Garden county has never been blessed with many members
of the medical profession. The first settlers were obliged to go for many
miles to reach a doctor. Fording the river was only one of the difficulties of
such a trip.
Eventually in the fall of 1899, Dr. H. H. Hough and
wife arrived in Oshkosh from Aurora. They were gladly welcomed.
He opened up an office in his residence, a sod house
in the south edge of town. The work here was appreciated by many and he stayed
until the spring of 1917, when he decided a change of climate would benefit
his wife’s health. They moved to Weiser, Idaho, where they are on a small dairy and fruit farm.
In the meantime, in 1909, Dr. Morris came to Lewellen
and Dr. Stanley Clement opened up an office in Oshkosh. The latter only stayed about two years. Dr. Morris stayed in Lewellen, but has since given up
practicing.
By this time, in 1911, Dr. Geo. H. Morris located in Oshkosh, making two doctors by the name of Morris in Garden
county. His efforts to relieve the sufferings of humanity have been quite
successful.
Horses were too slow for a doctor’s long ride in this
country, after the coming of the automobile. He used a Ford for awhile, but
declared it was also too slow, and he bought a Buick.
He has always been a worker for good roads. He has
furthered many interests for the good of Oshkosh and the county. He served on the Draft Board during
the war, started the Red Cross and boosts the Chautauqua and Lyceum. He married
Miss Ruth Vievich, of Lewellen, in the summer of 1918.
Oshkosh had needed another physician, as the work was too
heavy for one; so, many were pleased when Dr. Kelly arrived in May, 1917. His
work here was cut short by the “Flu” epidemic. He and his wife were both down
with it and Dr. Kelly died in November, 1918, after being here only about one
and one-half years.
Dr. C. L. Hooper came to Lewellen in 1916.
When war was declared, he volunteered
for service and was called May 19, 1917, entering the Medical Corps.
After his varied
experience in the army the citizens of Lewellen petitioned him home. He
returned to Lewellen May, 1919, to resume his medical duties there.
Dr. Phillips practiced
in Lewellen during Dr. Hooper’s absence.
Garden county teeth
have been very well looked after by the dental profession. The first dentist to
locate in this county was Dr. Moses Wetherby, who left his home and practice
in Chile, South
America, to come to Oshkosh in 1903, arriving when the town consisted of a store
and blacksmith shop. He has ever since been our principal tooth doctor and did
all work free for the local boys who needed tooth repairing preparatory to
their acceptance as soldiers in the World War.
Dr. Baker came in 1909,
opening an office in his residence. His health was poor and he passed away in
February, 1914.
At Lewellen, Dr.
Gainsforth came, in 1917. Mrs. Gainsforth taught in the public schools there.
They soon gave it up and left Lewellen to its fate in 1919. But this last
summer, in 1919, Dr. Rice, a young man just graduated from Dental College has opened up an office there.
Throughout the year
1919, Dr. Morris was the only medical practitioner in Oshkosh. Being nearly worn out by the enormous amount
of work, he as well as the people in general, gladly welcomed Dr. D. L. Hibberd, who arrived
in Oshkosh early in 1920.
He had recently returned from France
and selected Oshkosh as his permanent location. Both doctors are kept
very busy, as theyhave many patients in the county, their territory extending
out a long distance, especially to the northward.
It was also in 1920,
that Dr. A. J. Dunlavy, the dentist, located in Oshkosh, and opened his new office on Main street just south of the postoffice. Oshkosh having been without a licensed dentist for several years,
Dr. Dunlavy jumped into a big business from
the start.
Source:
History of Western Nebraska and Its People - 1921