left - St. Olaf Hospital
Mt. Horeb Hospitals
Stately "Doc" Evens with his black medical bag was a familiar sight in the community. He was everyone's friend and advisor. He had become a trusted surgeon and was anxious for his patients to be taken care of after surgery or delivering of a baby. A hospital was his dream and he set about getting one.
Anna Swiggum, born in 1856 was a sister of storekeeper Sever Swiggum. She was very good with sick people and noted for her kindness. Many times she was asked to help out taking care of the ill at home. Dr. Evans persuaded her to manage a hospital. A Large house was built at 400 West Main Street with living quarters on the first floor, ward like rooms and an operating room on the second level. On December 10, 1904, the 10 bed hospital opened its doors to the sick. Two weeks later, the first patient, Olaf Hagene, a young man from Black Earth, was admitted for observation. He underwent surgery for removal of a tubercular leg. His recovery was rapid and before he was discharged, Dr. Evans named the hospital St. Olaf after him. Olaf Hagene returned to his home to live a good life.
It was difficult with very limited means to provide all the necessities and essentials, even food. A news item in the Feb. 2, 1905, issue of the Mt. Horeb Times" States, Seventeen donors have contributed vegetables, apples, eggs, milk, beef, cake, doughnuts, and lutefisk. On March 2, 1905 donations of butter, jelly, cream, books, and magazines were received. Quilts, blankets, sheets, and dishes were brought on April 16, 1905.
Anna Swiggum was 48 when she began her nursing career and hospital work. She was a courageous woman. Without help she cared for the patients, cooked, baked, did laundry and cleaned. Cooking was done on a wood range. The flat irons were heated on the range.
Following the death of Dr. Evans on August 20, 1918, the hospital ceased functioning. Miss Swigum lived there until her death at age 74.
On November 4, 1918, five Mt. Horeb businessmen went to Prairie du Sack to induce Dr. Homer M Buckner to set up an office here. The prospect of having an operating room was a proposition he could not resist. Dr. and Mrs. (Marie) Buckner arrived in Mt. Horeb on Armistice Day, 1918. He used St. Olaf Hospital to perform many surgeries until December 1921, when he purchased the spacious three story residence at 408 East Main Street, Built by Onon B. Dahle in 1895.
In 1922, he opened a 22 bed hospital with offices and living quarters on the first floor.
In 1939, the Industrial Commission complained that the hospital was not sufficiently fireproof and early in 1940 informed Dr. Buckner it could no longer function as a hospital. Dr. Judson A Forman purchased the property for an office and consultation rooms. Dr. Buckner moved May 1, 1940, to Dodgeville where there were hospital facilities.
Text is from "Mt. Horeb-Presettlement to 1986" book which is available in the Museum Gift Shop.