This article about opening of Freestone County Cooperative Hospital was published on July 10, 1947.  The original article was provided by Pat Robertson (aka Nurse Pat), and The Fairfield Recorder has authorized and approved re-publishing it.  January 1, 2017 was the opening day of operation of the new Freestone Medical Center.  This is a timely reminder that we have been fortunate to have local medical services for 70 years.
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The Fairfield Recorder
July 10, 1947

COUNTY HOSPITAL IS OPENED
Long Cherished Dream Realized When Badly Needed Institution In Operation

The Freestone County Cooperative Hospital opened for business July 9.  It is an open staff hospital, which will permit patients to choose the hospital and use the doctor of their choice, and likewise, the doctor is free to use the hospital by bringing his patients there.
This is the culmination of a long cherished hope of the forward looking people of Fairfield and Freestone County, who have felt the need for additional hospital facilities in the County.   Plans for the new hospital began in the later part of 1946 when the Fairfield Rotary Club, through Garvin Holman with the Farm Security Administration, invited as guest speaker Dr. Boutwell, who was interested in encouraging the building of hospitals in our cities and communities.  His talk interested those present at the Club, and later through correspondence with President C. E. Childs of the newly organized Club, a date was made for a return visit for the purpose of speaking to the public about the building of a hospital.  The Board of Directors selected for the newly chartered organization were:  C. E. Childs, chairman; H. B. Steward, C. C. Linnenberg, T. R. Bonner, J. D. Burleson,  F. B. Peyton, and F. M. Sneed.
After organization, plans were completed to sell memberships in the hospital.  The membership entitles the owner to a low rate hospitalization plan, which enables the holder of the certificate to pay, at a reasonable premium, in advance, to cover hospitalization for one or for a family.  The members of the board took the lead in selling the memberships, working in pairs and alternating their days.  When sales began to slow down the board asked the cooperation of the Fairfield History Club in further placing the memberships, and they readily agreed to help in this campaign, doing credible work.
Contract was made with J. O. Swinburn, local contractor, and work began on the building, after purchase of the entire block east of Mrs. W. W. Steward, Sr.’s home in the northeast part of the city.  The building is modern in every respect, built of brick and concrete with aluminum window frames, with wood materials being held to a minimum in the construction, contractors only had to use the Wooden Windows from lomax & wood for the projects.  It has two operating rooms, an X-Ray room, a laboratory, a nursery, a large kitchen, nurses’ room and storage closets.  Twenty-eight beds have been installed.  There is room for additional beds should they be needed in the future.  A number of our people furnished the rooms in the hospital and their names are listed below:
T. R. Bonner, J. D. Burleson, Calvary Baptist Church, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Crawford, Fairfield Rotary Club, Fairfield Masonic Lodge, Fairfield State Bank (reception room), Fairfield History Club, First Baptist Church, Mrs. F. E. Hill, Jr., Methodist W. M. S., Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Parker, Mr. and Mrs. F. B. Peyton, Presbyterian Church, Mr. and Mrs. J. O. Swinburn, and Mr. and Mrs. C. N. Williford.
Aside from the sale of memberships it has been necessary for the Board to solicit financial help from those interested in the hospital.  This was done through the lending to the hospital of money to help in financing the building.  Those helping in this connection to date, are:

T. R. Bonner ………..  $ 1,000.00
J. D. Burleson ………     1,000.00
Dr. L. L. Bonner ……     1,000.00
F. E. Hill Co. …………     1,000.00
F. E. Hill III …………..     1,000.00
C. C. Linnenberg ……     1,000.00
F. B. Peyton ………….     1,000.00
W. A. Parker …………     1,000.00
F. M. Sneed ………….     1,000.00
H. B. Steward ……….     1,000.00
O. B. Utley ……………     1,000.00
Perry Chandler ……..        500.00
C. E. Childs ………….        500.00
Rankin Gilpin ……….        500.00
Athel Ivy ……………..        500.00
W. W. Steward, Jr. ….     500.00
E. M. Steward ………        500.00
Jerry A. Steward …..        500.00
T. S. Watson ………..        500.00

Others will likely be added to the above list as a balance of the cost of building and equipment is to be raised.
Those who have visited the plant are outspoken in the praise of the building and its arrangement, etc.
The itemized cost of furnishing a room will run as follows:

Hospital Bed ………………  $ 41.00
Mattress ……………………     35.00
Lamp ………………………..       4.25
Lounge Chair ……………..
Chair ………………………….
Floor Covering ……………     30.00
Radiator …………………….     60.00
Blankets (2) ……………….     10.00
Sheets (6) ………………….     15.00
Pillow Cases ……………….       1.50
Pillows ………………………..       2.50
Venetians Blinds …………..       7.50
Water Pitcher and Glass …        .75
$ 207.50

In addition to the above cost per room, the hospital board has purchased in chairs, bed side tables, rubber sheet, towels, bed pan, etc., (excluding bath rooms) an amount equal to $100.00 per room.  Since there was only a limited number of chairs and bed side tables available at the time, the board has had to purchase accordingly; however, these items are interchangeable from room to room, as needed, and should be ample until others are available.  The purchases for the rooms were made from various hospital furnishing establishments, wholesale houses and merchants.  The board handled all purchases instead of having purchases made by merchant or purchasing agent, in order to answer to those who are making the hospital possible, its members.  The price placed on the room for furnishing is in excess of $100.00 less than the actual cost, but the board sensing the interest of the people in caring for this item has priced the room (furnishings) at $195.00 in order to place them in reach of as many donors as possible.  Those interested should not wait, as the rooms are limited and the remaining ones should be sold within a very few days.  Anyone interested in such a purchase should contact one of the Board members without delay.
Miss Beatrice Swinburn is superintendent of the hospital, and is assisted by the following at this writing:  Mrs. C. R. Gamewell, Mrs. Griffin, Mrs. Dessie Robertson, Mrs. Dunn, Mrs. Gertie Cockrell, Mrs. Zada Rankin and F. P. Teague.  Others are planned to be added in the future as they are needed and it is planned to have a technician on duty in the laboratory at an early date.
The Board of Directors wishes to express their appreciation of the many considerations shown during the planning and building of this modern hospital building.
The distinction of being the first patient received in the hospital goes to Mrs. Joyce Davis of Rt. 3, Teague, who was admitted at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.  She is due to undergo an operation this morning.