social, scientific, religious
or political. His positiveness and
firmness bordering almost on OBJ
stinacy, caused him to maintain his
convictions with great persistency
and force. His neighbors generally
looked upon him as counselor
whose advice was always deemed
safe. In politics, Judge Corbin was
a republican, with decidedly indie
pendent and liberal views in his lat
err years. He was an adherent OF
the Campbellite Cor Christian)
church, and one of the main stays of
that denomination in this section of
the state. After retiring from the
judgeship he served one or two
terms as a member of the board OF
supervisors, and was one Of the
three who built our present magnif-
icent court house. 1t is sufficient to
say of him, that in his sphere he
was a good true man.
The first doctor in Webster City
was Dr. A. C. Baum, but soon after
him came DR.. J. R. Burgess, DR..
Benedict, DR.. H. Jewell, DR.. I. Soule.
DR.. Burgess came to Webster City in
1857, and practiced until April 81.
1862, when he was appointed addi-
tional assistant surgeon in the Sec
ond Iowa cavalry. January Z, 1868.
he was promoted assistant surgeon.
He served until 1865, when he was
mustered out of the service. He re-
turned from the war, broken in
health and died in 1874. Dr.. H. N.
Crapper came to Hamilton county in
1862, and was in active practice
here until late in the seventies,
when his health failed and he NOV
ed west. He died early in the SOS.
DR.. H. E. Hendryx and DR.. H. N.
Curtis were contemporaries of Crap
per in the sixties. J. R. Compton
located in Webster City in 1869,
and during the seventies. Doctors J.
N. Medbury, O. A. Hall, J. Koehl,
c. H. Whitney, H. A. and C. I. Eb-
erie, J. P. Williams, T. X. Ross and
S. Robbins located at Webster City,
while Doctors A. w. Chamberlin and
A. H. Stewart, practiced in the vi
entity of Hooks Point and Lake
Centre.
DR.. Medbury located in Webster
City in 1875, and practiced about
ten years, when he went into the
drug business. He resided in Web
ster City until the time of his death
few years ago.
DR.. o. A. Hall commenced practice
in 1876, and is the oldest active
practitioner in the county. DR.. A.
| w. Chamberlin opened an Office in
1877. He and DR.. Hall attended
school together, but sickness kept
Chamberlin out of practice for a
year after he had graduated. He
commenced practice at Hooks Point
and for thirty-five years he has
practiced medicine in the vicinity OF
Homer, Stratford and Stanhope
About the year 1880, DR.. Hall
went to Nebraska for few years
but soon returned and is still in act
i've practice in Webster City.
| c. I. Eberle came to Webster City
in 1879 and continued in active
practice here for over thirty years
He moved to the state Of Washing
ton in 1910.
b In pioneer days, practicing medi
!cine was indeed a strenuous life. II