Take a Step Back in Time
1842
On December 8, 1942 - John Kirby is born in County Limerick, Ireland.
1850
After the death of his mother, John Kirby, along with his father and two
brothers, moves to Springfield, OH.
1851
Kirby moves in with a neighboring farm family, the McCoys.
1856
The McCoys move to Illinois to settle near Decatur, and Kirby joins them.
1860-1866
Kirby enlists in Company F of the 2nd Illinois Cavalry Regiment at the
beginning of the Civil War. He serves with Grant at the Siege of Vicksburg
and in Louisiana before being discharged at the end of the war.
Post War - 1873
Kirby marries Mary E. Marquiss, the granddaughter of the founder of Monticello,
IL. The couple has two children, but one dies in infancy.
1899
John and Mary Kirby and their daughter Nell retire from agricultural labors
and move to Monticello, where they reside in a stately family mansion.
1919
John Kirby dies in Monticello. His will states that the City of Monticello
will receive the Kirby mansion and $100,000 upon the death of his wife,
Mary. The money and residence are to be used to establish the John and
Mary E. Kirby Hospital.
1938
On December 7, 1938 Mary Kirby dies.
1939
On September 22, 1939, Nell M. England (daughter of John and Mary Kirby),
W.H. England, Maxwell R. Hott, Bela M. Stoddard and Herbert Mohler are
appointed directors for the hospital.
On September 25, 1939, Certificate of Incorporation No. 8903 is issued
by Illinois Secretary of State Edward J. Hughes to the John and Mary Kirby
Hospital as a corporation not for pecuniary profit.
On September 26, 1939, Madora B. Moore and Allen F. Moore convey their
home and estate surrounding it to the John and Mary Kirby Hospital.
1939
Contract let to Hagerman & Harshman of Sullivan, IL, for the remodeling
of the Moore residence into a hospital facility.
Welcome to 1941
Welcome to 1941
Thousands crowded the halls to tour the new John and Mary E. Kirby Hospital
when it officially opened its doors in January 1941 with a staff of 15
doctors, four nurses and eight service employees. There were undoubtedly
many “oohs” and “aahs” as Piatt County residents
viewed the luxurious and modern amenities, including tilting mattresses,
six fireplaces, decoratively carved ceilings and “un-hospital”
rooms filled with Chippendale furniture. The landscaped grounds featured
a courtyard and fish pool surrounded by pathways for roaming patients,
employees and guests.
Kirby offered the latest medical technology and highest standards of care
with stainless-steel operating equipment, repositionable operating tables,
one of only two electric dishwashers in town and an array of electric
lights (bed lights, door lights, hall lights, infra-red rays, ultra-violet
rays and even floor lights).
Not many of us remember 1941, and the details might sound quaint now in
2016. What was life like when the hospital first opened? Take a step back in time...
Average Prices
- A New House: $4,075
- Annual Wages: $1,750
- A Gallon of Gas: $0.12
- A New Car: $850
- A Postage Stamp: $0.03
U.S. Culture
- World Series Champions: New York Yankees
- Popular Songs: “Chattanooga Choo Choo” by Glenn Miller and
“Green Eyes” by Jimmy Dorsey
- Popular Movies: “Dumbo” and “The Maltese Falcon”
- Although television is not yet a household staple, drive-in movie theaters
are all the rage, and fast food restaurants are increasing in popularity.
The frugalness of the Great Depression is renewed in the face of World
War II, but modern conveniences such as refrigerators and indoor plumbing
are changing the American lifestyle forever.
U.S. Politics
- President: Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Hourly minimum wage: $0.30
- Population: 133.4 million
- World War II is escalating in Europe, and by the end of the year, the United
States is in the thick of it after the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii
on December 7, 1941. The passing of bills to support allied countries
and veterans reflects the nation’s collective consciousness towards
impending military action.
Fun Facts
- Thanksgiving is officially celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month
to allow more time for holiday shopping.
- Paul Simon, Martha Stewart, Bob Dylan, Jesse Jackson and Otis Redding are
all born in 1941.
- “Citizen Kane” is a flop at theatres, but goes on to be regarded
as one of the best films of all time.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt is Time’s Man of the Year for the third time.
- The first television commercial airs - a 10-second ad costing around $7.00
for Bulova watches.
- Medicine
- Scientists develop a means of mass producing penicillin, which leads to
a less than 1% death rate from bacterial pneumonia among soldiers (compared
to 18% during WWI).
- Fear of serious health complications and death from polio, tuberculosis
and syphilis are still very real and prevalent.
- Smoking is allowed (and sometimes even encouraged) in hospitals but frowned
upon around new babies and oxygen tanks.
- It is common for hospitals to be segregated by race, religion and gender.
- Long hospital stays are the norm, with new mothers spending a week or more
in the maternity ward, although around half of births still happen at home.
- Plastics are not yet used, and glass syringes and IV bottles and must be
sterilized for reuse.
1941
The first patient is admitted to the John and Mary E. Kirby Hospital. Medical
staff includes 15 doctors, four registered nurses and eight employees
in the service departments.
WWII
Dr. Abe D. Furry becomes the only physician left at the hospital during
most of the war.
1950
Nell M. England dies and leaves her entire estate to the hospital.
1969
Over the years, the Kirby Auxiliary has gradually ceased activity until
hospital administrator Tom Dixon approaches Lois Crouse with the idea
of reactivating the Auxiliary.
1970
Because of an acute shortage of nursing home beds in the county, a 63-bed
nursing home is built next to the hospital. Auxiliary members assist with
the opening of the nursing home.
1974
Kirby Ambulance Service begins.
1986
On January 1, 1986, Due to changes in the insurance industry, Kirby closes
its obstetrics department. Over the years, Kirby’s obstetrics staff
delivered 4,635 babies, the first being John Kirby Chaney in 1941 and
the last being Matthew Walters on December 31, 1985.
1989
Kirby celebrates the 50th anniversary of the founding of their not-for-profit
corporation in 1939. Over the last 50 years there have been 39,389 admissions,
a total of 307,184 days spent in the hospital and 302,204 outpatient visits.
2000
A renovation of the hospital is complete with the addition of two private
rooms and a renovation of the Laboratory and Emergency Departments.
2004
Kirby receives the Press Ganey Compass Award - Inpatient Services: Recognizing
Outstanding Performance Improvement in Patient Satisfaction.
2006
Kirby receives the Press Ganey Summit Award - Emergency Department, which
is awarded to hospitals achieving 95 percent or higher patient satisfaction
for three or more consecutive years. Kirby goes on to receive the award
again for the Emergency Department in 2007, 2008 and 2012.
2011
On September 29, 2011, The new Kirby Medical Center begins providing care
at its current location at 1000 Medical Center Drive in Monticello after
receiving over $3 million in donated gifts and pledges and acquiring 108
acres of property along Interstate 72.
2012
The Volunteer Corp is established, which is a subset of Kirby’s 200
plus member strong Auxiliary.
2013
Becker’s Infection Control & Clinical Quality names Kirby Medical
Center in the top 52 hospitals with the cleanest patient rooms, with the
national average at 74 percent and Kirby achieving 93 percent.
2014
The Kirby Auxiliary donates $16,000 toward the hospital’s purchase
of a new ambulance.
2015
The first phase of the Wellness Trail, a one-mile stretch of pathways,
opens to the public with the support of over $500,000 in private, tax-deductible gifts.