Dickson Memorial Hospital
February 1, 1907 - March 11, 2003
| Updated on May 9, 2003 |
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-- Dr. Aaron Graham Dickson -- Aaron Graham Dickson was born July 26, 1867 at Greensboro, just south of present day Paragould. At an early age, he and his family moved to Paragould where he attended Paragould Public School. After graduation, Mr. Dickson attended, and received his Medical Doctor degree from Vanderbilt University at Nashville, Tennessee. During this period of time, he married Sarah Melissa Boyd of Chapel Hill, Tennessee. The young doctor did his post-graduate work in Berlin, London, and Vienna. These travels abroad also served as the young couple’s honeymoon. Upon his return to the United States, he came back to Paragould to set up his practice. His office was opened on April 20, 1890, at 112 N. Pruett. In 1895 he partnered with Dr. R.J. Haley, Sr. and W.A. Yantis, to venture into opening the first City Drug Store. Although at a different location from the original, City Drug remains in operation today. Dr. Dickson had desired for a long time to have a building in which he might care for patients needing special attention. When the railroad shops were moved to Paragould in 1905, he felt that the need was imperative. -- Paragould's First Hospital -- Dr. Dickson’s sister, Mrs. Letha Dillman, helped assemble the first "Paragould Sanitorium" in 1905. Although the building was nothing more than a house owned by their parents, the nine room structure was a good start toward a larger institution. The land just east of that building, also owned by their parents, was later sold to the U.S. Government for the construction of a new Post Office. -- The Expansion Into Modernization -- Two years later, the site of the doctor’s own home was selected as the location for a new structure. His house was rolled from the yard and the rose bushes and shrubbery removed. On May 1, 1906, the work of excavating and placing the material on the grounds began. The plans and specifications for the great structure were drawn by the doctor himself, with Tol Ware being engaged as foreman of construction. Including the massive concrete basement walls, the structure was to be a 5-story high brick structure, topped with a Mansard style roof. There were thirty-three rooms in the sanitarium, and wide halls were to extend through the center of the building from north to south on each floor. The building was to be heated by a furnace, lighted by electricity, and all floors were to be equipped with phones and electric call systems. James A. Dillman, nephew to Dr. Dickson, was a young boy when construction began on the hospital. He was hired to drive the horses that pulled building materials to the upper floors, and was paid 50 cents per day for his labor. A system of ropes was rigged to act as a makeshift elevator for the task. Health and family reasons caused the youngster and his family to move to California before the structure’s completion. The sanitarium was completed and opened to the public on February 1, 1907. It’s erection and equipment cost thirty thousand dollars. A souvenir catalog printed for the hospital’s opening, boasted an 18-by-21 foot operating room, a 700-volume library, a pharmacy, a laboratory, an X-ray machine, and a school for nursing. The nursing school was located on the top story of the structure. Once the new facility was opened, the Dillman building was once again returned to a residence, and was lived in by Dr. Dickson’s sister and his mother. Dr. Dickson soon invited a Vanderbilt classmate, Dr. Henry Dickson of Batesville, to assist him at the new hospital. They shared a common name, but were not related. This was the second invitation asking Dr. Henry Dickson to join the staff. He originally turned down the offer when the hospital was housed in the Dillman building, fearing that it would not survive. Seeing that the facility was making great strides in the community, he accepted the offer and moved to Paragould to be a part of the new hospital. Other doctors practicing at the hospital at various times were, doctors W.T. Wetherington, Sims, Hume, and Allen. There were others, but it’s not well recorded. Interestingly, James Dillman, the youngster who drove the horses during the hospital’s construction, also became a doctor and returned to Paragould to practice medicine at the Dickson Sanitarium. Only two years after opening the Dickson Sanitarium, Dr. A.G. Dickson, the founder, was on his rounds visiting patients during a severe cold spell. He contracted a heavy cold, which developed into pneumonia, and ultimately caused his death on January 27, 1909. Upon his death, the many debts made it necessary to incorporate and sell bonds to insure the hospital’s survival. The Paragould Sanitarium Company was incorporated on March 27, 1909, for "the operation and maintenance of a sanitarium for the treatment of diseases, both medical and surgical (except contagious diseases), also for the maintaining of a school of training for nurses." The capital stock was $30,000, divided into 1,240 shares at $25 each. After Dr. A.G. Dickson’s death, Mrs. Dickson gave stock to Dr. Henry Dickson in an effort to convince him to stay with the hospital. Not being interested in surgery, Dr. Henry Dickson sent for his brother, Dr. Paul Dickson who was practicing at Jamestown near Batesville. He too was given stock and was taken under his brother’s wing. As planned, Dr. Paul Dickson took over as surgeon. Stockholders in this new corporation were Dr. Henry N. Dickson, Dr. Paul L. Dickson, Sarah M. Dickson, H.S. Trice, Olive Wilson, Richard Jackson, J. Madden Smith, F.S. Wrape, Christine McFarland, J.D. Block. Directors were Dr. Henry N. Dickson (President), Dr. Paul L. Dickson (Vice-President), Sarah M. Dickson (Secretary). -- Name Changed to Dickson Memorial Hospital -- The name was changed to Dickson Memorial Hospital on January 14, 1920 in honor of Dr. A.G. Dickson and his great achievements. After her husband’s death, Sarah Dickson remarried and took the last name of Ramsey. She continued to keep tight reigns over the hospital and gave it her all to make it successful. She passed away in 1925. In her will, Sarah (Dickson) Ramsey left instructions that upon her death, if the hospital was sold, part of her share of stock was to go to a memorial for her late husband, Dr. Aaron Graham Dickson. The remainder was to go to a charity fund for the very young, the very old, or for equipment for another hospital. As an aside note, Sarah (Dickson) Ramsey’s requested for a memorial for her late husband was erected, and stands today behind the present hospital on West Kingshighway. The small hospital’s demands had outgrown its confines. The Paragould City Council passed a resolution November 18, 1940, authorizing Mayor W.C. Middleton to secure all the government aid necessary to construct a more modern hospital. -- A New Facility is Constructed -- On June 16, 1941, Joseph R. Bertig purchased land for the new hospital and donated it to the city as a memorial to his father and mother, Adolf and Mary Bertig. In 1941, through donations from local citizens and a grant from the Federal Government, the construction of the hospital was started on West Kingshighway. World War II disrupted the when it was about 75 percent complete. During this time, the building received much vandalism in the form of broken windows and light fixtures. Dr. James A. Dillman gave the "Community" to the name of the new hospital, and donated a considerable amount of money for use in the surgery ward. Today, his name remains on one door of the surgery ward. After the war ended, a new resurgence of interest in the facility arose. Paragould voters approved a bond issue to complete the building, and the Community Hospital Commission was created. Commission members Houston Garner, Joe Kirchoff, Bill Trice, Joe Wessell, and George Barnhill worked for two years to restore the building to the condition it was in when construction ceased. Seeing that it’s completion would require outside help, Dr. McKelvey was chosen to show the building, even though still an empty shell, to Methodist Bishop Paul E. Martin. Dr. McKelvey said, "On a cold January morning, I met him [the bishop] at the hospital. It was muddy around the hospital and in. We toured the entire hospital and I told him we were concerned for a name for it, and he says to me ‘You’re deeply interested in this aren’t you?’ I said, ‘Yes sir, we have worked and tried to raise finances for the hospital and any help that we could get, has been used- but we still don’t have a name.’" "He [the bishop] said that he would be meeting with his board in two weeks and we would hear from him at that time." Help came, and the name Community Methodist Hospital developed. Through local donations and WPA labor, the hospital was finally completed. On Sunday, October 16, 1945, a dedication ceremony was held at First Methodist Church. The next day the Community Methodist Hospital opened it’s doors with Mr. Eugene Lopez acting as Administrator. Fourteen patients were transferred to CMH from Dickson Memorial. The first patient admitted to the new facility was Mr. Charles Hill Faulkner, a patient of Dr. McKelvey. -- A New Purpose for Dickson Memorial -- Upon the closing of the Dickson Memorial Hospital, a campaign was launched by Mayor J.H. McPherson to secure the vacated building for city offices, giving way to much needed addition floor space. However, one faction was content to leave the city business in the dusty old building on Pruett Street that was then being used as City Hall. This was mostly due to the expense of a move. Before the hospital building could be acquired, it was necessary to sell the old city hall building located on North Pruett Street. The hospital board extended the period of time and held the deal open until the city could act. The transaction was just taking place in 1950 as Ike Wilcockson assumed the office of Mayor, and he was able to complete the transaction. Under the Mayor’s supervision, the old hospital building was renovated and repaired. Offices were created for each city department, including police quarters. On the second floor, a courtroom was constructed with theatre seats installed. Old plaster walls and ceilings were repaired and paneled. New tile floors were laid throughout the building and office furnishings acquired. Over the period of a few years, the basement was converted to quarters for the police department. The third floor, which was once the nurse’s quarters and school, was in poor condition due to leaks in the Mansard roof. Mayor Wilcockson approved the removal of the third and forth floors and Mansard roof, giving the once tall building a decapitated appearance. Police radio antennas was then placed on top of the roof. The early days of trying to establish a library in Paragould were difficult, and required many moves of the library’s contents. In 1948, Ike Wilcockson provided rent-free housing for the library on the second floor of the City Hall in an effort to solve the library’s financial problems. The space was not easily accessible and warranted yet another move soon after. This time the move was next door, to the Dillman Sanitorium building. This building was located just east of the hospital building and was later razed during expansion of the Post Office. -- Building Begins to be Phased Out -- The Paragould Police Department was housed in the basement of the Dickson building until November 1994 when the new City Light and Water & Cable (CLWC) facilities were completed on Jones Road, just south of the center of town. The previous CLWC office building was just across Third Street to the west and would serve the Police Department well since it was a modern building, was in great condition, and provided much needed additional space. The new home for the Paragould Police Department was certainly a welcomed upgrade of surroundings. The Paragould City Hall, who was also in need of a much better facility, accompanied the Police Department on their move next door. The current building is a very nice and modern building and has served the city officials very well. Through a vote by the citizens of Greene County for a temporary mileage increase for the purpose, a new county government complex was constructed in 1996, giving way to a much-needed update in their facility as well. This new building was constructed just west of the old county offices held within the Greene County Courthouse. This kept city and county offices near each other, which the citizens had learned to appreciate. From 1996 until present (2003), the Dickson Memorial Hospital building had sat unoccupied, and for the most part, completely ignored. In 1998, a Dickson Memorial Preservation Society was organized. Their plans were to obtain grants and funds to restore the building into a museum, gift shop, and possibly, the Greene County Chamber of Commerce. When this action was first taken, the building was quite capable of receiving the planned restoration, but as years passed and the society made several attempts to receive grants with none being given, the building deteriorated both cosmetically and structurally. During this time there had been numerous roof leaks, broken windows, and lack of attention. All of this quickly put the building in a terrible state of disrepair. It was soon apparent that the building posed a serious liability to the community and something should be done. Since the building had deteriorated to the point that it was unable to serve a purpose to the community, it was decided by the city Aldermen that the building would be torn down so that the property could be used for other purposes. I hated to hear of the decision, and truly felt that it was a shame to demolish a historic old building just for the sake of obtaining the land. -- No. 1 Fire Station Moved -- As Paragould continued to grow, the need for expanded City Light Water and Cable work crew facilities were needed. The work crew facility was separate from the office complex, which also needed to be addressed. As a new home for all CLWC operations was completed, that building too stood empty for some time. That building later served as an indoor R/C car racetrack for some time as an independent business. After the building became vacant again, the Paragould Fire Department, Company No. 1 was moved to the building. This now left the old fire department building empty. The Paragould Police Department obtained the building to be used as a training facility and exercise center. It received very little use, and quickly became cluttered with discarded items. The old No. 1 fire station building was built in 1950, and was equipped with the best equipment of the time. Paragould citizens were very proud of their new fire department. Times had changed and the bell from the original fire department on Pruett Street was not to be used at the new facility. The fire alarm was now carried out by way of a siren mounted high above the street next to the City Light and Water plant on East Poplar. The wonderful old brass bell was proudly displayed out front of the new facility. On the bell was cast: "E.W. Van Duzen Co. of Cincinnati Dec. 16, 1896." The bell further stated, "Presented to the Paragould Fire Dep’t. No. 1 by the citizens, R.W. Meriwether, Pres’t. J.B. Avera, Chief." When the No. 1 Fire Station moved to the previous CLWC work crew facility, they moved the bell to that location, wehre it remains on display today. -- Old No. 1 Fire Station Razed -- Just a few days prior to the beginning of the demolition of the Dickson Hospital, the old No. 1 Fire Station, located in the building just north of the Dickson building was torn down. All that remained was the below ground level foundation and the floor. -- Demolition Begins on Dickson Building -- On March 11, 2003, demolition of the hospital building was to begin, with Tripod Backhoe Service having been commissioned for the task. Mr. Lyle Spillman contacted me on that day and told me that demolition had in fact began. I was initially saddened to hear this, but he informed me that he had been allowed full access to the inside of the building only an hour or so prior to it’s beginning demolition. It was in fact in terrible condition and would require a complete reconstruction to ever be usable again. -- Demolition Documented in Pictures -- Mr. Spillman, being a both a great historian and photographer, did a wonderful job of documenting his, the final, journey through the halls of this once great centerpiece of pride in the community. Since I grew up in Paragould, I had visited the City Hall on numerous occasions. From his photographs I recognized the room where I took my written test for my drivers license, where I went each year to pay my taxes, where I went to get my car tags renewed, and the room where I bought my marriage license. I saw the steps outside where I nervously waited to take the driving portion of my driving test, and the room where I went to court for my first traffic violation. It suddenly became apparent that this old building had played a much larger part in my life that I had initially thought. -- Glimpses From the Early Days -- There were many glimpses into the past of the building in the photographs. Most of these glimpses were where the ceiling tiles had fallen out or been removed. The old arched doorframes could easily be seen on the stairwells, many peeks at past construction, and attempts to make due with what the city had available. Of particular interest to me was a series of photos that Mr. Spillman took of an old stairwell that was hidden from public sight for many years. This set of stairs was placed behind a door during the remodeling when the City Hall acquired the building, and was apparently used for storage. When the upper two floors were removed, the stairs were simple cut flush with the ceiling. It’s a really strange sight to see the stairs leading up to the ceiling. Also of interest in these pictures is the paint on the walls. It is the light shade of green used in years past for it’s "easy on the eyes" appearance. I’m quite certain that this paint was remnants from the building’s days as a hospital since it was neatly painted about 3 foot up from the step’s surface and followed the angles of the staircase. Above this color was a shade of white. This paint scheme followed all the way up the stairs to the ceiling. Had the walls received a fresh coat of paint after the removal of the upper floors, there would have been no reason to paint them in this fashion. Back outside, the machinery operator was ready to start demolition. With only a slight nudge against the east brick wall of the building, the walls easily started falling in. With each new nudge, less of the old structure was standing. Demolition continued across the north, which was the back of the building. Soon, only the front half was standing. As the operator maneuvered through the building, the front part of the structure, including the large white pillars started to cave in. Through his photographs, I discovered that the pillars were simply small concrete pieces assembled around a central wooden post inside each pillar. As the pillars crumbled to the ground, the concrete building blocks that made up the pillar scattered across the ground. As the pillars snapped, flying dust made it evident that the inner wooden post of the pillars was dry rotted to the point that it was doing very little structurally. It was obvious that the rest of the original structure was equally dangerous with its crumbling mortar and brick. -- The Buildings Last Act of Defiance! -- To the best of my knowledge it wasn’t planned, but in a seeming last will to remain standing, one lone pillar remained standing after all other structure was leveled. The equipment operator certainly had to notice this act of defiance as he placed his bucket on top of the pillar and pulled it over. The picture of this is spectacular to say the very least. In an act to preserve a slight bit of history for myself, I picked up a couple of the brick that lay scattered about, as well as a couple of the pillar blocks from the front of the building. Not only the mortar between the brick, but the brick itself had turned to a dry, powdery substance. It may have taken nothing more than a strong wind to tackle the task of demolition. The machines made short work of picking up the debris from the old building. It was scooped up, loaded in a dump truck, and carted off for landfill. To once be so important, the building was now being removed almost unnoticed. -- Other Historic Buildings Preserved in Paragould -- I’m glad to say that many of the old buildings within Paragould have been preserved, or are receiving various amounts of attention. "Main Street Paragould" was initiated, and has stepped up to the challenge of obtaining grants and overseeing work for preserving, restoring, and calling attention to many of the great historic structures in Paragould, as well as revitalizing the business in downtown Paragould. One of the most notable buildings on the Paragould skyline is the restored Paragould Courthouse. This renovation was made possible through donations and grants obtained by the 1888 Courthouse Preservation Society. However, upon a walk around the old courthouse and admiring the structure, it will be quickly apparent that the lack of repairs and maintenance has allowed deterioration of varying degree to invade this building once again. It’s a reminder that restoration is an ongoing project that requires constant attention. -- Future Unclear for Empty Lot -- It’s unclear at this point what the plans are for the property of the old Dickson Memorial Hospital. Perhaps the Post Office will buy it to build a much-needed parking lot, or perhaps a new building erected. Regardless of its use, I hope it continues to serve the community as well as the Dickson Memorial Hospital, The Paragould City Hall, The Paragould Police Department, and the Paragould Library have while calling the old building home. Only time will tell. -- Do You Have a Story To Share? -- In one piece of documentation, there is a note saying that Mrs. Albright, niece to Dr. A.H. Dickson, is wishing to write a book about Dickson Memorial Hospital. She stated that any pictures, memories, or stories that anyone would like to share, would be considered for inclusion in her book. Her address is given- as of that date- as being 623 W. Poplar in Paragould, and a phone number is given as 6-6953. This was obviously before the requirement of a prefix to the number- probably 23 in this case. Looking in the latest edition of the Paragould phone book, there are no Albrights listed, and I have no indication that such a book was ever written. If any information was collected, I hope that she and her family will someday share her documents with the rest of us. -- Many Thanks to All Who Contributed -- Many excerpts taken from various documents located in the Arkansas Room at the Greene County Library. I offer many thanks for your continued efforts. Special thanks to Mr. Lyle Spillman for inspiring me to "take pictures, document it, and share it."
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