1. "Truesdale Hospital"
Posted by augusta on Jun-26th-02 at 12:15 PM

Here is a frontal view of Truesdale Hospital in 1929.  There's a shot of the hospital on the "Photos" page for "Fall River" that is taken more from the side.

I picked this up on eBay for $10. 

That's a beautiful postcard rendition.  Thanks!

Rebello. pg. 317-8:

"Lizzie at Truesdale Hospital-
Lizzie was operated on at Truesdale Hospital in Fall River, Mass., in 1926"

"Pearson, Edmund, Murder at Smutty Nose, Garden City, N.y.:  The Sun Dial Press, Inc., 1938, 295-296.

In the same month of Mrs. Churchill's death (Feb. 16, 1926), there were recorded in the press one or two other incidents which concerned persons who had appeared in the trial, and finally, the newspapers of Fall River discovered that the 'Miss Mary Smith Borden of Providence', who was recovering from a major operation in the local hospital, was none other than their celebrated townswoman, Miss Lizzie - or, as she was then called, Miss' Lizbeth' Borden - herself.  To avoid unpleasant notoriety, she had been allowed to enter the hospital under a pseudonym, and her stay was nearly ended before the staff were aware of her identity.  It would be incorrect to say that no privileges were accorded to her by her native city."

"Personals:  Miss Lizbeth A. Borden, 306 French Street, is ill at the Truesdale (Hospital).  It is understood that Miss Borden was operated on about three weeks ago and that she is well on the way of convalescence."  Fall River Herald, Feb. 24, 1926: 4.

--see also pg.s 320 & 500.

Thanks, Augusta!  And thank you too, Kat!  But, no mention of orange sherbet? 

I think the orange sherbet was mentioned in the part where they said "privileges". 

According to Vol. III of "Victorian Vistas" (which I received last week), Truesdale Hospital was established by Dr. Philemon E. Truesdale in 1905 in the former residence of a Bishop Stang.  The bishop intended to  set up housekeeping in a new home he had purchased - an estate on Highland Avenue.  Those religious types did all right for themselves, apparently!  Fall River had several of these private hospitals, owned by prominent doctors.  In April of 1911, Dr. Truesdale went on record as saying the ambulance service in Fall River (which was operated by the police) was a disgrace and that he didn't use it.  Patients at his hospital arrived by taxi. He and other doctors were advocating the purchase of an "auto ambulance."

The impression I get is the wings were additions to the original building. Increased capacity by nearly 100%? I wasn't aware that hospitals in those days were privately built & operated. It seems doubtful they would be, then or now. The SOP is to have the public build and maintain it for the convenience of medical profession, and their patients.

Thanks for the great post, Edisto!  It sounds like a hospital for the more elite, if they're arriving by taxi.
I wondered why it seemed like Fall River had so many doctors and hospitals.
Yes, Rays, it does look like there were wings added on to it.  There was a Fall River City Hospital - they probably treated the more 'common folk' - or so it sounds like it.  There were more hospitals than that there, weren't there?
It's very interesting to know who Truesdale Hospital was named after and how it came into being.  Yes, bishops seemed to have pretty swell living quarters.  I've heard of others like that.  I don't know if that was the norm then or not.  I don't think it is today.

What religion was Bishop Stang? Could the "Bishop's House" have been used for a seminary or convent? Or of a non-private nature?
Maybe a British Anglican Bishop might have had such an impressive estate, but I wonder if that was true in New England?

Rays, I guess that Bishop Stang would have been Episcopal.  (Same as "Anglican" in England.) That's the only religion that's ruled by Bishops, isn't it?

The Rt. Rev. William Stang was consecrated as Catholic Bishop of Fall River on May 2, 1904. The consecration took place at the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul, in Providence, Rhode Island.
(Victorian Vistas, Vol.#3, page 199)

Thanks, Bill.  I didn't know bishops were in the Catholic church too.