Dr. William Reuben Tennison
New Summerfield, Cherokee County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(March 18, 1855 -- November 12, 1936) Born in a log cabin in rural east Cherokee County, William Reuben Tennison earned a degree from St. Louis Medical School in 1878. He returned home to open an office in the home of his father, Mathew Tennison. For the next fifty-eight years he provided health care for the people of Cherokee County, often treating indigent patients without payment. He continued to treat patients until shortly before his death.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Born in a log cabin in rural Cherokee County in 1855, William Reuben Tennison earned a medical degree in St. Louis in 1878 and came straight home to practice out of his father's house. For fifty-eight years he cared for the people of the county, often treating those who could not pay, and continued seeing patients almost until his death in 1936.
Why it matters
The long career of a beloved country doctor reflects how a single dedicated physician could be the whole of health care for a rural community across generations.
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Related people
- · William Reuben Tennison
Themes & tags
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