Historic Hood River
Hood River Hospital, 1932
1-3-2019
Notes
Here’s the Hood River Hospital in 1932. I think this is the same Oak Street building we saw in this earlier image. We learned that it was declared unsafe by the Fire Marshall in 1924. It looks like they’ve added a fire escape for the second floor, and paved the entrance ramp.
The caption on the reverse indicates this photo was taken by Dr. Black. From left to right, we have Bernice Campbell Van Austin, Miss Meta Lauterbach, Cleo Johnson Marble, Miss Stampler (superintendent), Miss Blanche Goodenough, Fern Smith, and Esther Hutson Balsiger.
Charlott
Yes this is Cottage Hospital on Oak Street. It was there throughout all my growing up years, I think as apartments. Bill would know more about that living in town.
L.E.
I was just reading the 1907 obituary of an early Camas Prairie/Glenwood pioneer who fell from his barn and broke his leg. He spent several months at the Cottage Hospital in Hood River before he passed away.
I wonder if it was this building.
Arthur
L.E., you previously tracked down a 1905 article about the purchase of this building for the hospital, so I think it is likely it was the 1907 hospital you mention.
kmb
Two comments: comparing the photo above to the earlier image (=1211), the right side of the porch is curved around to the right, but it doesn’t look like this in the earlier photo. It’s hard to tell in the earlier image due to the photo taken at a distance from the opposite corner. Also, in the comments to the earlier photo, it mentions the new hospital was built in 1931, but the photo above is supposedly 1932. Does anyone know where the new hospital built in 1931 was located in town? Or maybe if the above building is the old hospital, it was still in operation in 1932 while the new hospital was being built?
Arthur
kmb, I had the same questions but there is lots of evidence this is a remodeled version of the original cottage hospital. I’m always skeptical of the newspaper announcements of future plans– in this case the "new" hospital. They viewed their role as community booster, and frequently announced plans that never happened. The only concrete evidence I’ve seen for a new hospital building was the 1950s construction at the site of our current hospital. The evidence I have seen is that in 1905 a house was remodeled to a hospital, and about 1931 it was remodeled again to address fire marshal concerns.
Bill Seaton
Charlott, you have a better memory than mine. I have always liked the older houses along that section of Oak Street, but I don’t recall that specific building.
L.E.
Meta Lauterbach’s father Rudolph was one of the early founders of White Salmon. She graduated from the Good Samaritan School of Nursing in Portland in 1917.
Christie
Is this the one they called Buckmaster’s?
L.E.
From the March 8, 1950 Mt Adams Sun…
NURSING CAREER OFFICIALLY OVER
A nursing career of 38 years officially came to an end March 1 when Miss Meta Lauterbach left the Good Samaritan hospital. She will now make her permanent home in W.S. in the house which her father built many years ago.
Miss Lauterbach was graduated from the Good Samaritan hospital in 1917 and assumed nursing duties at once in the Hood River hospital. Later she served that institution as Superintendent and after 30 years intended to retire.
After a brief winter vacation in California, she returned to the Wilcox Memorial where she held a position in the Nursery until March of this year.
Members of the staff with whom she has recently been working gave her a beautiful farewell party and wished her well.