History on display at county hospital

Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County is still celebrating the milestone it reached on Dec. 2.

On that day in 1893, dedication ceremonies were held with the Masons of Rock Springs Lodge No. 12 placing the cornerstone. It was completed and opened within a year at the top of C Street in Rock Springs. The hospital went through many transformations before it moved to its 1200 College Drive location.

Parts of that history can be found in the hospital lobby, on the hospital’s website at sweetwatermemorial.com, and at the Sweetwater County Museum at 3 E. Flaming Gorge Way in Green River.

The hospital’s big celebration in November included an overview of the history from the past century. Thanks to Sweetwater County Historical Museum, some of those exhibits remain on display.

Museum Exhibits Coordinator Dave Mead and Curator Amanda Benson transported two glass cases from Green River to the hospital to display historic nursing uniforms. They will be on display in the main lobby at the hospital until after the first of the year.

Across from the display is a permanent historical display case that also has a new exhibit. Mead created an exhibit featuring “Medical Science & Snake Oil: Exploring Early Medicine,” “Early Healthcare in Sweetwater County” and “Sweetwater County’s Physicians Serving Citizens Over the Years.”

“Dave Mead also created two incredible, life-size cutouts for use during our 125th birthday bash in November,” said MHSC Marketing & Public Relations Director Deb Sutton. “Our guests had so much fun taking selfies with the early-1900s surgical team of Dr. Arbogast and Nurse Cudgill, complete with an old-time gurney. I’m sure we will put them to use for other events in the future.

“We can’t thank the museum staff enough for all of their efforts in helping us celebrate this important milestone,” Sutton said. “The museum offers a wide variety of exhibits well worth exploring.”

The museum in Green River is now operating under its winter hours: Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. It will be closed on Sundays, Mondays and some holidays, including Christmas Eve afternoon, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve afternoon and New Year's Day.

 

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