Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-04-06


TO the -heartedness of man
kind. will be 25 years old on April
! y, 1923. 1t was on that date. O
! quarter of a century ago, that the
hand OF mercy and ministering was
i extended from the modest quarters
on Crosby. street, where this splen-
did institution first saw it's creation
| FROM dark, narrow, winding stairs
! cramped quarters, stinted meas
uros. the Augusta General Hospi-
tai. has grown to the wonderful edi
| llce which now graces the east river
| bank.
The history of the Augusta Cen
| eral Hospital has it's pages tinted
with acts OF love and kindness, sac
| riflcc and devotion. An act OF cor
poration on April 20. 1891. first
| brought the Augusta General Hos
pital into being. The charter was
granted that time. but it was no,
| until January, two years later. that
steps were taken to raise funds
| The amount of $4,000 was wanted
and already pledges for $1,000 had
! been received
So many we'll meaning enterprises
are early labelled with discourse e-
mcnt. Many were of the opinion
that the hospital would not prove
practical. The matter was lah over
until 1888. In that year the house
on Crosby street, occupied by Mrs
| +. w. kinsman was taken for the
! hospital. In a short time, S150(
was raised by private subscription
Ladies' Hospital Aid Society, was
used in cquipping the building.
The directors were organized. Ap-
preparation committee. r. r. San.
born. j. NJ. Haynes; visiting. II. NJ
| Heath; finance. &. B. Burleigh, S
| w. Lane, Seth G. Whitehousei
| building and grounds. Ira Randall
George Macomber. A. w. Whitney.
c. b. Burlcieh was the first
! president of the Hospital associa-
| ton. The doors were officially
opened on April 9. 1898 and two
days later, the first surgical opera
ton was performed by DR.. w. II
| Harris. The first matron was Miss
Minnie NJ Morse. She closed hcl
| laborS on September Ii of that
same year.
Mrs. Sarah Hayden took charge
of the Augusta General Hospital ir
September. 1898 OF the original
| directors. there are now living to-
! day, four. George +. Macombcr, G
| l.. Andrews. Sccrctery, John Gould
treasurer: 4. W. Whitney. The
home of tho Augusta General Hos
pital was in the Crosby street
house for two years.
| Those first years were marked
with toll and struggle. The incon-
veniencc was gladly borne by the
! enthusiastic workers. While in the
Kinsman house, but a few beds
were used. although there was an
! increase in the work. when Span
! ish War soldiers were taken to be
until into January of the next year
| SO Spanish War soldiers were adj
! miniStered to.
| Dr. Nancy Williams provided the
| first free bed in the hospital Wher
Mrs. Hayden went to the Hospital
| there were three nurses at work
| The second year. more were admit
| ted, so that there were eight nurses
| in the school, This custom was
started in the early hospital days
| for the Hospital Sunday in the Au-
| gusta churches Eeach church lr
/ the city gave one Sundays contri-
| buttons to the Hospital. This Gus
| tom was observed for three or foul
! years.
1t was in 1899, that the electric
railroad company. having line ne
| tween Augusta and Gardiner. gave
one days receipts to the Hospital
The members of the Ladies' Hos
! pital Aid Society acted as conduc-
| tors. The sum of s30767 was turn
ed into the Hospital treasury FOL
| that event. This was considered
most encouraging sum, considering
there was but the one line avail
able.
st. GATHERINGS School on the cas-
| side of the river was obtained ant
in October, 1900, the Augusta Gen
eral Hospital was moved to ina
place, where II is still located ant
where it has grown extensively.
was largely through the efforts Q
the committee, Lendall Titcomo
DR.. 0. c. S. Davies and ). II. Man
lev that st. GATHERINGS School, wa
obtained for this purpose. Th'
school was purchased for $4,000 ant
an additional $4,000 was expended
in fixtures and repairs. ..
The beds in the new Hospita
we're equipped by Mrs. Lucy Cony
During 1900, all modern appliance
we're added. Private rooms wer
furnished by a number of towns
people. Also at this time. the pupil
of Miss Anna Partridge's kinder
garten school and the M CLUB rais
ed the necessary funds for the fur
nishing of the children's ward. -.
The first president of the Hosp
tai Ladies' Aid was Mrs. Thoma
Lambard. Additions to the boar
~ directors in 1900 were J. H. Man
lev. John +. Hill, f. c. Dudley an
- w. PIaisted. The original stat
Of doctors: Surgical staff. Or ); L
Tuell. o. c. S. Davies, w. II. Har
ris. Fl. ]. Frederick; medical stat,
DR.. r. ]. Martin, DR.. George NJ
Randall. DR.. W.. Johnson. Or. '
A. Clement: adjuncts. Bert Andrews
Homeopathic, DR.. w. S. Hill. Dr. W
6 THOMPSON: occulist and auiis
Dr G. W. Stockman. OF the orr
einal staff. the three remaining ar
Drs. Harris, Frederick and DAVE!
Miss Glenora Vannah was the mrs
nurse to graduate from the hospie,
and that was in 1900. me iuhd 10
the first free bed was started az Una
.. time, when $4,000 was rece1Neu.
was called the Helen Fuiier iuiiu'
In 1901, subscriptions for wor
done on the hospital to the annooi
of s621955 and running eNpeIsse e..
s491 30, were raised. Or: "A. H. otu a.
: tevant was added to the hosp s
, staff in 1900. 1t was the year nu.ol
that, in 1899, that DR.. 0. w. Iu'T rt,
:, ocuiist and aurist, was added.
operating room was fully eq1'tfp ~,
lin 1900 with the sterliizers an" ~ ~,
!. nishings. This was the gift OF VI
: ladies. Norman l.. Bassett wa
made a director in 1917.
In chronological order, 1t IS ,n.ee
esting to note among the mp, 1am WA
t ments in 1908! The surgical e.'.r M
, enlarged to six and INC r,ho ele