Harlingen Hospital
Harlingen, Cameron County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This building, originally located on "F" Street, housed the first hospital in Harlingen. The institution was started by local businesswoman Ida Gilbert and Marie Yeager, a nurse. Built in 1923, the structure was comprised of an original center section with two buildings added as wings. The 7-bed facility closed four years later after the opening of the Valley Baptist Hospital. The structure, later used as a rooming house and private residence, was moved here in 1978. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1980
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Harlingen's first hospital opened in this building in 1923, the joint venture of local businesswoman Ida Gilbert and nurse Marie Yeager. The seven-bed facility, with wings added to a central section, served the young Rio Grande Valley town for just four years before the larger Valley Baptist Hospital eclipsed it. The structure later became a rooming house and residence, and was moved to this site in 1978.
Why it matters
Founded and run by women, the hospital reflects the outsized role women often played in bringing modern medical care to raw, fast-growing Southwestern towns.
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Related people
- · Ida Gilbert
- · Marie Yeager
Themes & tags
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