In January 2005, the Silver Valley was fortunate to open the doors to a new medical facility.Wallace's first hospital -- Holland Memorial Hospital, was opened in 1890. It later became the Wallace Hospital at the west end of Cedar Street.
In 1891, the Miners' Union Hospital was established on the 800 block on Bank Street in Wallace. It later merged into the Providence Hospital (later in the year of 1891.)
Just for a little trivia, Sweater Girl Lana Turner, one of the Hollywood glamour girls, was born in Providence Hospital. Here is a picture of her living in Wallace at age five.
The Wallace Hosptial ceased operation in 1965. Two years later, 1967, the Providence Hospital closed its doors, and East Shoshone Hospital was opened in Silverton.
I think the Wardner Hospital was opened in about 1918. I didn't realize until I returned to the Silver Valley about 8 years ago that the Wardner Hospital was located, not in Wardner, but in Kellogg. It had been torn down by the time I was born, so I never really paid that much attention where it was located. Then I realized it was located across the street from where the current Mountain Health Clinic is on McKinley Ave. I believe my dad, my brother, my mother-in-law and PKR's oldest brother were all born in the Wardner Hospital.
So then West Shoshone Hospital was built somewhere in the 1950's, because my sister was born there, as was I.
But East Shoshone and West Shoshone Hospitals are no longer in operation. The East Shoshone Hospital building is now used for book publishing, the last I knew. The West Shoshone Hospital building was torn down so the new Shoshone Medical Center building could be constructed.
It was rather sad watching the hospital demolished a few years ago.
But the new facility is really quite nice, and offers quality medical services.
Which, if any of these hospitals, were you born?
