St. John's Hospital
San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1909, San Angelo had a population of 15,000 and no hospital to serve the needs of its people. That year the San Angelo Business Club, forerunner of the Chamber of Commerce, appealed to the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word of San Antonio for help in establishing a hospital. The Roman Catholic religious order had founded several sanitariums throughout the state since coming to Texas in 1866. Land at this site, then several miles east of the city, was secured, and a four-story, red brick hospital building was constructed. Under the direction of the Sisters, St. John's Sanitarium opened in October 1910. Few patients were treated during its first year of operation because they had to travel the distance from San Angelo on inadequate roads. The sisters were often paid for their services with farm products. As the first hospital of its size in West Texas, St. John's has served the area well. It was one of the region's pioneers in the usage of x-ray equipment, penicillin, and other medical innovations. Over the years, additional facilities have been built as demand for services has increased. In 1970, the original building was razed, but the institution has continued to uphold the ideals and traditions on which it was founded. (1985)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1909 San Angelo had 15,000 residents and no hospital, so its business club appealed to the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word of San Antonio, an order that had founded sanitariums across Texas since 1866. On land then several miles outside town, the sisters opened the four-story brick St. John's Sanitarium in October 1910, sometimes accepting farm products as payment. As West Texas's first hospital of its size, it pioneered the region's use of x-ray equipment and penicillin.
Why it matters
St. John's shows how Catholic religious women built the medical infrastructure of frontier West Texas, bringing modern healthcare to a region that had none.
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Related people
- · Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word
Themes & tags
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