October 2018
Nueces County Historical Society November 2018
NUECES COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESENTS Speaker: Jane Monday, Author
“Dr. Spohn, Surgeon, Inventor and Texas Medical Pioneer”
Tuesday, November 6, 2018 7:00 p.m. First Presbyterian Church 430 S. Carancahua Street, Corpus Christi, Texas
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Nueces County Historical Society November 2018
In 1868, a twenty three year old U. S. Army captain and Acting Assistant Surgeon left New York City to come to Texas. He was in charge of quarantine practices along the Texas Coast. His name was Arthur Edward Spohn. Who was this Dr. Spohn who would become so important to Corpus Christi and Texas, and where did he come from?
He was born in Ancaster, Canada, to one of the founding families of Western Canada. His maternal great grandparents, Jacob and Elizabeth Bowman, were victims of the American Revolution. They were loyalists to the King of England. When most of their loyalist friends had fled the colonies, they could not because Elizabeth was about to give birth. On a cold November night in 1775 the rebels broke into the house, took Jacob and his eldest son prisoner, and pillaged every article in the house except the bed that Elizabeth lay on and one blanket. Half an hour after they left, Elizabeth gave birth and was left with an infant and six other children and no provisions because the rebels had also taken their cattle and grain. Dr. Spohn’s grandfather, Peter, at the age of eleven was the oldest boy and walked barefoot to the river with no coat to break ice to bring water to the family. They would all have perished if the First Nations people had not come to their aid with provisions, warm clothes and moccasins. The family eventually made it to Canada and began to establish a new life. Dr. Spohn’s mother’s words were used on the United Empire Loyalist Statue in Hamilton, Ontario, honoring the brave men and women who settled Canada. She wrote, “They drew
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Nueces County Historical Society November 2018 lots for their lands and with their axes cleared the forest and with their hoes planted the seeds of Canada’s future greatness.”
By the time Dr. Spohn reached Corpus Christi in 1868 he had an exceptional medical education from McGill University, University of Michigan and Long Island College of Medicine in New York. He had established himself as an excellent surgeon and studied under some of the finest physicians in the United States. He was befriended in Corpus Christi by Captain Richard King who asked him to be his family’s personal physician. That relationship grew into a lifelong friendship.
Dr. Spohn was sent to work out of the forts along the Rio Grande as a citizen physician. He confronted raiding Native Americans, renegade ex-confederates and Mexican bandits. He also faced a new environment of searing heat, dust, rattlesnakes, a new language, and different foods and culture. After two years he went to Mier, Mexico, practiced medicine, invented the rubber ring tourniquet and served as a U. S. Commercial Agent.
In 1873, he returned to Corpus Christi and established his practice. The community immediately accepted him both professionally and socially. A Canadian cousin described him as the handsomest man in Texas. Sarah Kenedy was described as the “Bell of Corpus Christi,” and was an heiress to one of the largest fortunes in Texas. Dr. Spohn was a successful surgeon. They were attracted to each other and after a quiet courtship they married in 1876. After a honeymoon in Europe and a year in New York where he did advanced studies, they returned
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Nueces County Historical Society November 2018 to Corpus Christi, where Dr. Spohn found himself deeply involved with the powerful Kenedy family. His father-in-law, Mifflin Kenedy, had one of the largest ranches in the United States and many business concerns. His mother-in-law, Petra Vela Kenedy, was a sixth generation Mexican and a devout Catholic.
In his practice, Dr. Spohn traveled miles by buggy on dirt roads to see patients. He operated on kitchen tables by lantern light and invented medical treatments often out of necessity. He had no hospital, trained staff, x-rays, laboratory or antibiotics. Despite that he had a remarkable medical career.
How many people do you know that hold a Guinness World Record? Dr. Spohn still does for removing the largest tumor (328 pounds) ever removed with the patient surviving. He once protected the United States from a yellow fever epidemic by establishing a 500 miles cordon from Corpus Christi to Laredo. He was brave enough to undertake a perilous journey to Paris, France, to the Pasteur Institute to save the life of Henrietta King’s half-brother, Willie Chamberlain, after he was viciously attacked by a rabid coyote. Spohn had poignant conversations with Dr. Pasteur about his research. Dr. Spohn shared his knowledge with others in medical journals throughout the United States with many of his cases described in the book in his own words.
No doubt his proudest moment was in 1905 when the new Spohn Sanitarium was dedicated, through the fund raising efforts of Alice King and the citizens of Corpus Christi. The story of the establishment
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Nueces County Historical Society November 2018 of the hospital and the role the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word played in its development are detailed in the book.
Another important moment for him was when he was able to persuade the Texas Medical Association to hold their annual meeting in Corpus Christi in 1908. The efforts the citizens exerted to make this event a success are detailed. Many of the Corpus Christi family names from 1873-1913 who helped in this event will be found in the book and others during the time that Dr. Spohn resided in Corpus Christi.
Dr. Mattox in the introduction to the book describes Dr. Spohn as a “Renaissance Man.” He holds a Guinness World Record, developed a rubber ring tourniquet that was used by military field hospitals around the world. His rattlesnake remedy was requested from as far away as India. He was dedicated to better medical practices, sterile techniques, call for action to save patients, medical education, sharing medical ideas, and above all delivery of health care to all people no matter their circumstance. Today his legacy is carried on through the CHRISTUS Spohn Health System that serves South Texas with premiere care for all.
“No night was too dark, no way was too long, no poor so lowly that when a call for help came Doctor Spohn did not answer, ‘I come.”
The book will be available for purchase at the November 6 Nueces County Historical Society meeting. Price will be $38.00 which includes tax.
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Nueces County Historical Society November 2018
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Nueces County Historical Society November 2018
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Nueces County Historical Society November 2018
The City of Corpus Christi is hosting a new festival this year! Make plans to attend FRONTERA on November 2-4. The festival will incorporate the annual “Voices of South Texas” at Old Bayview Cemetery.
Schedule of Events:
Friday, November 2 6:00 p.m., “The Inspiring Life of Texas Hector P. Garcia”, by Cecilia Garcia Akers, Location: House of Rock, 511 Starr Street
Saturday, November 3
10:00-2:00 p.m. Voices of South Texas at Old Bayview Cemetery There will be a historical marker dedication and various groups will present wreaths. The schedule is as follows: 10:00 Opening Ceremony 10:30 Historical Marker Dedication for William Maltby 11:00 SAR Wreath 11:15 DAR Wreath 11:30 1812 Wreath 11:45 DRT Wreath 12:00 Mexican American War Wreath 12:15 UDC Wreath 12:30 SCV Wreath 12:45 SUV Wreath 1:00 Possible additional historical marker dedication
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Nueces County Historical Society November 2018
11:00 a.m., “Corpus Christi: A History by Jim Moloney and Murphy Givens”, Location: La Retama Central Library, 805 Comanche Street
1:00 p.m., “Life in a South Texas Colonia” by Manuel Andres Soto, Location: La Retama Central Library, 805 Comanche Street
2:30 p.m., “Thursday Night Lights: The Story of Black Football in Texas” by Michael Hurd, Location: House of Rock, 511 Starr Street
4:00 p.m., Special Presentation-“The Texas Music Trail: Identifying Significant Music Landmarks in Texas”, by Stephen Ray with the Texas Music Office, Location: House of Rock, 511 Starr Street
4:00 p.m., “Josefina Cannot Make Round Tortillas” by Michael Sepulveda, Location: Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, 1900 N. Chaparral Street
6:00 p.m., Special Presentation-Diana Lopez, author of the smash hit Coco: A Story of Music, Shoes and Family discusses her new book project. Location: Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, 1900 N. Chaparral Street
Sunday, November 4 12:00-4:00 p.m., Centennial House will be open at 411 N. Upper Broadway. “Sam Houston” will be present at 2:00 p.m. To find out more about the festival go to fronteracc.com
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Nueces County Historical Society November 2018
At the October 2 meeting, Nueces County Historical Society Treasurer, Sue Ryland, presented a check to the First Presbyterian Church Women’s. The women will be purchasing new drapes for the meeting hall. Accepting the check for the organization is Laura Clark. The Society appreciates the use of the church facilities for our monthly meetings.
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Nueces County Historical Society November 2018
At the October 2 meeting, Dan Parker presented an interesting history of the Port Aransas South Jetty newspaper. The paper has been in operation since 1971. The typewriter saw lots of action by numerous reporters prior to going into the digital age. Dan serves as the News Editor and has worked with the newspaper since 2006.
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Nueces County Historical Society November 2018
On Friday, October 12, Society members Mary Jo O’Rear and Allan Hayes were active in the annual East Texas Historical Association meeting at the Fredonia Hotel and Conference Center in Nacogdoches. Mary Jo presided over a session entitled “Histories and Mysteries: Texas Genealogists Afield and Afoot”, and Allan was one of three panelists who relayed their genealogy-related stories. On Saturday, October 13, Mary Jo presided over a second session entitled, “Touchdowns, Tests, and Texas: Making History Come Alive in the Classroom”.
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Nueces County Historical Society November 2018
Are you interested in genealogy? If so, you may want to check out the Coastal Bend Genealogical Society!
The Coastal Bend Genealogical Society meets at 2:00 p.m. on the second Saturday of January, March, April, May, July, September and November at the La Retama Central Library of Corpus Christi.
Check out their website: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txcbgs/cbgs.htm
Their next meeting will be held Saturday, November 10, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. The group meets in the 2nd floor Board Room at the La Retama Central Library, 805 Comanche Street, Corpus Christi. This month’s speaker will be Sylvia Garcia-Smith, a Beeville photographer who has discovered a new passion; photographing cemetery grave markers. A door prize drawing will be held at the November meeting. The meeting is free and open to the public. For more information, email [email protected]
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Nueces County Historical Society November 2018
The Nueces County Historical Society has planned an exciting list of speakers and topics for the 2018-2019 presentations. Mark your calendar to attend and bring a friend. The schedule is as follows:
November 6--“Dr. Spohn: Surgeon, Inventor, and Texas medical Pioneer” with authors Jane Monday and Frances Brannen Vick
December 4-“The Dunn Ranch” with Gregory Smith
January 8-“History and Memories of Northside” with Billy Sales
February 5-“Families, History, Homes on the Bluff” with Terry Caldwell
March 5-“Hook, Line, and Sinker” with David McKee
April 2-“Corpus Christi Seawall Project” with Dan Garza
May 7-Annual Daniel Kilgore Local History Award Banquet *** Speakers are confirmed but always subject to change.
NCHS Mission Statement-The Nueces County Historical Society is a 501©3 multi- cultural organization which encourages a deeper understanding and appreciation for the rich history of Nueces County, the Coastal Bend of Texas, and the United States of America, by members and guests of all ages. It accomplishes this through hosting regularly scheduled presentations with interesting speakers, sponsoring special events, and leading preservation efforts for the area sites of historical significance.
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Nueces County Historical Society November 2018
The Nueces County Historical Society meets the first Tuesday of the months of September-April. An annual Local History Awards Banquet is held in May.
Find us on Facebook or on the web at www.nuecescountyhistoricalsociety.org.
Upcoming Events: November 2, 3, 4-“Frontera Festival”, Corpus Christi November 3-“Voices of South Texas: Old Bayview Cemetery Comes Alive” 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. November 4-Centennial House Open, 12:00-4:00 p.m. “Sam Houston” will visit at 2:00 p.m. November 6-Election Day November 6-NCHS Meeting, 7:00 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, Corpus Christi November 10-Bayside Historical Society Meeting, 2:00 p.m., Bayside Community Center, Topic: “Underwater Treasures on McFadden Beach” November 11-Veteran’s Day November 11-WWI Ceremony, Seaside Memorial Park, Corpus Christi, 10 a.m. November 13-Texas Tropical Trail Region Partner Event, Harlingen/Rio Hondo** November 22-Thanksgiving December 2-Christmas at Centennial House, 12:00-4:00 p.m. December 3-Christmas at Centennial House, 12:00-4:00 p.m. December 4-NCHS Meeting, 7:00 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, Corpus Christi December 15-National Wreaths across America Day December 18-Texas Tropical Trail Region Partner Event, Corpus Christi** January 8-DATE CHANGE….NCHS Meeting, 7:00 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, Corpus Christi** January 22-Texas Tropical Trail Region Partner Event, Alice ** February 5-NCHS Meeting, 7:00 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, Corpus Christi February 19-Texas Tropical Trail Partner Event, Brownsville**
** Contact Nancy Deviney, Executive Director, for more info or to get on the mailing list at [email protected]. Everyone is invited to participate in the monthly partner events.
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Nueces County Historical Society November 2018
2018-2019 Nueces County Historical Society Officers and Board Members President-John Montalvo Vice-President-Kathy Wemer Secretary-Gloria Montalvo Treasurer-Sue Ryland Immediate Past Co-Presidents-Allan Hayes and Dan Garza Membership-Allan Hayes Bulletin Editor-Penny Pillack Hospitality-Jack Green Social Media Administrator-Dan Garza Trustees-Anita Eisenhauer, RudyTejano Pena, Tom Stewart, Debbie Zuniga
If you haven’t paid your dues, please consider printing off the membership form and send it in. We appreciate your support! Share the form with a friend. Invite a friend to our meetings.
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Nueces County Historical Society November 2018
The Nueces County Historical Society NCHS Membership Year: September 2018 to August 2019
Name______
Address______
City______State______Zip______
Home Phone______Cell Phone______
Email______
Please select Membership Category: _____Military Veteran No Charge* _____Individual $15.00 _____Family $20.00 _____Student $4.00 _____Patron $50.00 _____Sustaining Patron $100.00 _____Supporter $150.00 _____Benefactor $250.00 _____Corporate $250.00 _____Angel $1,000.00
Please remit dues check with this membership form to: Nueces County Historical Society Attn: Allan Hayes P. O. Box 60003 Corpus Christi, Texas 78466-0003
*Veterans should present valid Military ID card or DD Form 214.
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