Reeves Memorial Hospital Member
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 I have been asked to write a resume of my experiences since coming to Farnam, in thinking back over the years many things are recalled to my mind but I will try to be brief, and at the same time touch on factors which will in a measure record the progress of our town and community.
My first introduction to this community was on March 29th, 1903, when I came out as a junior medical student, to assist Uncle Doctor Reeves, and incidently to also work for Clarence Dunham, who was the Farnam druggist at that time.
During my stay of five months, one of the most interesting events in the development of the town, was the installation of the telephone and since the switchboard was located in the drug store, it fell my lot to become the first "Hello girl" in Farnam.
Going down with a carload of cattle shipped by Stilley and Ralston, the first of September, furnished transportation to St. Joseph, Mo., for my senior year in medical college. Entering our last year at Ensworth Medical School was quite an event in the lives of most of our class, many of our members had transferred to other schools, due to the advancement in requirements and the many restrictions the school had added since the completion of our junior year. Ensworth was the only endowed medical school in this part of the country, it was the first school to demand a high school education and an internship in a hospital. Fortunately for me I followed the advice of Hugh Ralston and Uncle Doctor Reeves and continued in the same school, later serving my internship in the hospital of my Alma Mater.
I graduated on April 1st, 1904, and within a few hours was on my way back to Farnam. Uncle Doctor had accepted me as his pardner in his practice and we enlarged our offices over the Garven Hardware store, installing modern X-ray, Thermo-Therapy, and other new modes of treatment and equipment. The first patient I attended alone was Mary Crossgrove, just a little girl then, who was suffering from a severe attack of pneumonia. I don't
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Early calls and experiences in practice return vividly to my mind, all of our traveling was done with team, over scant roads, sometimes only a trail. The Stebbins Brothers who had the livery stables, furnished my rigs for me, taking turns at driving in bad weather. On one occasion shortly after I was married, I remember eleven days and nights were made on calls, only going home to change clothes, and sleeping while driving from one home to another.
One night we were called to see Bert Holcomb, fourteen miles from town, the night was stormy, and since the buggies were not equipped with lights as our motors of today, we had to rely solely on the instinct of the horses to carry us through, the storm hit in full fury before we reached home, and in the canyon south of town, in some places the water ran into the buggy box, we put our feet on the dashboard, and I held my grip on my lap, to keep it from being soaked. I had a bird dog that I was very fond of, and when a flash of lightning showed him trying to swim after the buggy, I thought my dog was gone for good, but when I arrived home, he was ahead of me seemingly none the worse for his trip.
My first illness came in the spring of ‘09 when I was confined to bed with rheumatism for ten weeks, another attack in the spring of ‘10 firmly convinced me that a change might do me good and in the spring of 1911, I went to Chicago for a months post graduate work at the Policlinic. Dr. Kreecorian was in a hospital there at that time, and died a few weeks later.
In 1912 due to continued ill health my wife and I moved to Lincoln for a few months and our son was born to us here.
In the fall of 1914, I opened my drug store here in Farnam, and the year of 1917 found us prospering with a fine store and enjoying a good practice, all of which was given up when I entered the World War, on April 11th, 1917 and continuing in the service until August 17th, 1919, after which I returned to Farnam, only to learn that due to an attack of pneumonia while in Camp Dix, N.J., and another in France, my physical condition would not allow |
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believe that anyone could have been more excited than I was at the first "Blessed Event" which I presided over at the home of William Van Horn, on May 9th, 1904, they were living in a sod house in a canyon somewhere west of where Alcid Gaudreault now lives, since then having delivered 688 babies, the stage of excitement has changed to one of responsibility and care.
Dr. Kreecorian was practicing here at that time, and I will never forget his consideration of me, a beginner, especially when Uncle Doctor decided to leave Farnam, and the full responsibility of the practice was left to me. Within a year or two there were four other physicians located in Farnam, Dr. Liggitt had returned opening his office, Drs. Keneen, Stuckey, and one other man whose name I don't recall had established residences here.
In 1906 I bought the old postoffice, moving it from where the bank now stands to the east side of the street where Blackwood's meat market is, and opened up a newly equipped office only to have it destroyed a little over a year later in the fire that swept the entire block burning eleven other buildings. New buildings were started that fall (which still stand today) but since my office would not be ready for occupancy until the first of January, 1908 I gladly accepted the offer of the I.O.O.F. lodge and established my temporary office in their dining room.
Early in the spring of 1907 Uncle Jim Tufts and I went to Omaha, to attend the second automobile show, and I bought my first car, a Maxwell, 14 horsepower, without windshield, top or headlights, excepting small coal-oil lanterns on the dash. In spite of the lack of stream line effect, I was mighty proud of that car, and it served me well.
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me to do general practice, a month in Wyoming did not improve my health as I had expected and Dr. Thomas came to assist me in a short time I gave up my practice and entered a Sanatorium at Boulder, Colo., suffering from tuberculosis, under the expert care of Dr. Gilbert, I improved considerably, but realized the general practice was too exacting, so decided to specialize somewhat in surgical work, three months at the Los Angeles County Hospital, one month at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis and another in the New York Post Graduate Hospital did in a measure prepare me for the new field of work and I returned to Farnam opening a hospital in the north part of town, in the property owned by Miss Ashcraft and with the capable and efficient assistance of Miss Ashcraft as nurse, work increased rapidly and Dr. Callaghan came to help me for awhile.
In two years time, more hospital space was necessary, and the new building (where I am now located) was started. The first patient was admitted on Dec. 24th, 1924, since that time it has become a member in good standing of the American Hospital Association and its progress is known to all.
Last year patients from five different states were cared for in the local hospital, and due to the fine support of the Farnam people and community we are now estimating and compiling figures for enlarging the hospital and making it possible to serve our community better.
The hospital was erected and is maintained as a memorial to Dr. Reeves' mother, Mrs. N. G. Reeves.
1886
1936
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