The Page House - The Second Sandpoint Hospital
by Bob Gunter
It was on May 23, 1903 that the
Northern Idaho News heralded the opening of
Sandpoint's second hospital by stating, " Dr.
Ones F. Page established a hospital in the residence
of Alex and Rosa Piatt at 719 North 3rd
Avenue." This latest hospital was about 50
yards from the building that housed the Sandpoint
Hospital of Dr. Nathan Goddard. Mrs. Piatt was the
hospital matron in charge of the care of six or
seven patients about half the number that could be
cared for at the Goddard site. Page had the same
insurance coverage, as did Goddard, by offering to
the public a ticket that covered a person for twelve
months for $12. This covered the holder to medical
treatment, surgery, hospitalization, and medicine
for a year without additional charge.
The Goddard and Page Hospitals closed their doors in
June of 1904 and for the next few months Sandpoint
did not have a hospital. In 1905 Dr. C.W. Slusser
opened a hospital at 403 North Third Avenue in
Sandpoint. He later complained that he was
handicapped in trying to practice in a building not
suited for a hospital and he made plans to build a
new one.
The Page House served as the second hospital in Sandpoint Idaho.
Click photo to enlarge
The Pend d'Oreille Review on
January 31, 1907 said, "Dr. and Mrs. C.W. Slusser will
leave this week for Chicago.." He did not return to
Sandpoint and the hospital was never built. In the meantime
Dr. Page and Dr. Malcolm McKinnon were doing surgery in the
home of William Costello with Mrs. Costello acting as
Matron.
In the year 1906 the construction of the
Page Hospital began. It was to be located at 514 North
Second Avenue and would cost approximately $5,000 dollars.
On Thursday, December 20, 1906 the Pend d'Oreille Review
carried a picture of the almost completed hospital with the
following article, "The Page Hospital, opposite the
Farmin residence, will be a big affair. Dr. O.F. Page
expects to occupy it by February 1. It contains a total of
27 rooms, with four halls and occupies three floors and a
basement. It is steam heated throughout and has sewage
connection through a private line to the creek." In
1908 the Page Hospital was reorganized and refurbished and
the name changed to "City Hospital." Drs.
McKinnon, Warner, Patterson and Page used the building for
their patients and a Miss King was the Matron.
The Page, later called The Community or
City Hospital, trained many young ladies to fill the role of
nurses in the facility. Their duties varied as can been seen
by the following:
A list of instructions given to Florence
Hawkins when she was a nurse At City Hospital(Page Hospital) in Sandpoint,
Idaho, 1922.
Few Things for Nurses to Remember:
- Nurses are not allowed to visit in patient rooms or the ward
when off duty.
- Nurses must be in uniform when on duty. Shoes to have rubber
heels.
- Nurses to leave 6 & 4 o'clock temperature list on my
desk.
- Night nurses not allowed company when on duty.
- Day nurses must see that all soiled linen is taken to
laundry & all garbage emptied before leaving floor at
night and night nurses before leaving in morning.
- When patient is admitted, leave patient name & address
with Dr. name (if contract patient, company name) on my
desk.When patient is discharged, leave chart
made up to hour of discharge with discharge slip on my desk.
- All charts to be printed. Great care should be taken in keeping charts.
- Night nurse to clean surgery the night before operating.
- All operative cases to have urine examined before going to surgery.
- Night nurses to see that all company leaves patient rooms and lights out at 9 P.M.
- Nurses to be in their rooms at 10:30 unless late permission is given. Late permission to be asked for by 7 P.M.
Dr. Ones F
Page - Sandpoint Idaho. Dr. Page established a hospital in the residence of Alex and
Rosa Piatt at 719 North 3rd Avenue.
Click photo to enlarge
Many residents of Sandpoint today
still remember the Page Hospital.Jane
Haynes, a long time resident recalls, "I
delivered a baby in the Page Hospital. I remember
the narrow halls and especially how the building
shook when a train came by. We had more trains than
we do now and it seemed as if there was a constant
shake and rattle. The worst part was being carried
up the narrow steps on a stretcher. There was no
elevator and at that time you had to be off your
feet at least ten days, so up and down the stairs on
the stretcher."
Over a span of years the
"Hospitals" of Sandpoint came and went.
Some lasted longer than others but the one located
at 514 North Second Avenue, the Page Hospital,
provided care for the community for 44 years. It was
torn down to make room for the Bonner General
Hospital that opened at 502 North Third Avenue in
1951.
All photographs have been used with permission of the Bonner County Museum.
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