Dr. Bernard Strouth came to Council about 1949. In 1955 Polio vaccine became available. It’s hard to overstate what a frightening threat the crippling affliction of Polio was before this.
In March of 1955 the vaccine started to be given to Council second grade students. It was also made available to the public. But Dr. Strouth warned that the vaccine was new, and not to jump to the conclusion that the vaccine already had been proven effective. He stated: ‘The vaccine which will be furnished by the National Foundation of Infantile Paralysis is the same vaccine that was given to 440,000 children last spring. We do not know yet whether it really prevents paralytic polio. Until April, when we will learn the results of the evaluation study now being conducted at the University of Michigan, we cannot know if the vaccine is effective.”
Fortunately the vaccine was very effective. It took several years, but Polio was eventually virtually eliminated anyplace the vaccine was used.
From May 1, 1952 to May1, 1953, total admissions to the Council hospital: 1,014 total charges to patients: $94,351.27. Average charge to in-patient for hospital stay was $87.09. That average charge would equal about $870 in today’s dollars.
In the spring of 1956, Dr. Edwards and Dr. Strouth had a new clinic building under construction just east of the Idaho Dept. Store. This is the building still standing at 204 Illinois Avenue, adjoining the now-burned Council Valley Market building.
That year, the Council Hospital was being so heavily used, and the old facility had become so inadequate, that the board decided to establish a permanent building fund toward building a new hospital.
In June 1957 the Adams County Leader said the hospital served McCall, Riggins, New Meadows, Council, Cambridge and Midvale. Since 1953 it had admitted around 1,000 patients per year. The average number of patients per day was between 11.65 and 13.98. A hospital representative said, “We are faced with the eventual replacement of the present building, as there will come a time in the not too distant future when our present building will no longer be approved by the State Hospital Board.”
Dr. Strouth moved to Boise in 1968, and he was “replaced” by Dr. Donald Whitenack the next summer.
The hospital was not the only staple of Council’s economy that needed to be replaced. In 1958 the steam-powered Boise Cascade sawmill in Council burned down. The next fall, work started on a modern electrically-powered mill. It was completed in 1960.
A new grade school was also in the planning stages in 1957. A bond was passed, and the present grade school was built in 1958.
The Council hospital had been operating on a temporary license and could continue only two or three more years without extensive remodeling to meet government requirements. Federal funds were available to build a new hospital, but to meet the matching funds required, a bond would have to be approved by voters. The Chamber of Commerce passed a resolution urging the County Commissioners to create a County Hospital Board and that they ask the taxpayers whether a new county hospital would be supported.
In the spring of 1959 the commissioners did appoint a hospital board, and that board started working on a plan toward building a new hospital.
In May of 1960, Harold Whitaker was appointed to be the new hospital administrator to replace Lester Palmer. By that fall, a site had been selected for the new hospital just east of the present one. An architect’s drawing of the building plan was published, and preparations began for a bond election to fund construction.
In January 1961 the Leader reported that the hospital plans had received federal approval and added: “Total funds to be appropriated are $387,000 which includes the government share and a bond issue passed by residents of Adams County. The federal government provides 50 per cent of the total amount under the Hill-Burton program.”
In April the contract for building the hospital has been awarded to Ross Leukenga of Nampa. His was the lowest bid, at $287,206. Excavation at the site started that month. The Leader said, “A high capacity concrete plant has been set up near the courthouse. Pouring of foundation footings will be started this week.”
Continued next week.
Correction – In the caption of a photo in Part 3 of my Banks series, I mistakenly said Ed Strickfaden was president of the Idaho First National Bank in Council when the photo was taken in 1969. Ed’s father, Don Strickfaden was manager of that bank from 1949 to 1963, and I got them confused.
100 years ago
February 20, 1925
A baby boy arrived last Friday at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Rhodes.
Rabies scare at Indian Valley. A rabid dog attacked a dog belonging to R. F. Coutts on the families porch. The coyote was shot and killed and the matter almost forgotten until the dog showed signs of rabies and had bitten Mrs. Albert Dowell, Mrs. Frank Durham and the small daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Richardson. The persons bitten were heavily dressed and this fact saved them from injury, but there is great concern in the area.
T.S. Youngblood of the Midvale Drug Store bought the entire stock of the Rexall Drug Store which was owned by Walter Keithly.
B.F. Price died at Dayton, Oregon last week. He lived here for many years and was one of the areas pioneers.
75 years ago
February 16, 1950
Died: Joseph Haden, 93, of Midvale. He was born in Indiana in 1857.
Rush Creek – “We were all glad to have our roads cleared of snow last week after being snowed in for over a month. The snow was so packed that it was quite a job getting down deep enough so a car could get over them.”
49 years ago
February 19, 1976
Dr. Charles Koenig, formerly of Cove, Oregon has joined the Cambridge Veterinarian Service.
Died: Vivian Boyles, 79, at the Council hospital. She was born in 1897 at Bear. She married William Boyles in 1916 at Weiser and they ranched at Brownlee until they retired and moved to Cambridge in 1945. He died in 1968.
25 years ago
February 17, 2000
Died: Thelma friend, 71, of Fruitvale. Burial at the Meadows Valley Cemetery beside her husband of 17 years, Elmer.
A save the hospital committee has been formed on behalf of the Council Community Hospital. Unless a major fundraising effort raises enough funds, the hospital will probably close forever.
