An early 20th century photograph of the Williams Valley Hospital, Williamstown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
A brief history of this hospital was included with the above photo in the Williamstown Sesquicentennal History, published in 1976:
Chartered on September 14, 1918, its purpose being to furnish suitable accommodations, medical and surgical treatment to patients and to create, maintain and conduct a training school for the training of nurses and physicians. The five directors were: Dr. Harry Shaffer, Williamstown; J. B. Lesher, Williamstown; J. E. Lentz, Elizabethville; Dr. John H. Lehr, Lykens; Dr. R. H. Stutzman, Tower City.
The Williams Valley Hospital was opened in Williamstown in August 1917. Dr. Harry SA. Shaffer felt there was a need for a hospital in the area and began planning for a hospital when he first began his practice of medicine and surgery in Williamstown.
The money for the hospital was private funds and subscription by the miners and people of the town.
Dr. Shaffer’s idea was prepaid medical care for the people. The fee was $1 per month for each family for medical care and hospitalization.
Business recessions, mine strikes, and raising costs of supplies made it impossible to continue the plan. Prepaid medical care in 1918 was a revolutionary idea.
The hospital opened as a private hospital. In 1918, the hospital was incorporated. From 1918-1922, it was operated as a state hospital with some state appropriation allotted to the hospital. It had a capacity of 22 patients.
From 1922 to its closing in 1933, it was run as a private hospital and served the area well under the administration of D. H. A. Shaffer.
_______________________________
Photo and story from the Sesquicentennial History of Williamstown and Williams Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, published in 1976. For availability of copies of this book, contact the Williamstown and Williams Township Historical Society, 115 W. Market Street, Williamstown, Pennsylvania 17098.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.