Siskiyou County, Calif., appointed its first county physician, John Ridgely in 1855. For impoverished patients to receive his care, they had to petition for help by appearing before the Board of Supervisors. They couldn’t own any property or possess any assets.
Private care could be expensive. The earliest record of payment to a regular doctor in Siskiyou County was $380 in 1854 to Dr. S.W. Chute for three months’ care.
In September 1856, the home of James Ensey was rented to the county for use as a hospital. Taxes were collected for maintenance, amounting to 20 cents for every $100 of assessed valuation. The tax was levied on every white man, while women, Indians, and Chinese were exempt.
The population had increased to 3,000 by 1857 and the need for a county-owned facility became apparent, primarily for confining patients with communicable diseases, such as smallpox. Dr. Ridgely owned a building on Oregon Street in Yreka that seemed appropriate for a hospital, and in 1857 the county purchased it for $5,500.
Today, the county has a population of more than 43,000 people served by two acute-care hospitals, rural health clinics and ambulance services.
Source: Ashcraft, Marie L. "History of Siskiyou County Hospital." Siskiyou Pioneer, The 4.1 (1968): 84 - 85. Print.
