History

Powell County Medical Center
Deer Lodge, Montana

In October of 1873, by the persistent endeavors of Rev. Remigius De Ryckere, first diocesan priest in Montana, the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth came to Deer Lodge, Montana to establish a hospital. Montana had been an organized territory for only a very short time. The four Sisters left the Mother House in Leavenworth on October 23, 1873 and arrived after a rugged twelve day trip from Leavenworth, by rail to Corrine, Utah, then by stage-coach to Deer Lodge. A hospital was opened in a little log cabin that stood on the corner of Third and D Streets and which had formerly been the Deer Lodge County Court House. This was Montana's second hospital. The Sisters set up a couple of hand-sawed, cut-wood beds with criss-crossed rope springs and stocked upon crude hewn-board shelves a meager supply of quinine, mustard plasters, carbolic acid, homemade cough syrup, and bandages. They then staunchly announced that they were prepared to give hospital care to the sick and injured. From the first day, prospectors, farmers, ranchers, their wives and children came on foot and on horseback, by wagon and sled to seek relief from their miseries at the Sister's hospital.

The sisters remained in these temporary quarters till February, 1874, when they moved to their new building, a convenient two-story frame structure erected next to the brick three story structure seen above.

After the battle fought at Big Hole, August 7, 1877, on hearing that there was a Sister's hospital at Deer Lodge, General John Gibbon at once moved his command in that direction in order to place his wounded men in the Sister's care. St. Joseph's Hospital proved to be a Godsend for the brave fellows, who never forgot the untiring attention they received at the hands of their nurses. It may also be well to mention in this connection that no sooner had the news of the battle, with a call for medical aid and other assistance, reached Helena, than a couple of Sisters accompanied by one of the Fathers, were on their way to the scene of action to offer their services in behalf of the wounded. The act was greatly appreciated by officers and men, and General Gibbon in his official report made reference to it in terms both grateful and complimentary. The soldiers also published this note of thanks: "We the members of the detachment of the 7th Infantry wounded in the fight at the Big Hole while serving under our brave and gallant commander General John Gibbon, desire to offer to the Sisters of Charity, St. Joseph's Hospital, for the unremitting care and attention given us while under their care, our deepest gratitude; and shall ever think and speak of those estimable ladies in highest terms and with greatest praise."

A substantial brick structure was completed in 1882, replacing the original frame building. At the time it seemed to the Sister's to be ample for years to come. Awareness of being needed and the spirit of service which motivated the courageous Sister's to enter the Valley remained unchanged.

The camp of Deer Lodge, begun as a temporary settlement, had grown into a prosperous small city by the middle '80's because the extension of the Northern Pacific Railroad from Chicago to the Pacific Coast came through it. Then in 1908, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad extended its lines into Deer Lodge, and in 1920 the establishment of the Milwaukee shops in the town, with the subsequent transfer of railroad men and their families swelled the population and caused St. Joseph's to reach the limit of its capacity.

With the new building imperative, Catholic and non-Catholic friends of the Sisters solicited funds from door to door in the entire area. These funds helped the Sister's erect the three story sixty-five-bed hospital seen above. This remained in service until 1963 at which time the Sisters left deer lodge. The building was leased by the County Commissioners for an additional year until Powell County Memorial Hospital was completed.

Powell County Memorial Hospital was opened in 1964 with the aid of $300,000 in county bonds and use of the Hill-Burton Act which provided matching funds on a 60-49 basis. At present the Hospital is undergoing renovation and the addition of the Deer Lodge Clinic which is currently located across the street on Maryland Avenue. To see more of our renovation project go to Renovation Project.

Powell County Memorial Hospital would like to thank The Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth for their contribution to the content of this page.