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977.366
J62
1909
MEDICINE
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY
THE UNIVERSITY
OF ILLINOIS 7
LIBRARY
977.366 J62 1909
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THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
DR. JOSEPH T. MILLER Located in Urbana in 1853
DR. HARTWELL C. HOWARD Located in Champaign in 1855
Dr. Miller and Dr. Howard are the only living representatives of the medical men who fifty years ago (March 4, 1859) organized the Cham- paign County Medical Society. Dr. Miller, by reason of being in contin- uous practice longer than any of his competitors is entitled to the honor of being called Our Medical Nestor. However, Dr. Howard's time of continuous practice in Champaign County is only exceeded by that of Dr. Miller.
MEDICINE
IN
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY
-
A HISTORICAL SKETCH
BY
CHARLES B. JOHNSON, M. D.
. "BACK ON THE PAST HE TURNS HIS EYE"
FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY SOUVENIR EDITION
CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS 1909
GAZETTE PRESS
CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS
977.366 J62 1909
CONTENTS
Lage 32 13 Deceased Physic!ans
Frontispiece
02 Biographical Sketches
9
Champaign County Medical Society - 53
Conclusion 81
59
Fifty Years in Practice
- 58
Interesting Facts - 76
Introductory
5
Intermediate Era
77
Index
82
Hospital, Julia F. Burnham
- 60
Location of Doctors - 63
Medical Practice Act 62
Members, List of 1860 . 53
Members, List of 1899
56
Members, List of 1909 56
80
Patriotism, Champaign County Doctors -
Prefatory - 4
Pioneer Doctors 6 Pioneer Era ohns
78
Pioneer Doctors -
6
Politics, Champaign County Doctors in 61
Progress in Medicine - 77
Violent Deaths and Accidents - 76
Modern Era - 75
C. B. Joh
From Dup. Collection
HARGIS
T6 apr 32
799219
PREFATORY.
In the dim waste lands of the Orient stands The wreck of a race so old and vast, That the grayest legend can not lay hands On a single fact of its tongueless past; . Not even the red gold crown of a king, Nor a warrior's shield, nor aught beside, Can history out of the ruins wring, - They had no poet and so they died.
The same old tale! and so it will be, As long as the heavens feed the stars,- As long as the tribes of men shall see A lesser glory in arts than wars; And'so let us live, and labor, and pray, As down we glide with the darkling tide, That never a singer of us may say, They had no poet and so they died. -James Newton Matthews, M. D.
MEDICINE IN CHAMPAIGN COUNTY
INTRODUCTORY.
Before speaking of medicine in Champaign county a few words relative to the county itself may not be out of place. Feb. 20, 1833, Governor John Reynolds signed the act creating the present terri- torial limits of Champaign county and setting it off from Vermilion county, of which it had hitherto formed a part. Champaign coun- ty is 36 miles long, 28 wide, con- tains 1,008 square miles, has a population of upwards of fifty thousand inhabitants and all now realize that the earth affords no better country than that embraced within its limits.
area? Could he make passable roads through its deep, black, tar- ry soil? Could he get the mastery of the luxuriant and seemingly in- destructible blue stem that ap- peared to be in absolute and eter- nal possession of the prairie? Could he drain the sloughs and ponds that seared and marred the otherwise beautiful face of this country? Could he bridge the streams with their treacherous beds and banks of quicksand? These were but a few of the prob- lems that presented themselves to the pioneer and the perils he en- countered and the hardships he endured are all but impossible for those of us to realize who live in a more favored era.
But at the date of the county's organization, its population, and its future as a desirable dwelling The points of early settlement in what afterwards became Cham- paign County were Big Grove, the pioneer's name for the timber north of Urbana, and within the southern limits of which that city is located; Salt Fork, in and about St Joseph; Sangamon settlement; in and about Mahomet; and Sa- dorus Grove, in and about the vil- lage of Sadorus. place was uncertain to the last de- gree. For it was then a new coun- try as wild and as nearly overrun by rank vegetation as the warm sunshine, the quickening rainfall and a 'responsive soil could make it: A new country indeed in which for untold ages unbridled nature had run riot. Could . man con- quer this country? Could he sub- due this wilderness? Could he At the time of the organization of Champaign County in 1833 Ur- bana was designated as the Coun- turn to profitable use the immense stretches of prairie that constitut- ed nine-tenths of the county's , ty Seat and then and there en-
tered upon its career of promise and prosperity. But of its Twin Sister, the City of Champaign, there was at this time not the faintest hint or sign. Indeed its destiny was so securely hidden in the mists of the future that for the mere heralding of its advent twen- ty years must needs unfold their weary length. Of the coming city the most visionary did not so much as dream. And little won- der, for the very heart of the fu- ture city's business center was one vast pond, in whose shallows cat- tails and slough grass luxuriated; in whose oozy depths mud turtles and other amphibians found a cool retreat from the scorching rays of the summer's sun; and whose green, scum-coated surface was crossed and cris-crossed by the trail of the water-moccasin. While all about the atmosphere seemed loaded with poisonous ex- halations that foreboded the stalk- ing abroad of deadly disease and noisome pestilence.
PIONEER DOCTORS IN THE COUNTY.
The names of physicians en- titled to come under this head are few, as only those who came to the County in the first ten years of its history can be included. The writer has succeeded in collecting the names of Drs. Fulkerson, James H. Lyon, N. H. Adams, Harmon Stevens, John S. Saddler,
Winston Somers, W. A. Conkey and C. C. Hawes. There are doubtless others, that should go in this list, but if so their names are not available.
Dr. Fulkerson was the first phy- sician to locate within the limits of what is now Champaign Coun- ty. But of him little is known, not even his Christian name. It is known, however, that he was a young unmarried man who came in 1830 and remained but one year. He had his office and resi- dence at the home of Mrs. Sarah Coe, who lived near the north end of the Big Grove. Upon leaving Big Grove he went west, but of his subsequent history nothing is known.
Dr. N. H. Adams, Mahomet's first physician, located in that vil- lage in the thirties, but just what year is not known. He practiced a good many years at Mahomet and finally died there, but the date of his death can not be given; neither can much of his history.
Dr. C. C. Hawes located in Ma- homet in 1843 and practiced medi- cine in and about the village near- ly thirty years. It is regretted that little or nothing of his history is available for this record. Old citizens who knew him, however, speak of him as a competent phy- sician and a good citizen. He died at Mahomet in 1872, aged about 62 years.
In 1832 Dr. James H. Lyon lo-
6
cated at the home of Mijamin By- ers, two miles east of Urbana, and for a time practiced medicine there. He removed to where the village of Sidney now is and in 1837 became one of its founders.
The date and place of Dr. James H .Lyon's birth cannot be given, although he is said to have been a native of Kentucky. He was a lover of fine stock and owned considerable land in the county. He was one of the first, if not the first, person to bring finely bred animals in Champaign County. ' By those who knew him he is spoken of as a large, fine- looking man. In 1836 he was elected a member of the lower house of the Tenth General As- sembly which John Moses in his recent history of Illinois says was "one of the most remarkable bod- ies of law-makers that ever as- sembled in the legislative halls of Illinois or any other state."
Among its members were in- cluded a future president of the United States, a defeated candi- date for the same high office, six future United States senators, eight members of the National .House of Representatives, a secre- tary of the interior, three judges of the Supreme Court, and seven state officers. Here sat side by side Abraham Lincoln and Steph- en A. Douglas; the gallant E. D. Baker, John Logan, father of Gen- eral John A. Logan, Richard M
Cullom, Father of Senator Cul lom, General John A. Mc- Clernnand, "Uncle" Jesse Dubois and a host of other notables in- cluding such names as Gen. James Shields, Col. John Hardin, U. F. Linder, Ninian W. Edwards, etc.
Dr. Lyons was the first physi- cian to locate in Sidney, but he seems to have removed from the County some time in the early for- ties. He died at Preston, Texas, about 1888.
Dr. Harmon Stevens was the first doctor to locate in Old Homer, but the exact date of his so doing is not known. It is, how. ever, thought to have been some time in the thirties. Dr. Stevens had a very large practice and is well remembered by some of the older inhabitants of Homer. He was one of the old-time doctors, who believed in and gave heroic doses. He practiced medicine at Homer a great many years and then removed to Newton, Ill., where he died July 7, 1882. He was a native of Canada, and the date of his birth was May 25, 1810.
Dr. John S. Saddler was the first physician to locate in Urbana and came there in 1839. But how long he remained or where he went it is not now possible to ascertain.
Dr. Winston Somers came to Urbana in 1840 and remained in practice there till his death in 1871. He was born in Surrey County, North Carolina, in 1800,
7
obtaining his education in the com- · mon schools of his native state. Like so many medical men Dr. Somers taught school for a time as a sort of stepping-stone to something more permanent. One of his pupils was Miss Mary G. Haynes, whom he afterward mar- ried. He began the study of med- icine and after qualifying himself as well as he could, considering the existing opportunities, prac ticed medicine in his native state for a number of years and in 1840 removed to Illinois. He rode all the way from North Carolina on horseback. On his way he stopped at a house in the moun- tains to remain over night. His entertainers lived in a primitive log cabin and in the night Dr. Somers heard certain noises that he did not like. These made him suspicious and getting up, he sad- dled his horse and rode away. Next day he stopped at a town and remained while a gunsmith made for him a brace of pistols and armed with these he continued his way and arrived at his destina- tion in safety. The pistols were long in the Somers family as cur- . iosities. A little later he re- turned to North Carolina and re-
moved permanently to Illinois, bringing his family and belong- ings in wagons.
Dr. Somers was a strong char- acter and had in his make-up much of the strong, hardy. fibre of the pioneer. He was more- lover thoughtful and studious, and not satisfied with his education, he applied himself anew and in 1853 graduated from Rush Medi- fal College, Chicago. Later he look up the study of Greek and Hebrew and in these languages Acquired enough proficiency to bead the Bible in the original text. As said elsewhere, Dr. Somers flied at his home in Urbana in (1871.
Dr. W. A. Conkey located in Homer in 1843 and continued in practice there till 1850, when he exchanged it for the much easier and more lucrative business of farming. When he commenced practice in Homer the territory in- cluded within the present limits of Homer Township contained but nineteen families. Some years since Dr. Conkey removed to the village of Homer, where he lived till his death, which occurred Dec. 2, 1927.
8
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
Below will be found brief sketches of deceased members and those living who have passed or are near their fiftieth mile posts.
Adams, Dr. N. H. See Pio- neer Doctors of Champaign Co.
DR. JOHN H. ALPERS.
John H. Alpers was born in Hanover, Germany, June 10, 1836. He received his preliminary education in the public schools and in the Gymnasium of Han- over. Subsequently he took a three years course in medicine at
the medical College of Annalt, Gothen, a small German province. After graduating in medicine he emigrated to the United States in 1860 and located for the prac- tice of his profession in Wyandot County, Ohio, where he re- maired till 1865. Next lie located in Danville, Ill., and was there ac- tively engaged in practice till about 1870 when he purchased a farm in East Bend Township, Champaign County, to which he removed and soon after became actively engaged in country prac- tice among his neighbor farmers.
In 1874 he removed to the vil- lage of Rantoul where he has ever since been actively occupied with professional work.
Dr. Emery C. Bartholow was born in Ohio, December 31, 1844. He came with his father, the Rev- erend Benjamin Bartholow, to Bloomington when a small boy. He attended the public schools and subsequently Wesleyan Uni- versity. In 1862 he enlisted in the 94th Illinois Infantry, served one year and a half in this organiza- tion when he was transferred to the 37th Illinois Infantry, in which he served one year.
Upon leaving the army young Bartholow turned his attention to
9
medicine and later graduated at Rush Medical College, Chicago. In 1867 he located at Mahomet for the practice of medicine and in this he was engaged till his health gave way. In 1876 Dr. E. C. Bartholow was one of the repre- sentatives from Champaign Coun- ty in the legislature, when he had opportunity to assist in securing the passage of the first Medical Practice Act for Illinois Dr. Bartholow's health continued to fail and in the early nineties he died.
Dr. Bartholow was a thoughtful studious man of fine personal ap- pearance and a ready off-hand talk- er. He was a brother of Dr. James M. Bartholow of Urbana.
Dr. James M. Bartholow was born in Urichville, Ohio, Febru- ary 18, 1847, and in childhood re- moved with his father, the Rever- end Benjamin Bartholow, a well- known Methodist preacher, to Bloomington, Ill. At the early age of fifteen years he enlisted in the 94th Illinois Infantry. Dr. Bartholow received his education in the common schools, and also for a time attended Wesleyan Uni- versity. When yet a young man he took up the study of medicine and later graduated at Rush Med- ical College, Chicago. In 1869 he came to Philo and soon built up a good practice there. In 1895 he removed to Urbana and is now a practitioner of that city. He is
Dr. JAMES M. BARTHOLOW.
one of the Board of United States Surgeons of Champaign County for Pension Examinations.
Dr. E. I. Birdsell was born in Birmingham, New York, Jan. 12, 1844. In boyhood much of his time was put in as a canal boy. He obtained his education in the com- mon schools and later studied medicine. He located in Pesotum in 1869 and continued in practice there till 1891, when he removed to Chicago, where he died on his birthday, Jan. 12, 1893, having rounded out precisely forty-nine years of life.
Dr. Samuel H. Birney was born in Cadiz, Ohio, Nov. 2, 1834. He graduated in medicine from Rush Medical College, Chicago, located
10
in Urbana in 1861, and served as surgeon of the 135th Illinois In- fantry. He was an active man in medical societies and was a mem- ber of the committee appointed from the Illinois State Medical So- ciety in 1876 to memorialize the legislature to secure the enactment of a law regulating the practice of medicine and creating a State Board of Health in Illinois. For a number of years Dr. Birney was a member of the Champaign Coun- ty Board of United States Sur- geons for Pension Examinations. In 1888 he removed to Denver Colo., where he lived till 1898, when he returned to Urbana. Meantime his health failed and July 1, 1900, he died.
R. H. Brown was located at Ma- homet, Champaign Co., at the breaking out of the civil war and in 1861 became Assistant Surgeon of the 25th Ill. Infantry and served in the field two years. Some time after he removed West and is now living in old age at Wichita, Kan. He is the author of an interesting book, the title of which is, "Abraham Lincoln and the Men of his Time."
Dr. Myron S. Brown was born at Colton, New York, June 30, 1832. Shortly after his birth his parents removed to Ohio, where young Brown grew up. He ob- tained his preliminary education in
MELVILLE CHI
DR. MYRON S. BROWN, 1832-1901.
the common schools and soon af- ter reaching the years of young manhood began the study of med- icine. .
But in this study he was greatly hampered by circumstances over which he had no control; the re- sult was a number of years went by before he was able to complete his medical education. Meanwhile he removed to Urbana, Ill., where he engaged in various pursuits, such a bookkeeper, clerk, and the mercantile business.
Upon the breaking out of the war Dr. Brown in 1861 entered the service as Assistant Surgeon of the 25th Illinois Infantry. Here
11.
DR. W. F. BURRES.
12
he found good opportunities for improving his professional knowl- edge and made the most of them.
At the expiration of his military service Dr. Brown returned to Ur- bana and practiced medicine there till May 1884, when he removed to Danville, Ill., where he engaged in practice till his death June 28, 1901.
Dr. William F. Burres was born June 29, 1857,in Coles Coun- ty, Illinois. His early days were passed on a farm and as oppor- tunity offered he attended the pub- lic schools. Later he for a time was a student at Asbury Univer- sity, Greencastle, Ind., and like- wise at Wesleyan University, Bloomington, Ill. Finally he be- gan the study of medicine under Dr. Wagner of Newman, Ill., lat- er matriculated at Rush Medical College from which he graduated in 1882. He chose Sidney, Ill., for his first location and remained there till 1900 when, after an ex- tended trip abroad, he removed to Urbana, Ill., where he has since been actively engaged profession- ally.
Dr. Herman Chaffee was born in Rutland County, Vermont, June 18, 1816. He decided to en- ter the medical profession and lat- er graduated from Albany Medical College, New York. After gradu- ating he spent a short period in
DR. HERMAN CHAFFEE, 1816-1900.
practice and then went to Paris, France, where he remained fif- teen months, perfecting his medi- cal education.
In 1857 Dr. Chaffee came to To- lono and located there permantly. He built the fourth frame house in that place and laid the first side- walk. He was also the first post- master of the village; his house at first and later his office served their places in turn as the village postoffice. In 1900 Dr. Chaffee died at his home in Tolono at the advanced age of 84 years, making him at the time of his decease the oldest physician in Champaign County.
13
Dr. A. Catron was born in Clark County, Illinois, October 19, 1826, studied medicine and attended lectures at Louisville, Ky. In 1856, when thirty years of age, he located at Sadorus, where he has since lived. In 1896, forty years after arriving in Sadorus, he re- tired from practice. Dr. Catron was the first physician to locate in Sadorus.
DR. JACOB D. CHAMBERS.
Dr. Jacob G. Chambers was born in Tompkins County, New York, in 1842. He obtained his English education in the public schools and this was supplemented by a two years' course in Hobert College. In 1864 he graduated
from Geneva Medical College, New York. Immediately after graduation he entered the service as Surgeon of the 190th Pennsyl- vania Infantry, in which he served till the war of the Rebellion ended. In 1869 he located at Sadorus for the practice of medicine. But in a few years he practically aban- doned this for the much more re- munerative business of farming and stock raising that for many years he has followed most suc- cessfully. Dr. Chambers has rep- resented his Township on the Board of Supervisors most accept- ably to all.
Dr. Daniel A. Cheever was born in Providence, R. I., July 26, 1827; studied medicine and graduated from New York Homeopathic Medical College in 1865. He lo- cated in Champaign City in 1870 where he practiced till 1877, when he removed to Peoria. At the last named location he practiced his profession till failing health com- pelled him to retire. Dr. Cheever died in Champaign, Ill., Septem- ber 1, 1890.
Dr. Job S. Coggeshall was born in Wayne County, Indiana, in 1839, studied medicine and dur- ing the civil war served as Hos- pital Steward and Assistant Sur- geon in the 2nd Indiana Cavalry. In 1871 he located at Ogden and practiced there a few years, when he removed to Indiana and prac- ticed medicine in that state for a
14
time, but, liking Illinois better, he in 1884 returned to Ogden, where he practiced till his death, September 14, 1902.
DR. W. A. CONKEY, 1820-1907.
Dr. William A. Conkey was born December 6, 1820, at Charle- mont, Massachusetts, in the Berk- shire hills region. At the age of ten years he removed with his par- ents to the then far West and fin- ally settled in Champaign County. As a boy Dr. Conkey went through all the privations and hard experiences of the pioneers in the first half of the nineteenth century. He spent most of his time working on the farm and dur- ing winter months attended the nearest log school house, but by
making the best use of his oppor- tunities managed to acquire a fair education. He began the study of medicine at an early age and at- tended lectures at Louisville, Ky. He located in old Homer in 1843 and continued the practice of his profession till 1850, when he ex- changed it for the more lucrative business of farming and stock raising. Some years since he re- tired to the village of Homer where his death occurred, Decem- ber 2, 1907. See also pioneer doc- tors.
Dr. G. E. Cogswell was born January 6, 1849, at Towanda, Pa., and while in infancy removed with his parents to Carroll Co., Ill. He spent his boyhood days work- ing on the farm and attended the neighboring schools. Subse- quently he attended Mount Car- roll Seminary and Painsville (Ohio) Academy. Deciding to study medicine he matriculated at Hahnemann College, Chicago, from which he graduated in 1873. He first located at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, next changed his residence to Waukegan, Ill., where he en- gaged in practice till 1902, when he removed to Champaign City . and has since been actively occu- pied in professional business.
Dr. Chas. J. Cooper graduated from Cincinnati Eclectic Medical Institute, 1902, and located at
15
Penfield, Ill., same year. Died from blood poisoning May 22, 1904.
DR. JAMES CORE, 1822-1888.
Danville; to the west none nearer than Urbana, while to the south and north the field was practically unlimited. Consequently his rides were very long and the labor in- cident to attending to his profes- sional duties arduous in the ex- treme. Dr. Core was a local Meth- odist preacher, an earnest temper- ance advocate, a life-long Repub- lican and withal a good extempo- raneous speaker; the result was that he could preach a sermon, de- liver a temperance address or ringing political speech with equal facility. In 1878 Dr. Core was elected one of the Legislators from this County. A few years later his health began to fail and April 29, 1888, he died at his home in Homer.
Dr. C. L. Crane located in Ma- homet some years prior to the civil war. Died in 1856 from ac- cidental blood poisoning. See violent deaths and accidents.
Dr. Jacob Culver was born in! the year 1835 in Butler County, Ohio. When but three years of age he removed with his parents to Indiana, where he grew to man- hood, meanwhile receiving his ed- ucation in the common schools. When a very young man he began the study of medicine and later graduated from Rush Medical College, Chicago. Dr. Culver's first location was Clarksville, Ind.,
Dr. James Core was born in Ross County, Ohio, December 19, 1822. He got his education in the common schools and at an early age began teaching and in this way earned enough money to attend lectures at the Medical Col- lege of Ohio during the winter of 1845-6. At a later date he grad- uated from this school. He prac- ticed his profession for a time in Ohio, but in 1853 removed to Illi- nois and located near Homer, where he soon built up a large practice. At this time there was . but after a time he removed to Il- no doctor to the east nearer than linois and in 1858 located at Ma-
16
DR. JACOB CULVER, 1835-1880.
homet where he soon built up a good practice. During the civil war Dr. Culver enlisted in the 7! st Illinois Infantry as Hospital stew- ard, and owing to the indisposition of the chief surgeon of the regi- ment, attended to most of the medical wants of the regiment. Dr. Culver, at the expiration of his term of service, returned to Ma- homet and resumed his practice and continued in active work till towards the end of the eighties, when his health began to give way, and finally in 1890 he died.
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