Historical Look at LB Hospitals

Gerrie Schipske
Long Beach Hospital – then Long Beach Sanitarium – then St. Mary Hospital.

From its earliest days, the City of Long Beach included public health as part of its local government structure and community. The Long Beach Public Health Board was established in the 1890s, headed by Dr. William Cuthbert, a retired Civil War surgeon. It is one of only three cities in the state which operates its own Public Health Department.

As the population swelled at this seaside resort, physicians complained that their patients had to be transported via carriage to the Los Angeles County hospital over 25 miles away. Recognizing the need for a local hospital, a group of physicians and local businessmen formed the Long Beach Hospital Association in 1903 and purchased land at 10th Street and Linden Avenue. The Long Beach Hospital was designed by architects Starbuck and Curth. Within two years of its opening, the Long Beach Hospital closed as a result of “mismanagement and scandals.”

The Long Beach Hospital was leased to the Battle Creek Sanitarium Company of Battle Creek, Michigan, which marketed it as a place to “take the cure.” In 1921, Dr. T.O. Boyd purchased the hospital and continued to run it as a sanitarium until 1923 when it was converted into a St. Mary’s General Hospital and managed by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word from Galveston, Texas. St. Mary Medical Center continues to be one of Long Beach’s finest hospitals.

Another sanitarium was opened in Long Beach at Park and Ocean View in 1907 by Dr. W.L. Woodruff, a homeopathic practitioner who treated patients with “light therapy.” Woodruff actively fought the state’s order to vaccinate students.

City Public Health Officer Dr. Harriman Jones stepped in and ordered the vaccinations. Long Beach was seen as the leader in the anti-vaccination movement.

In 1909, a San Francisco publication said this about Long Beach: “Nearly 400 children were dismissed from public schools here today because they had not been vaccinated. The parents of most of the children will not permit them to be vaccinated. Several families will leave town on account of the trouble. A public mass meeting has been called for tomorrow night by the anti-vaccinationists to consider the subject. So, they are beginning to wake up at Long Beach! “ When a small epidemic of smallpox broke out in a local school in the 1920, the fight against vaccines weakened.

After the closure of the Long Beach Hospital, local physicians, including Dr. Harriman Jones, moved quickly to open a general hospital and named it “Seaside.” Their chosen site at 519 Cedar was rejected when residents complained to city government of having a hospital so close by. Eventually, Seaside was located in the house formerly owned by the Long Beach school board president and then expanded in West Long Beach in 1913. The expansion came none too soon. A collapse of the municipal auditorium floor killed over 50 and sent dozens more to Seaside for treatment.

The first school of nursing in the area was opened at Seaside Hospital in 1918. That same year, many local residents were hospitalized as they fought the “Spanish influenza” that would kill millions around the world. The local public health officer was credited for keeping down the number of cases in Long Beach because of his orders to limit public gatherings at theaters and churches.

After oil was discovered in 1921, the City of Long Beach could not spend the millions of dollars it received fast enough. A community hospital was proposed at which residents could receive care at lower rates than the other private hospitals in town.

The chamber of commerce actively promoted the idea of a city hospital and contributions poured in from residents, including the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. City bonds were approved by voters and the City cancelled the oil lease on the 8 acres chosen for the site. By 1924, Community Hospital of Long Beach was opened after waging a battle to prohibit osteopaths from using the hospital. The “war” between medical doctors and osteopaths continued. In 1954, a group of osteopaths opened Pacific Hospital adjacent to the Long Beach Public Health Department.

In 1980, the City of Long Beach designated Community Hospital a “historical landmark.” As of early 2019 the hospital was slated for closure because of the costs of seismic retrofitting.

By the time the 1933 earthquake hit, Long Beach was able to take care of the dozens of injured at its four hospitals: Seaside, Community, St. Mary’s and Harriman Jones Clinic and Hospital.

Long Beach’s temperate weather and seaside ambiance continued to draw more and more retired veterans. Local physicians lobbied Congress to locate a veterans’ hospital in the city. During WWII, a Naval hospital was constructed on land owned by the Bixby family.

After the war, Los Angeles County acquired a 26-acre site that had been used for military barracks and opened the Long Beach General Hospital which was used as alcohol rehab center and home for comatose patients. It was eventually demolished in the 1980s and replaced with a business complex.

The Naval hospital was built in the 1940s and turned into a Veteran’s Hospital in 1950. A new Long Beach Naval Hospital was officially commissioned in February 1967 on a 65-acre tract. When the U.S. Navy left Long Beach, the hospital was demolished and replaced with a shopping center in 1999.

As healthcare became more technological, older hospitals were replaced. Seaside Hospital became Seaside Memorial Hospital and in 1960, became the Los Angeles County Chronic Disease Hospital. A $6.5 million bond issue passed and helped fund the building of Memorial Hospital of Long Beach in 1960. Memorial and St. Mary Medical Center were designated “trauma centers” by Los Angeles County in 1983 and continue to provide quality care to the Long Beach area.

For the complete history of Long Beach hospitals, you can read “Historic Hospitals of Long Beach” by Gerrie Schipske. Copies are available to Costco and Barnes and Noble.

gerrie@beachcomber.news

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Comments

I was born in "Long Beach Maternity Hospital" in December, 1933. I understand it was torn down in the late '30s or early '40s. I understand it was located somewhere near the present day Virginia Country Club. Can anyone shed additional light on this. What was its street address? When was it torn down? Are there any surviving pictures?

Can anyone show me a picture of the hospital where I was born on October 1, 1957. I know it was a naval hospital. It may have been named Seaside Memorial Hospital. I recently became interested due to both my parents deaths. I'm hoping someone will read this and may have photographs. Thank you!

Hi Dovie-I was born at Seaside Memorial in 1955. Seaside was a civilian hospital, and according to my late mother, and many others, was one fine facility.Believe it was converted to Convalescent home sometimes in 60"s. Beleve it was torn down in 90"s? The people who ran it run memorial mc of LB, which is an excellent hospital system.

Thank you David! I appreciate your reply to my comment about the Long Beach Hospital. It's been a while since I wrote that and I apologize for not going back to see if I got any replies. I just read your comment and want to thank you. I miss my parents so much and of course I always will.
Again, thank you David
Sincerely,
Dovie ( Minor) Cabral

I was born in 1938 at community hospital as were two of my children. Dr., Lucille McConnell was the Dr., for my entire family

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