Leon Reporter, Leon, Iowa
Thursday, March 3, l92l

The fine private hospital owned by Dr. O.P. JAMISON at Weldon was totally destroyed by fire which was discovered about 3 o'clock Saturday morning, and when discovered the whole interior of the building was ablaze and nothing was saved from the hospital except DR. JAMISON's auto, which was in the basement, and parties who arrived early were able to push it from the burning building.

The Weldon Hospital was one of the finest private Hospitals in the State, having been erected by DR. JAMISON in l9l7, and he had between $42,000 and $45,000 invested in the building and equipment, all of which is a total loss, and it would cost a great deal more to build and equip the hospital at this time. In conversation with DR. JAMISON he was unable to give us the exact amount of his insurance, but he estimated he carried insurance covering about two-thirds of his loss.

Fortunately there were no patients in the hospital at the time of the fire, the last patient, MRS. HERB SCOTT, having been removed to her home near Weldon, two days before the fire. DR. JAMISON's trained nurse who stays at the hospital, had gone that night to spend the night with friends in Weldon, and she lost all her personal belongings except her nurse's uniform which she was wearing.

The fire is reported to have started in the basement where the furnace was located, as those who first saw the fire said flames were coming out of windows in the furnace room. The building being entirely of frame construction burned rapidly, the flames spreading quickly to all parts of the building, and it was so hot that no one could even enter the building after the fire was discovered.

The hospital was a two-story and basement, 34x70 feet, and contained twenty-seven rooms. DR. JAMISON's office and laboratory were in the hospital, and he lost everything in the way of surgical instruments, X-ray machines, and stock of drugs, the equipment and drug stock being valued at around $l4,000.

DR. JAMISON has announced his intention to rebuild the hospital as soon as he can make arrangements for doing so. The entire community sympathizes with him in the loss of the hospital, for it was an institution of which the citizens of Weldon were justly very proud.

Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
"With permission from the Leon Journal Reporter"
May 29, 2002