Small neighborhood hospitals began poping-up like dandelions around Chicago because getting to emergency care became life threatening the further a person had to travel to get to a hospital.
In 1891, bronchitis and pneumonia killed 4,300, typhoid fever 2,000. Every year in the early 1890s, 10,000–12,000 children under five died in Chicago. But the close of the nineteenth century brought control of disease, in a series of steps. Voters overwhelmingly approved the creation of the Sanitary District of Chicago in late 1889, and in January 1900 the city opened the Sanitary and Ship Canal, permanently reversing the flow of the Chicago River, sending sewage and refuse away from Lake Michigan and southwestward toward the Mississippi. Pasteurizing of milk began in 1909, and chlorinating of the city's water supply, in 1912.
NOTE: In the early 1930's Al Capone and his brother Ralph, pushed milk stale dating thru the Chicago City Council.
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| Rogers Park Hospital, 6970 North Clark Street, Chicago. Illinois. (1927) |
Rogers Park Hospital, the hospital's original name, changed names and owners many times as presented below. It was shut down for reasons unknown.
1927-1936 / ROGERS PARK HOSPITAL
Chicago Tribune Article, Sunday, May 2, 1926
BEGIN WORK ON FIRST HOSPITAL FOR ROGERS PARK
War Veteran Heads a New Project.
Work starts tomorrow morning on the first large hospital for the Rogers Park district. The new home for the sick will be located at 6970 North Clark Street and will be called the Rogers Park Hospital.
The structure will have the latest features, including a radio connection for each patient and a large solarium on the roof. The building will contain 102 beds, of which a half will be in private rooms.
The hospital will be six stories high and, when completed, will represent an investment of $402,500. The site measures 50x174 feet. There are to be two operating rooms, one delivery room, an X-ray department, a laboratory, and the other customary hospital equipment. Dwight G. Wallace is the architect.
The president of the hospital is Dr. F. Patrick Machler, who was a drummer-boy in the Spanish-American war (Apr 21, 1898 – Aug 13, 1898) and had a distinguished record during the world war [WWI]. Dr. Machler was in charge of the embarkation hospital at Camp No. 2, Newport News, during 1917 and 1918. He is now president of the 4th board of pensions and was national surgeon general for three terms of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He is a former superintendent of the Iroquois hospital.
1936-1938 / ROGERS-POST HOSPITAL (aka: ROGERS AND POST HOSPITAL)
Chicago Tribune Article, Wednesday, August 19, 1936
RETIRED MERCHANT PLUNGES TO DEATH FROM HOSPITAL
Adolph Grossman, 75 years old, 537 Aldine Avenue, retired owner of a dry goods store, leaped or fell from a window of his room on the fifth floor of the Rogers-Post Hospital, 6970 North Clark Street, where he had been a patient for 24 days.
1938-1939 / WILL ROGERS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
The following articles are about Will Rogers Memorial Hospital's illegal use of the "Will Rogers" name and the hospital running a lottery ring... right out of the hospital.
Chicago Tribune Article, Tuesday, February 8, 1938
LOTTERY CHARGE IS FILED AGAINST ROGERS HOSPITAL
Kerner Suit Discloses Charity Fund Inquiry.
Attorney General Otto Kerner filed a complaint in the Circuit court yesterday in which the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital, 6970 North Clark Street, was accused of operating a "common lottery plan" in violation of provisions contained in its charter. The hospital, under the proceeding, is required to show by what authority it is operating in alleged defiance of terms of its charter.
A finding against the hospital can result in the withdrawal of its charter or a $25,000 fine, according to Assistant Attorney General Raymond Wallenstein.
Secret Inquiry Disclosed
The attorney general's action known technically as a complaint in quo warranto, brought to light a secret investigation by attorneys and officials of the Better Business bureau into the hospital's sale of certifications in return for 50¢ donations to its charity fund. Each certificate asserts that 400 prizes amounting to $20,000 will be announced February 15th.
Dr. Frank Deacon, manager of the hospital, has insisted to investigators that the project is not a lottery but that eventual winners will be selected on the basis of competition in an essay contest on the subject "Why a Hospital is the Best Charity to Support." Despite this, Kenneth Barnard, head of the Chicago Better Business bureau, said yesterday that none of the single certificates nor any literature concerning the charity fund mentions the essay contest.
Chicago Tribune Article, Friday, February 11, 1939
HOSPITAL'S USE OF WILL ROGERS' NAME IS BARRED
Federal Judge William H. Holly signed a consent decree yesterday enjoining the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital, 6970 North Clark Street, from using the cowboy philosopher's name. All references to Rogers in the name of the hospital must be expunged within five days.
The order was issued on complaint of the Will Rogers commission, of Washington, D.C., and its affiliate, the Will Rogers Memorial Fund, of New York, that the hospital had conducted a personality contest and nation-wide lottery in the guise of a charity fund. Moreover, it was charged that the hospital incorporated under its present name without permission of the Rogers commission or of Roger's widow.
Additional action was taken on Monday when the state attorney general started quo waranto proceedings against the hospital, asserting its charity fund operation, in which tickets were offered for 50¢ donations, violated the lottery laws. The case is pending before Judge Harry Fisher. The hospital was formerly known as the Rogers Park Hospital and the Rogers-Post Hospital.
Chicago Tribune Article, Thursday, March 24, 1939
ROGERS HOSPITAL LOTTERY INQUIRY LANDS 2 IN JAIL
Investigation of a nation-wide lottery scheme allegedly conducted by the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital, whose charter was revoked here last month, resulted in the arrest of two men in St. Louis yesterday. Those held are Julius Heitz and Julius Zweig.
Postal Inspector Fred Mayer, who made the arrests, said Heitz admitted he was the St. Louis agent for Chicago promoters of the lottery, which brought in thousands of dollars. Heitz said, according to Mayer, that 60% of the collections from this and other lotteries was retained as promoters' profits and 40% was distributed as prizes.
Last February 11 Circuit Judge Harry M. Fisher revoked the charter of the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital at 6970 North Clark Street, dissolved the corporation, and removed its officers, directors, and trustees. Attorney General Otto Kerner was operating a lottery plan i violation of its charter.
Chicago Tribune Article, Friday, April 8, 1938
HOSPITAL IS REORGANIZED UNDER NEW DIRECTORSHIP
The hospital at 6970 North Clark Street, formerly known as the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital, has been reorganized as the Physicians Memorial Hospital, it was learned yesterday. New directors have taken over the lease from officers of the defunct corporation, who were ousted by a Circuit court order recently because of an alleged connection with a nation-wide lottery. The institution is under the supervision of a bond-holders' committee of Roger Park business men who took over the property when it was thrown into receivership several years ago.
Chicago Tribune Article, Thursday, November 9, 1939
COUPLE SEIZED ON INDICTMENT IN BIG LOTTERY
Federal agents last night seized two of 14 Chicagoans under indictment in Boston, Mass., on charges of participation in a lottery ring which fleeced clients of $20,000,000 in the last ten years. The ring issued "charity bonds" on the now defunct Will Rogers Memorial Hospital, 690 North Clark Street. Those under arrest are Mrs. Elizabeth Rice, former head nurse at the hospital, and her husband, David, a printing broker accused of designing the lottery tickets. At the detective bureau, where they were held over night, they gave their address as 1340 Lunt Avenue.
Chicago Tribune Article, Wednesday, May 22, 1940
DETECTIVE CHIEF GOES EAST FOR LOTTERY TRIAL
Chief of Detectives John L. Sullivan left last night for Boston, Mass., where he will testify in the federal trial of members of an alleged lottery ring. The government charges that the hospital at 6970 North Clark Street, once known as Will Rogers Memorial Hospital, was used as a base of operations in the lottery and charity bonds were issued thru it.
1938-1958 / ROGERS HOSPITAL
1959 -1966 / DOCTORS GENERAL HOSPITAL OF ROGERS PARK
Chicago Tribune Article, Sunday, January 31, 1959
116 BED DOCTORS HOSPITAL TO BE OPENED SUNDAY
The new 116 bed Doctors General Hospital at 6970 North Clark Street will be open with a reception at 4 p.m. Sunday. The hospital, in a seven story building, will be operated by Charity Hospital Association, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation.
Neilm L. Gaynes, admiistrator, said the hospital has been equipped with the newest and most modern facilities,including two major operating rooms, three minor operating rooms, an emergency room, and X-ray and clinical laboratory departments.
A closed-circuit television will be used to enable the supervising nurse to keep watch over nursing personnel attending critical patients. A two way communication system will connect rooms of patients with nursing stations.
Chicago Tribune Article, Thursday, February 26, 1959
NURSES WATCH TV ON THE JOB AT DOCTORS HOSPITAL
Closed Circuit Unit Tunes In Patients.
The only example in the midwest of television in critical wards to improve nursing supervision is claimed by the new Doctors General Hospital, 6970 North Clark Street.
The Closed Circuit television in monitored at a central point by a supervisory nurse. Cameras are situated in each of four wards, mounted in the corners to give a sweepingpicture of several beds in each room.
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| Mrs. Ethel Aron preforms nursing duties in ward as television camera behind her beams action to supervisory nurses' monitor. |
The supervisor can observe the activities of critically ill patients and the nurses. The object, according to Neil Gaynes, administrator, is not to cut down on the number of nurses but to coordinate their efforts for more efficiency. "Nothing will replace the nurse as some supporters of this television system believe," Gaynes said. "It is a good supplement to the nurse, however." Gaynes said the only other hospitals in the country using television equipment in this way are one on the east coast and one on the west coast. The Doctors General Hospital has 116 beds and the latest in medical and surgical equipment. Another electronic device that has proven successful is a two-way intercommunication system, by which a supervisory nurse can converse directly with each patient on a floor.
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| Dr. Harold Dubner, president of hospital board, and Rep. Esther Saperstein (D-8th), member of hospital board, observe Mrs. Aron from supervisor's station over television monitor.Dr. Dubner holds device to switch to cameras in other wards. |
Chicago Tribune Article, Sunday, May 29, 1966
DRESS CATCHES FIRE, WOMAN DIES OF BURNS
Miss Rose Schwartz, 57, of 1310 Lunt Avenue, died of burns yesterday when her dress caught fire while cooking in her apartment. Firemen took her to Doctors General Hospital, but she was pronounced dead on arrival.
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| Quick Refunds Income Tax, 6970 North Clark Street, Chicago. Illinois. (ca.2011) |
Thanks for your thoroughly researched article about this hospital with a checkered past and, speaking as a Pharmaceutical Rep, during its later years, it never enjoyed a respectable reputation among ethical sales reps., who only called on this hospital when absolutely necessary. I never knew some of your findings. Nice, educational read. Thanks!
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