DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it — and it's quite a story worth tellin'. Back in 1901, a Waco doctor named James W. Hale found himself in a bind.
Local medical facilities just weren't cutting it, and he had an ailing patient on his hands. So he did what a determined man does — he loaded that patient up and made the journey all the way down to the Touro Infirmary in New Orleans. Now, Dr.
Hale could have come back from that trip and just gone on about his business. Instead, he came back with a mission. He went straight to Waco's Business Men's Club — which would later become the Chamber of Commerce — and said, in so many words, this city needs a real hospital.
The men's club listened. And then they did something smart. They reached out to the Daughters of Charity of St.
Vincent de Paul. Now here's a group with some history behind them. Founded in France in 1633 — that's not a misprint, sixteen thirty-three — and brought to America by St.
Elizabeth Ann Seton to aid those in need. By the time Waco came calling, the Daughters of Charity were already running hospitals in Dallas and Austin. They knew what they were doing.
By 1903, ground was broken for Waco's hospital. Construction rolled forward, and on January 11, 1905, Providence Sanitarium held its formal dedication. The address was 1700 Providence Drive — out on the edge of town in those days.
The sisters operated it under a city government contract that covered expenses for indigent patients, what they called charity cases back then. It didn't take long for word to spread about what was happening out there on the edge of Waco. By February of 1906 — just over a year in — the hospital had treated more than a hundred city patients and more than a hundred private patients.
During that first year, and whenever epidemics swept through, the sisters and lay nurses were attending to thousands of patients right there on site. Thousands. After 1906, under the leadership of Sister Ursula Fenton, Providence didn't stop at medical care.
The hospital offered a soup kitchen, a dispensary, and a clothing donation center. When World War II came around, Providence worked with the American Red Cross to train nurses. Between 1906 and 1960, the Providence School of Nursing graduated 743 nurses.
That's 743 people who walked out those doors ready to care for others. The city kept growing, and Providence kept pace. In 1952, the hospital began offering mental health services.
Then in 1989, it relocated to a new site entirely, and the name was changed to Providence Health Center. One doctor. One sick patient.
A long road to New Orleans. And what came out of it was nearly a century of healing right there in the heart of Waco — and still going.
What the marker says
Finding local medical facilities lacking in 1901, Dr. James W. Hale of Waco took an ailing patient to the Touro Infirmary of New Orleans. Upon his return, he enlisted the help of Waco’s Business Men’s Club, forerunner of the Chamber of Commerce, to begin efforts to build a local hospital. The men’s group called on the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, a group founded in France in 1633 and brought to America by St. Elizabeth Ann Seton to aid those in need. By 1903, when the order broke ground for Waco’s Hospital, the Daughters of Charity also administered hospitals in Dallas and Austin. Construction of the Waco facility culminated with a formal dedication on January 11, 1905. The sisters operated Providence Sanitarium at 1700 Providence Drive, then on the edge of town, under a city government contract which paid expenses for indigent patients, then called charity cases. By February 1906, the hospital treated more than 100 each of city and private patients. Between 1906 and 1960, there were 743 graduates of the Providence School of Nursing. During the sanitarium’s first year and during epidemics, the sisters and lay nurses attended to thousands of patients onsite. After 1906, during the leadership of Sister Ursula Fenton, Providence offered a soup kitchen, dispensary and clothing donation center. It also worked with the American Red Cross during World War II to train nurses. As Waco’s population grew, Providence changed to meet the city’s needs. The hospital began offering mental health services in 1952. It relocated to this site in 1989 and the name was changed to Providence Health Center. (2006)