The year was 1928. Ten years had elapsed since the former Tupper Lake Sanatorium had been converted into a hospital here and staffed by the Sisters of Mercy of Gabriels Sanatorium. Almost from the very beginning, these facilities had been found to be inadequate, despite the heroic efforts under trying conditions by the good Sisters of Mercy.
An effort to erect a modern, fireproof hospital was started under a committee composed of Peter Propp, chairman, W.W. McCarthy, Floyd Hutchins and Sister Mary Victoria. The financial drive, with a goal of $100,000, was rapidly pushed to success.
Former historian Louis Simmons tells us: “The new hospital was built on 13 acres of land, excellently located near the intersection of Stetson Road, Moody Road and Racquette River Drive, and with ample room for expansion. It was opened on Feb. 14, 1929, with a capacity of 23 beds and 10 bassinets. The first addition was made in 1932 when the old frame hospital was razed and a convent for the Sisters was erected directly connected to the hospital.”
That new, modern hospital was a wonderful, reassuring addition to the community, especially to residents with young children or those with serious ailments. The community supported the hospital at every turn with efforts like the Mercy General Auxiliary, which was formed with the direct purpose of providing a community link with the hospital. Grace Grabenstein, local teacher, and Mose Ginsberg were the original officers of that group along with Mary Quinn.
For more than fifty years, Mercy General Hospital would continue as an oasis of healthcare. A quick overview of three rather distinctive periods during that time frame may be of interest to readers:
- Industrial Revolution, 1920s.
We can begin with the 1920s when the first modern hospital was established and saw an advance of technology not dreamed of in earlier years. Automobiles and good roads were first coming into common use. An instrument called the radio became more than the unsatisfactory crystal ear set then is use. Radio stations that provided clearer sound were springing up everywhere. A young Tupper Lake electrician, Gordon Bisson (Bee-saw) installed equipment and towers at the Hotel Iroquois, and a very early radio station, WDHL, was established here, providing exceptional reception. Another dramatic change in this time period was in the lives of women here. Electric irons became available. Gone was the flat iron heated on a wood stove. Electric washing machines did away with washing by hand (even though, as a youngster, I remember my mother setting aside an entire Saturday – she taught school during the week – as a wash day). The refrigerator replaced iceboxes and indoor plumbing replaced the outhouse.
- Great Depression, 1930s
Then came a period during the 1930s called the Great Depression, which paralyzed the nation’s economy. A grim time here, yet in some ways, through relief and work projects, allowed greater progress than any other time in the community’s history (the expansion of the golf course and the erection of Rod & Gun Clubhouse, municipal park, Setting Pole Dam, etc.).
- World War II
The 1940s brought with it the global nightmare known as World War II, one of the most terrible periods of modern times. A fight to prevent the destruction of the world as people knew it, and bringing with it an unyielding sea of blood. Nearly a thousand Tupper Lake men and women served with the armed services during the four-year participation of the United States in that war. Ten percent of that number were killed, wounded (61), missing in action and prisoners of war.
That brings us to 1946 and the war’s end. The original medical staff was then organized, and eight years later in 1954, Mercy General was finally fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals. Unfortunately, at about that time, Tupper Lake, as in many other rural communities, was suffering from a steadily increasing shortage of doctors. With that trend, as historian Louis Simmons has noted, came a decline in patient load, and the Sisters of Mercy warned that unless things improved, it would appear advisable to utilize the time and efforts of the nuns elsewhere, where there was greater need for them.
Next Transitions: Crisis looms.