History

Joel E. Pomerene began his medical career during an era when doctors braved the elements in horse-drawn buggies to call on sick patients. During the Civil War, he left his practice in Mt. Hope to become a Surgeon of the 42nd Ohio Volunteers. There he established a life-long friendship with the regiment’s leader, James A. Garfield (20th President of the United States). He returned to Mt. Hope in 1863 after resigning his post as Surgeon-General. He eventually moved to Millersburg to better serve the county until his death in 1881 at the age of 55.

Determined to do something for the county her father had served, Jennie Pomerene Haney set up a trust fund of $10,000 upon her death in 1919. The money was to be used to construct a fitting tribute to her father’s memory: a county hospital.

The Joel Pomerene Memorial Hospital opened its doors for patients on June 1, 1937. It was an immediate success and soon, the hospital rooms were so filled it became necessary to place patients in beds located in the hallways.

The medical staff consisted of 10 physicians located at Millersburg, Killbuck, Walnut Creek and Holmesville. The original facility, consisting of a six-bed women’s ward, a three-bed men’s ward, six private rooms, a three-bed obstetrical ward and a nursery of five cribs, gave a feeling of home for patients.