COLORADO'S EARLY WOMEN DOCTORS - Pikes Peak Region 1870s

Post (c) Doris McCraw

Cheyenne Mounain,just west of Pikes Pike Colorado at sunrise

Last months post was about Dr. Alida Avery, one of Colorado's early female physicians, who had her practice in Denver, Colorado. But what of the women in the Pikes Peak region, which included Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs and Colorado City. Here is the story of four of the very early women who came to the Pikes Peak region to practice their profession.

As previously noted there were women physicians who moved to and made Colorado their home during the 1870s. In Colorado Springs, a new town which began in 1871, was home to Dr. Julia E. Loomis. Family stories have her living there as early as 1876. Documents, such as ads in the local Gazette newspaper, show she definitely was living there by 1878. Dr. Loomis was an 1870 graduate of the Cleveland Women’s Homeopathic College. This institution was one of the women medical colleges that started up to offer education to women who wanted to pursue medicine. This and other women medical colleges is a result of Dr. Elizabeth Blackwood, her sister, Dr. Emily Blackwell, and Dr. Maria E. Zackrzewka who began a hospital in 1856-1857 in New York, and offered hands-on education and experience to women in a practical setting Although Dr. Loomis may have been practicing medicine prior to her two years at Cleveland’s college, that she went to school after the death of her only daughter at the age of 52, shows a desire to be more, to also be one of the women who could and would practice medicine as the men did.

Headstone for Dr. Julia E. Loomis- Evergreen Cemetery, Colorado Springs, CO

Manitou Springs, a near neighbor and also new town, had Dr. Harriet Leonard. Like Dr. Loomis, family histories place her in the region in 1876. Dr. Leonard graduated from the Keokuk School of Physicians and Surgeons in Keokuk, Iowa. This school was the first co-ed schools in the nation. Originally located in LaPorte, Indiana, in 1849, the school moved to Keokuk and began classes in November 1850. The school was the Medical Department of the State University of Iowa, located in Iowa City, Iowa. As a result of this association, when the University became the first publicly supported university to be co-educational in 1870, the school in Keokuk, by mandate had to accept female students into the medical program.

Headstone for Dr. Harriet Leonard, Evergreen Cemetery, Colorado Springs, CO

These two women were shortly joined by Dr. Esther B, Holmes, 1878 and Dr. Clarabel Rowe, 1879. Dr. Holmes was born in 1844 in Rhode Island. Dr. Rowe around 1833 in Massachusetts. Dr. Rowe received her license in 1881 and Dr. Holmes 1882, shortly after Colorado started its licensing process. Dr. Rowe was also active in the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, giving talks and traveling on behalf of the organization. Dr. Holmes, who remained in Colorado Springs, was fondly known as 'the baby doctor'. Were these women and Dr. Loomis friends? Quite possibly. The death card for Dr. Loomis was signed by E. B. Holmes. In 1888 Dr. Rowe and Dr. Holmes traveled together on a trip through Southern California.

While Dr. Loomis was building her practice and taking care of her extended family, Dr. Leonard was working as the proprietor at the Manitou Spa. As far as records of any other female physician preceeding Dr. Loomis or Dr. Leonard in the Pikes Peak region, none have been found. Of the four women who were pioneers in the Pikes Peak region, only Dr. Rowe moved away. After the death of her husband, Dr. Rowe, moved to California. 

Doris McCraw, pen name Angela Raines is an Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in
Colorado and Women's History

For a list of Angela Raines Books: Here 

Photo and Poem: Click Here 

Angela Raines FaceBook: Click Here

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AN ARGUMENT FOR LOVE

Post copyright 2015 by Doris McCraw

As most of you know, I also research early women doctors in Colorado prior to 1900. Now the myth of the lone women, fighting prejudice is in our collective consciousness. But was that true. In some cases yes, but I would also contend that there were just as many who had loving and supportive husbands and family. In the case of Julia E. Loomis I think it went even further. Below are the basic facts.

Julia E. Loomis was probably the first medical college woman doctor in Colorado Springs. One early source says she arrived here as early as 1876. While that may or may not be the case, she definitely was here in 1878. Her ad in the August 1878 Gazette read, “Mrs. J. E. Loomis, M.D. Special attention give to diseases of women and children. Residence corner of Tejon and Kiowa Street.”

Julia was born on January 16, 1816 to Samuel and Polly Frizell of New Woodstock, New York the youngest of ten daughters. (There were fourteen children born to this union) On January 7, 1836 Julia married J.C.(John) Loomis. They remained in New York state, during the early years of their marriage. Both of their children were born there. A son, John Lewis Loomis b.1838 and a daughter, Julia Gertrude Loomis, b.1844.

In 1856 Julia, John and family moved west to Washington Township, Buchanan County, Iowa. The town of Independence, founded in 1847, was the county seat. Their daughter, Gertrude, married Charles W. Taylor on May 22, 1861 in Buchanan County at the age of 18. Three years later on April 1, 1864 at the age of 21, Gertrude died. She is buried in Independence Iowa.

Although their son John Lewis Loomis did not live with the family, he also took up residence in Independence, Iowa at around the same time. He and his wife Alice M. Loomis had a son, Linn born on December 26, 1868 but died January 7, 1869. Linn is buried in Oakwood cemetery, Independence, Iowa. John was the editor of the 'Bulletin' in 1865 but sold it the following year. He also served as postmaster until 1880 when he, Alice and their family moved to Colorado. They had two other children, Melvin b. around 1870 and Gertrude b. around 1872.

Julia attended the Cleveland Woman’s Homeopathic College where she graduated with her M.D., in February of 1870 at the age of fifty-four. From there she and John moved to McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee. During 1872-73 she spent some time in Atlanta, Georgia and return during the early part of 1876. An ad in the 'Atlanta Constitution' during that time read in part “Mrs.Loomis not only attends to general practice, but gives special attention to CHRONIC DISEASES of every description, in which, as well as Obstetrics she has had marked success”.

Pikes Peak as seen from Fountain Co. 1870
USGS photo

After Julia and her husband John arrived in Colorado Springs, she set up her medical practice. This was at a time when many 'doctors' were coming to the area. Dr. S. Edwin Solly from England and know for his work on climatology and health had arrived 1874. He had written a number of pamphlets describing the area and its merits as a healing agent. There were also a number of 'quacks' who arrived, many who called themselves doctors, but did not have the qualifications or certificate to prove their worth. Julia continued her chosen profession until her death on March 12,1880 of pneumonia. She was sixty-four years old.

Headstone for Julia E. Loomis
Evergreen Cemetery, Colorado Springs, CO.

Now why do I think it was more? As you can tell the family moved a great deal. Julia and her husband John were together through thick and thin. If he hadn't supported her, do you think Julia would have managed medical school in her fifties? The obituary in the paper was probably written by her husband John. It is flowery and full of tributes to her. But to me the most telling is her headstone. John had the letters MD placed after her name. She is the only woman doctor prior to 1900 in the cemetery that has that designation. The headstone itself is far larger than most. Also look up what MIZPAH means. You will see it on the photo below. So yes, I believe they had a great love for each other, it is supposition, but I believe it to be true. There is no correspondence found to indicate one way or the other.

Notice the MD after the name

Doris McCraw also writes under the pen name Angela Raines. Check out her books with Praire Rose Publications. Doris also writes haiku which is posted on the blog:

http://fivesevenfivepage.blogspot.com


Home for His Heart: http://bitly.com/1Ibnw5U



Cowboy Celebraton: http://bitly.com/1MiguNL

DUST IN THE WIND or Researching History and Death

THE PATHFINDER

Post copyright 2015 by Doris McCraw

https://youtu.be/tH2w6Oxx0kQ


How many of you have seen the movie "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure"? A 'live' lesson in history. There is the scene where Bill and Ted meet with Socrates and they quote from a song by Kansas, that makes me laugh every time. https://youtu.be/TiMO3PWziZk

I have noticed that death is a catalyst in a lot of my writing. I don't think I am morbid, but it does touch all of us. In "Home For His Heart", both Sam and Clara have lost parents early. Losing someone, while normal, seemed more prevalent in the Old West. The landscape, the people, the wars, all created situations where loss was a large part of lives.

In Victorian times, many were the photographs taken of the baby who died, the parents holding them, prior to placing them in the casket for burial. It was there way of keeping the memory alive. Weaving hair and placing it on a brooch was another way of remembering. Back East and in England there were prescribe periods of mourning, with designated clothing to be worn. Here is a link for a brief overview: http://www.tchevalier.com/fallingangels/bckgrnd/mourning/ . Mysteries, such as the "Silver Rush" series by Ann Parker, usually have a death. We may sometimes forget the West we want to create also had many of the habits and rules brought by those from back East.

For the deceased, they would either have been embalmed, if you had someone with the skill to do so, or simply placed in a casket or grave. If the ground were too hard or frozen, the bodies may have been placed in a cool place until burial was possible. The chapel in Evergreen Cemetery, built in 1909, has 'racks' to place the bodies or caskets until such time as the ceremony takes place. Below are photos of the 'bloat balls', as the cemetery calls them, the shelves and the downstairs.

"Bloat Ball"

Interior Downstairs, Evergreen Chapel

When the research bug strikes, one of the first places I go is to a cemetery. If I'm stuck with finding names for my character, I go to the cemetery. Now before you think I'm morbid, the stories told on the stones are priceless. My current research is on a town, a very short lived town, in southeastern Colorado. It came into existence in the late 1880's and was gone by 1910. Nothing is left of the town site, it is plowed fields. There may be a cemetery, but I need to find it, and photograph the headstones. Newspapers can tell some of the story, but many times they contradict each other.

Headstone in cemetery near SilverCliff, CO

Of course, medicine was not as we know it today. A majority of doctors practiced homeopathy, there were no antibiotics, and germ theory was in its infancy. Colorado was a place many came to recover from consumption, which was considered any wasting disease. The air was clean and clear, unlike the coal laced air in the cities back East. Many were those who came for the cure, or to cure those who were coming. The first documented woman doctor in Colorado Springs, Julia E. Loomis, born in 1816, was one who came to cure. She graduated medical school in 1870-71 and arrived in Colorado Springs around 1876.Unfortunately she passed away in 1880, at sixty-four.

Julia E. Loomis headstone

As you can see, life and research are like dust in the wind. It is scattered this way and that. Now lest you think I'm going to leave you on such a depressing note, here is another clip. This one from the second Bill and Ted adventure, where the two are playing games with death. https://youtu.be/PA5ryowAyLk

To a wonderful, creative and beautiful May. Let you thoughts be joyful and follow the wind as you create your worlds and characters.

I will leave you with a snippet from an upcoming work:

Drew looked down, wondering if he should set the doctor straight. Rafe looked at him with such intelligence and a slight shake of his head. That convinced Drew against correcting the doctor's impression.

"He is special, I'll give you that," Drew replied.

"Well, I've got to be going, been away from the office too long, and it's a bit of a trip back. Unless you have a relapse, I doubt I'll need to return. Just keep that arm immobile for a couple more days to let your shoulder heal." With that advice, the doctor left the room and Drew relaxed. So he'd survived the bullets and Lizzie had brought him back to her cabin. Drew was grateful, but still didn't know where he stood. Still pondering the question he closed his eyes in thought and was soon asleep.

Doris McCraw/Angela Raines:
Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in Colorado and Women's History.

Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/angelaraines-dorismccraw

Photo and Poem: http://fivesevenfivepage.blogspot.com

Blog: http://renawomyn.blogspot.com