Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 135, Number 27, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 7 July 2016 — Page 2
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• Advance News • Thursday, July 7,2016
Nappanee builds first hospital in the area, serves far and wide
Embracing the Pace...
By Merrie Chapman Staff Reporter Touring downtown Nappanee one will find an array of historic buildings—each one representing an important link to the heritage of the city. One block east of Main Street (SRI9), on E. Market Street (US6), can be found an historic, brick, one-story structure which represents the important role our city played in local history throughout Elkhart and Kosciusko counties. The building is located at 160 E. Market Street, and once served as the first hospital in both counties. The facility was run by brothers, Dr. Willard Price and Dr. Delbert Price. Both were prominent figures in the early history of Nappanee. They tended to residents of the community and everyday health needs. In addition to being traditional family doctors, the Prices performed operations as needed—using individual rooms inside local residences as operating rooms. Among operational procedures performed by the doctor were every day cuts, lacerations, bruises and a few fractures. He was also called upon for industrial and farming injuries, illnesses and every other serious need that arose. As the area population grew so did the number of surgical procedures. In response the community determined it
Harvest, cont. from front
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Rumley, Oliver, and Studebaker, among others. The final flourish of the day will be a full Thresher's Buffet Dinner, which will begin at 4 p.m. and continue until 6 p.m. The meal includes fried chicken, Swiss steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, chicken and noodles, dressing, green beans, com, and assorted salads and desserts. Beverages include coffee, lemonade, and iced tea. Admission to the show is free of charge, but tickets for the dinner must be procured
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was time for a local hospital. During that period the town derided to construct a small building with an office, exam-
ining room and an operating room and beds for recovering patients. That same building still exists today and is located on the northwest comer at the intersection of E. Market Street (US6) and N. Elm Street. In Dr. Willard Price's personal memoires from 1913, he said, "Here we did many major operations before any larger hospitals in surrounding towns —Elkhart, Goshen and Warsaw—were builtor available."
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HOSPITAL STAFF —Pictured from left: Bessie Culp who worked in Nappanee's first hospital on East Market Street; the two doctors/surgeons who staffed it, brothers Willard and Delbert Price; Nurse Lynn Yoder Foley;and a man thought to be a drug salesman of that time. Photo compliments of the Nappanee Public Library
either in advance or at the door. The cost is S2O prior to the dinner, and $25 at the door. Children ages 10 and under may eat free. Tickets can be found at Dutch Village Market, from members of the "Power from the Past" board, or around town at other area retailers. For more information about the 2016 "Harvest Day Celebration," visit the organization's website at http://www.nappaneepowerfromthepast.org. /
Community
Inside the new hospital both doctors still handled the everyday needs of Nappanee residents and tneir neighbors throughout the surrounding area. Now there was a single location from which to perform operations. It was known throughout the region. Dr. Willard Price's memoires list recollections of performing amputations on everything from fingers and toes to body limbs; and laparotomies where he opened up the abdomen for a variety of issues including appendectomies, cholecystotmies, cholecystectomies, oophorectomies and hysterectomies. "It was a small unit in a large territory and appreciated by the community until Elkhart, Goshen and Warsaw came to our rescue and shared our burden," wrote Price. Written notes by Dorothy (Price) Arch, daughter of Dr. Willard Price, have also been found. The notes provide an inside look at the doctor's dedication and service to people throughout the area, friends and neighbors—and the affect it had on his own family. "I wish to say that my father does not mention the long hours he and Dr. Delbert spent in their practice of medicine," said Dorothy (Price) Arch. They never saved themselves and it was a rare night my father slept all night since being called out during the night was the rule. "During World War I there was a flu epidemic that was very severe. There were many nights that he never took off his clothes—if he got home he would lie on the davenport and catch what little sleep he could get." The devoted daughter made mention in her writings that when the time came that her father and uncle used buggies or sleighs to reach the ill patients, both hired drivers to
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Photo by Merrie Chapman HOSPITAL TO LAW OFFICE--During the course of their life, current residents in the City of Nappanee may have known the building at 160 E. Market Street as the former location of the local BMV office, Church of the Brethren Northern Indiana District Office, or as a law office. Few are aware that the brick Arts and Crafts Style building was once the most modern and up-to-date hospital in Elkhart County. See related Embrace the Pace article for more information on this historic building.
Torch, cont. from front
community saw a challenge put before us and rose to the occasion to find common ground. This is one of the great things about Elkhart County is that we can come together collectively and discuss intellectually situations that will make our community vibrant and one of inclusiveness," said Arvis Dawson, who srved in the administration of former Elkhart Mayor Dick Moore. "Each community predicament We experience, and move through, affords us the opportunity to learn new lessons and create new awareness," said Elkhart County Commissioner Mike Yoder. "The new collaborative effort will be transforming the Torch Relay into an amazing, and perhaps unique in the state, local celebration of our state's bicentennial. The meetings were yet another reminder for me of the creativity and enthusiasm which can be generated when we all work together. Those who went on to become selected as Torchbearers were nominated in a time frame spanning late 2015 to early 2016. They were chosen based upon their contributions
take them to each home so they were able to sleep briefly between calls. She also made mention of missing him at home, saying the doctor was either late or absent at nearly every meal. Now known as the Price Building, the former hospital served many purposes long after its days spent facilitating medical practices. Over the years it has served as location of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (1980 s), Church of the Brethren Northern Indiana District Office and a law office. It now displays realtors signs as an indication that it is again ready to embrace the pace of current city needs. Historical data available to the public does not pinpoint the number of years the Price brothers served as Nappanee's doctors and surgeons. But it is very apparent that both were important to the health and success of Nappanee's early residents. Today the hospital for which they so proudly took charge still stands as testament to their tireless work. That same building continues to embrace the pace of needs today. (The Embrace the Pace series was created by Journalist Merrie Chapman to showcase specific examples of how the City of Nappanee's logo—- “ Embrace the Pace"—is reflected throughout the community. The city adopted the logo in 2003. It represents continual efforts made by city leaders and residents in building on the city’s heritage, historic landmarks and ideals, while still conforming to the ever changes needs of the residents of today. Likewise, this series of articles was designed to showcase how historic sites have been transformed to embrace the pace of needs as the city advanced.)
to their communities in the fields of public service, professional excellence, and/or volunteer work. The racial and ethnic identities of each candidate was not revealed or known at any time during the final voting process. "Our conversations have helped Elkhart County make positive strides and I am grateful for the spirit of collaboration that everyone brought into our meetings," said Diana Lawson, executive director of the Elkhart County Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We will have a Bicentennial celebration that everyone can be proud of, just as we are proud of the individuals who have been named as Torchbearers." The coordination of the Elkhart County Bicentennial events is being led by both the Elkhart County government and the ECCVB. The Torch Relay begins its 92 county journey in September and concludes in October. To learn more information about the various aspects of this yearlong celebration and to view a map of the relay route, visit www.elkhartcoimty2ol6.org.