Clark County, Indiana - Chapter 32: Hospitals and Homes, 1909

Chapter 32: Hospitals and Homes

In the fall of 1876 a supper was given by the Masons of the city, and at the close of the evening's entertainment it was found that quite an amount of eataljles and some money were still in the hands of the committee. This was distributed to the widows and orphans. From this Mrs. S. H. Patterson, Mrs. Caldwell, and Mrs. McClure became interested in caring for the orphans of the place. A meeting was held at the home of Mrs. Patterson, where she was chosen president, Mrs. McClure secretary, and Mrs. Caldwell treasurer. In this manner was perfected the organization of the orphan asylum. The selfappointed officers rented a house on Front street for a term of three years, and opened the institution with a little foundling. In two weeks two more children were received, and during the three years of this lease quite a number of children had been assisted. At the expiration of the three years' lease sixteen children were inmates of the home. A noble-hearted lady. Mrs. Zulauf, donated to the cause three building lots, and on this a two-story brick house was built. This property consisting of the roomy and comfortable house and a large yard and playground is located at 832 Meigs avenue. The yard is about half an acre in extent. The institution is private, but it is supported by boarding the wards of Clark county. Its capacity is forty-five, but the present time there are onl\- thirty-two wards being cared for. There are five i>ersons employed at the home. During the history of the institution there has been five matrons, the secord inie, Mrs. Eliza Harrington, sen'ing for twenty-five years. The present matron is Mrs. Julia Twomey.

The Jeffersonville Hospital

In July, 1892, a meeting was called at the city hall, in Jeffersonville, to discuss the advisability of erecting a hospital in Jefifersonville. On July 26th of this year a second meeting was held at the residence of Mrs. Sarah Caldwell and the following directors were elected :

The institution was incorporated December 3, 1892, as the Jeffersonville Infirmary. On August 27, 1892, the old Myers home, at 415 East Front street, was purchased for four thousand and fifty dollars. Since then improvements to the amount of five thousand dollars have been added until the property is now worth about ten thousand dollars. The ladies who served on the first board deserve all the credit for making this institution a possibility, as it was only by their hard and unceasing labors that it lived through its first few years. Arthur Loomis, the architect, furnished all the plans and supervision for the improvements free of charge. The following furnished rooms and donated them to the hospital. Clark Lodge of Masons, Daughters of Rebekah, Mrs. A. T. Hert, Mrs. William W. Borden. Epworth League, Knights of Pythias, the Aid Society, and the old board of directors. The equipment is modern and complete, and the location is ideal, facing the river as it does and offering a view of ever changing interest to the patients who are able to occupy the spacious sun parlor across the front of the building.

The hospital was under the management of the deaconess of the Methodist church for several years and was carefully and efiicientlv conducted. The men of the city have taken charge in the last few years, one representative from each church being on the board of managers. The president is J. Howard Fitch.

Mercy Hospital, Jeffersonville

On Thanksgiving day, 1897, the Sisters of Mercy opened their first hospital in Jeffersonville,. on upper Chestnut street. It was located in a small six room cottage at No. 623, East Chestnut, rented to them at fifteen dollars per month. Here under adverse conditions and with this poor and meager beginning was begun the institution which now crowns the hill at Twelfth and Missouri avenues.

Sister Maiy Regina, the Mother Superior, and one sister were the only ones to shoulder the necessarily hard work of the organization and start the hospital, but their efforts were rewarded and in just one year and two weeks, on December 8, 1898, their new hospital building, at the corner of Twelfth and Missouri avenues, was occupied. This building is a substantial frame, formerly the residence of Mrs. Charles Rogers.

In less than three years, on September 30, 1901, the sisters had completed the sanitarium, a handsome brick building, located to the east of the hospital. The hospital is equipped for the care of the sick, medical and surgical cases; the sanitarium for the care of nervous and mental diseases. The latter building is a most substantial one, having all the inside walls of brick, with grani- toid floors in basement, hard wood floors throughout the rest of the building, and heated with steam heal. This was erected whoUy without outside aid and stands as a monument to tlie business sagacity of the Mother Superior.

At present this institution owns one whole city block between Twelfth and Thirteenth streets and Missouri avenue, an excellent site. It is owned by the Sisters of Mercy and is the headquarters of the sisterhood in the diocese of Indianapolis. Neither support nor direction is received from any outside authority, and it is self-supporting. The hospital at Columlnis, Indiana, is a branch.

The plant, is assessed at about forty-hve thousand dollars, and with the growth of the city northward and the completion of extensive improvements and additions in the future ]Mercy Hospital bids fair to occupy a prominent place among the institutions of its kind in Southern Indiana. There are five sisters now ministering in the hospital and sanitarium. The former has a capacity of twelve, the latter of fifty. The institution is in a prosperous and substantial condition, and shows a healthy growth.

On January 2, 1905. a meeting was held at the residence of Mrs. George Pfau, Jr., for the purpose of forming and perfecting plans for founding a home for persons who were without the means of providing themselves with the necessities and comforts of life. The first name selected for the institution was "Home for the Aged," but as this included both sexes, a condition contrary to law, the name was changed to "The Old Ladies' Home." Solicitors were appointed to see what amount could be raised, and they met with such success that at the next meeting a committee was appointed to draft a constitution, by-laws, and rules, i. e., Henry Burtt, Mrs. Sarah Ransom, Miss Clara J. Loomis and Miss Rose Beck.

A board of directors to serve one year was elected as follows : Mrs. George Pfau, Jr., president; Mrs. Sarah Ransom, first vice-president; Mrs. Agnes Zulauf, second vice-president; Miss Clara J. Loomis. secretary; Miss Rose Beck, treasurer ; Miss Ada Bruner, Mrs. John Loomis Mrs. Ed. Weber, Mrs. Daisy Kehoe, Mrs. C. E. Asbury, Mrs. William LewMs, Mrs. Jessie Bishop, Mrs. John Geinger, Mrs. I. F. Whitesides, and Mrs. William Seibert. The following gentlemen were appointed on the first advisory board : George H. Voight, A. A. Schwartz. W. B. Lewis, S. E. Mullings, John Best, George Holzborg, James H. Amistrong. George Pfau, Sr.. Henry Burtt aiul John C. Zulauf.

In November, 1905, the Ward property at the northwest corner of Market street and Ohio avenue, was rented and prepared for the admission of applicants. Eight ladies were cared for in this home until late in 1906. In Octo- ber. 1906, the property at 330 W'est Market street was purchased from Georg;e Pfan, Sr.. and the ladies were moved to the new building in April. 1907.

In the purchase of this new property Mrs. Sarah Ransom donated one thousand dollars and Mrs. Jennie S. Cobb, the sister of the late William Stratton, of Colorado Springs, donated a like amount. The rest of the necessary amount was made up of small subscriptions.

Eleven ladies have been cared for in the new home. The institution is supported by hard work on the part of the ladies who manage its affairs, and on the generosity of friends. An aid society has been formed, and it affords much assistance to the managers in the matter of supplies and money. The present board is Mrs. Sarah Ransom, president; Miss Rose Beck, first vicepresident : Airs. John C. Loomis, second vice-president ; Mrs. Daisy Kehoe, third vice-president ; Miss Clara J. Loomis, secretary ; Mrs. William Seibert, treasurer. The home has done much good in Jeffersonville and the ladies managing it deserve unstinted praise for their perseverance and success.

In 1907 Dr. I. Robert Hauss, A. M., established a privte hospital at Sellersburg, Indiana, and its need was immediately manifest. The building is one of nine rooms, but is entirely inadequate. A larger and much more modern building is being planned at this time, which when completed will afford accommodations for more patients and for more conveniences possible in the present building. Doctor Hauss does a general practice, but his hospital work is largely surgical. All of the surgical cases at the sanitarium are drawn from the private practice of Doctor Hauss, and as this practice is one of the largest in the county the operations are numerous enough to testify to the need of an institution such as this in its locality. The operating room is one of the best in the county and the whole plant, in neatness and in keeping, is excellent. A head nurse is on duty at the institution all the time, extra nurses being called in as needed.

Doctor Hauss is a graduate of the Eclectic Medical Institute at Cincinnati, Ohio, had two years clinical instruction in the Cincinnati Hospital and had a special private course under the late Professor McDermott.

The Poor Farm

For many years the paupers of Clark county had been receiving almost as good care as some of the animals on farms surrounding the poor house, but public sentiment was aroused and public officials who had been guilty of this neglect finallv undertook the task of building a new asylum. Amos \\'. Butler, secretan- of the Indiana State Board of Charities, was responsible for the sanitary lines upon which the new building was constructed. \Mien completed the building cost the county twenty-three thousand six hundred and sixty-nine dollars. The contractor was Clarence E. Howard and he turned it over to the county commissioners November 20, 1907.

The new asylum is complete in every detad and is two stories high. It fronts to the north and there is an east and west wing, each of which has a large porch. There are thirty-three rooms in the building, exclusive of the bathrooms, halls and clothing closets. The apartments to be occupied by the superintendent and his family are nicely finished and contain many modern conveniences, including bathrooms, kitchen and dining-room. The house throughout has hardwood floors made of Canada maple. The heat is supplied by steam and two large tanks in the attic furnish a supply of water for the building. The bedrooms are large, and there are lounging-rooms for the charges, many of whom have seen better days.

The structure is of brick. None of the inside walls have been plastered, but instead have been painted. This was done for the sake of keeping the place sanitary. There are broad stairways, and each step is so arranged that it can easily be cleaned. In this new liuilding the sexes will be entirely separated, and will not even come face to face at meal times, each having different dining-rooms. The furniture will be plain, but good, all of the bedsteads being of iron, with good springs, besides which there will be a straw tick. The normal capacity of the building is sixty, but with little trouble one hundred could be easily accommodated.

It was only after several years of planning that the county finally secured the new asylum, there having been considerable opposition to building it. The County Council finally appropriated twenty-five thousand dollars for the building, and when bids were asked for putting up the structure the contract was given to Clarence E. Howard, who ofifered to do the work for twenty-three thousand six hundred and sixty-nine dollars. R. L. Plaskett, of New Washington, was appointed superintendent of the work and he saw that the contract was carried out in every detail. The building is looked upon as the best in the state of Indiana for the price. It is substantial from end to end and has been built with a view of service more than of beauty.

In appearance, howe\'er, it presents rather an imposing front. It is in full view of travelers to and from Charlestown on the interurban and no citizen of Clark countv need be ashamed of this institution.