Things weren't easy for people who became seriously ill or injured in the Delhi area before 1920. For that matter, it wasn't easy for doctors, as they had to go from home to home to treat the sick or injured. Imagine "" no decent hospital in Delhi.
That's pretty much the way things were with the state of health care until Henry W. Cannon got involved in changing a struggling hospital into something more dependable.
The idea of a community hospital in Delhi dates back to around 1910. Dr. H.A. Gates, a general practitioner, first awakened residents of the area to the needs of hospital services. Gates' ideas were endorsed by Dr. William Ormiston, and the two helped form the Delhi Hospital Association. Dr. Ormiston was known to furnish a room in his own home at times for patients who needed immediate and constant nursing care.
The Delhi Hospital opened sometime after that, on Franklin Street, now privately owned housing. Between 1914 and 1919, management, matrons and nurse personnel changed several times.
The Delaware Republican announced in its May 24, 1919, issue that the purchase of the property on Franklin Street had been made by Mr. Cannon, who presented it to Delhi free of debt, and with a sufficient sum to provide needed equipment not already installed.
Cannon was a native of the area, born in 1850 in Delhi. One of his first jobs was at the First National Bank of Delhi, as a clerk and teller. His career took him to St. Paul, Minn., Washington, D.C., and finally New York City. While in Washington, Cannon was the comptroller of currency in President Chester Arthur's administration. In New York, Cannon was president of the Chase National Bank.
Cannon had also made another substantial gift to his hometown, the Cannon Memorial Library, which opened in April 1918.
As for the Delhi Hospital, the certification of incorporation was Feb. 15, 1922.
The Great Depression was a mixed bag of success and problems at Delhi Hospital.
On one hand, needed additions and repairs were made in 1933 and 1934 for about $3,500, provided by Cannon.
On the other hand, by 1938, business had gotten so poor that the hospital board, on Oct. 6, "voted to provide flashlights with strong batteries as emergency lighting for the operating room." Eventually, things got better.
By 1949, the Hospital Association started an aggressive drive for memberships in the community. Members began holding open houses in 1953 to show off the facilities on Franklin Street.
It was around this time that first mentions were made of a new, modern hospital.
Standards for hospitals were on the rise in New York, and each time an inspector came around, conditions were pointed out that Delhi Hospital wasn't meeting.
Charles Aitken was on the hospital board in 1955. He was also Delhi's mayor. In May of that year, Aitken assembled the hospital board and convinced members to start making plans to either renovate the present building or to build a new one.
A fundraising drive, which had the slogan "Help Yourself by Helping Others," took place.
A site was secured on Andes Road, known today as state Route 28. The dedication of the new Delhi Hospital took place on Oct. 26, 1958.
As for the former hospital, it was purchased for $5,500, and was set to be transformed into housing for State University College of Technology at Delhi.
In 1969, the name of the hospital was changed to the A. Lindsay and Olive B. O'Connor Hospital, in recognition of their support. It remained an independent hospital until 1988, when the hospital joined the Bassett Healthcare network, where it remains an affiliate today.
On Monday: A new war memorial was dedicated in Oneonta in 1948.
City Historian Mark Simonson's column appears twice weekly. On Saturdays, his column focuses on the area during the Depression and before. His Monday columns address local history after the Depression. If you have feedback or ideas about the column, write to him at The Daily Star, or e-mail him at simmark@stny.rr.com.
His website is
www.oneontahistorian.com.
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