1THE WEIRS TIMES & THE COCHECO TIMES, Thursday, September 26, 2013

COMPLIMENTARYTHE WEIRS, LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE, N.H., THURSDAY, SEPTEMbER 26, 2013VOLUME 22, NO. 39

This C

omplete Edition Available Online!

www.TheWeirsTimes.com

Presorted StandardU.S. Postage

PAIDCONCORD, NH 03301

Permit No. 177

“We notice that the peo-ple of both Claremont and Exeter are moving to sup-ply their towns with a hospital and this fact nat-urally suggests that La-conia is in quite as much need of something of the sort of her sister towns. In a town this size, cases are frequently met with when parties falling sick are unable to command the

attention and the pleasant surroundings for which they gladly pay.”

So went an editorial in the Laconia Democrat on November 27th, 1891, thus prompting a series of events which led to, what is today, Lakes Re-gion General Hospital.

The Laconia Historical Society has put together

a fantastic exhibit at the Laconia Library telling the story of the develop-ment and progression of the hospital in words, pic-tures and artifacts. The exhibit will run through the rest of the year.

After reading that edito-rial in the Laconia Demo-crat, Mrs. Rhoda C. Ladd of Court Street in Laconia, was prompted to name

Laconia in her will. (Laco-nia was, at that time, still a town.)

When Mrs. Ladd died on December 21, 1892 made the town her re-siduary legatee (meaning anything left in the estate after other bequeathed items).

“…. I give to the town of Laconia in trust for the

“Shall We have a hoSpital?”The Story of Origin & History Of Lakes Region General Hospital

Told Through New Exhibit at The Laconia Library

On Wednesday, October 2nd at 7pm, The Lake Winnipesaukee Historical Society presents “Black Bear Happenings in NH”, featuring Candice Rogers, NH Fish & Game Wildlife Steward.

At the talk, Candice will explore the natural his-tory of our native black bears, current research being done on black bears in New Hampshire, and how this powerful species is managed in the Granite State. You’ll learn some intriguing facts about bears, including how the quality of habitat affects bear productivity and how food provided by humans can affect that natural balance. You’ll also hear about the Federal Wildlife and Sport Fish Restora-tion Program, now in its 75th year, which makes wildlife management work possible.

This program is free for members, $5/non-mem-bers. 366-5950 to RSVP.

The Lake Winnipesau-kee is located on Route 3 in the Weirs, next door to Funspot.

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Laconia Hospital in 1966, Today, Lakes Region General Hospital sits on this site, deeded to the then Town of Laconia in 1905 by Rev. Jeremiah S. Jewett. Laconia’s first hospital was a cottage hospital that came to fruition in 1898 through the kindness and dedication of some Laconia citizens. An exhibit telling the complete history of this major New Hampshire hospital is on display at the Laconia Library through December.

See hospital on 14

courtesy Photo

14 THE WEIRS TIMES & THE COCHECO TIMES, Thursday, September 26, 2013

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following uses; the same shall be deposited at in-terest or invested in safe securities, and whenever a hospital shall be estab-lished in Laconia at an ex-penditure of not less than ten thousand dollars, or when said sum or more is raised for such hospi-tal, then the same shall be devoted in aid of said hospital, as the board of selectman, or a committee chosen by said town of Laconia shall be consid-ered for the best interest

of the town.”Mrs. Ladd’s home on

Court Street was ap-praised at $4,125 with a small amount of fur-niture and a Laconia Saving Bank account with $2,049.31. It was to be held in trust until $10,000 could be se-cured for a hospital.

The Rhoda C Ladd Hos-pital Fund Committee was formed.

Mrs. John F. Zebley, a summer resident at the “Nestledown” in the Weirs showed her inter-

est in a local hospital. When the first attempt to raise funds was made she contributed $100. In the latter part of 1895, when another effort was made to raise $1500 to establish a cottage hospi-tal, Mrs. Zebley had little booklets manufactured.

These booklets were two leaves of thick cardboard with twenty-five holes, each big enough for a silver dime, punched in each leaf. When filled, each booklet would have a value of $5.

She then sent the fifty booklets to Woodbury L. Melcher of the Hospi-tal Fund Committee to be distributed in Laco-nia while she sent fifty booklets to her friends in New York City. She also contributed twenty-five dollars.

The local ladies aux-iliary was also hard at work raising funds. They were encouraged by Mrs. Zebley’s assistance as they were getting discour-aged in their own efforts in raising $1.500.

The fundraising was still going on when inci-dents happening in and around Laconia showed the need for a hospital to finally be established.

One item in the exhibit tells of an incident in Sep-tember of 1897 at the rail-road crossing on Messer Street. It was known as “Nichols Crossing.” Frank W. Clay and Minnie B. Johnson were struck by

hospital from 1

See hospital on 15

Rhoda C. Ladd. courtesy Photo

15THE WEIRS TIMES & THE COCHECO TIMES, Thursday, September 26, 2013

the 7:45 Lake Shore train while out for an evening drive in Mr. Clay’s horse and carriage.

According to the Laco-nia Democrat: “The terror maddened horse dashed off, tearing itself away from the harness and team as the latter was struck by the swiftly-moving lo-comotive, lifted high in the air and thrown a distance of fifty-feet. While the two occupants were hurled an even greater distance and lay insensible and bleed-ing.”

The couple was trans-ported to a house in Lake-port and two physicians,

Dr. Harriman and Dr. Saltmarsh, were called for. As the Democrat not-ed in a subhead: “Victims Still Lying Unconscious, He Fatally Injured; She Barely has a chance for recovery.”

Funds were f ina l ly raised on July 19, 1898, the Laconia Cottage Hos-pital, at the former home of Mrs. Rhoda C. Ladd, was finally dedicated and opened. It had a capacity of about six to eight pa-tients at a time.

The Cottage Hospital paid a rent of one-hun-

dred and fifty dollars a year.

It was in 1905 when the present site of what is today, Lakes Region Gen-eral Hospital was deeded to Laconia by Rev. Jer-emiah S. Jewett who, in conjunction with the celebration of 50th year of Laconia’s incorporation as a town. Rev. Jewett sold the land to the town for $6,000, a fraction of its worth, and then donated $3,000 back to help with the building of the hospital.

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Mrs. John F. ZebleyRhoda Ladd’s house on Court Street eventually became the Laconia Cottage Hospital. The building still stands today and is occupied by Demo Shoe Repair. courtesy Photos

16 THE WEIRS TIMES & THE COCHECO TIMES, Thursday, September 26, 2013

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The conditional deed transferred the Jewett Family parcel on “Jew-ett Hill” to the Laconia Hospital: “…That there shall be erected upon the herein described land, so soon as the available funds of said Laconia Hospital Association will

permit, one or more per-manent buildings con-structed of brick and stone; at a cost of no less than 20,000…”

So ends the first part of the history of Laco-nia’s hospital, yet the exhibit at the Laconia Library will take you not only here but through

the rest of its history to present day.

Two large displays give a detailed timeline of sig-nificant events in the hos-pital’s history and there are pictures and artifacts that will take you on a trip through time.

The exhibit was put together by Brenda Poli-doro, Executive Director of the Laconia Historical Society as well as Patri-cia Rice, Manager, Com-munications & Program Development Office of Education at LRGH.

hospital from 15

In 1905, The Rev. Jeremiah S. Jewett (below) deeded land on Jewett Hill (above) to Laconia for $6,000 and then gave them $3,000 to help build the hospital. It is the site where LRGH stands today. courtesy Photo