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McCune-Brooks Hospital (former), 627 West Centennial, now Carthage Water & Electric Plant

Introduction

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Now home to the business offices of Carthage Water & Electric Plant (CW&EP), the basic three story hospital structure was opened in 1929 and has had many additions during its use as a hospital through 2007. In 2008 a new hospital was built south of Carthage off Interstate 49.


Images

  • January 2008 Carthage Evening Press Supplement composite image featuring first Carthage Hospital, McCune-Brooks Hospital (1929) and new McCune-Brooks Hospital (2008; now part of Mercy Hospital System).
  • Red Cross Volunteer uniform worn by Jane Jensen at McCune-Brooks Hospital and wooden hospital wheelchair donated to Powers Museum in honor of Dr. Everett Powers when the museum opened. Powers was Chief of Staff when the hospital opened in 1929.
  • 2017 Exhibit case featuring items used at the former Carthage Hospital and McCune-Brooks Hospital.
  • Close-up of one of the diagnostic items in 2017 display. The glass container with wire lid was used to house African frogs used in pregnancy testing.
  • Digitization part of "Digital Carthage" project in honor of Carthage's 175th Anniversary Celebration by the Powers Museum (March 28, 2017 through March 27, 2018).
  • Funding for the Walking in the Wards tour was made possible by a grant from the Missouri Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities, Spring 2017.

Backstory and Context

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The hospital's name honors two physicians. The first was Dr. Robert F. Brooks who established a trust upon his death for the construction of a hospital. The second was Dr. Thomas E. McCune who was an associate of Dr. R. F. Brooks. An anonymous gift of $10,000 was given in 1903 to the Carthage Hospital Association (CHA) by McCune's mother, Lizzie McCune, as a memorial to her son. Mrs. McCune had been instrumental in the CHA when it worked toward the construction of Carthage's first hospital. It was located closer to the corner of Centennial and Forest Streets and opened in 1907. When the 1929 facility opened, the former hospital was used by nurses for lodging and other related medical activities. John C.Guinn donated half of the construction costs, $75,000, for the bigger hospital facility.

Sources

McCune-Brooks Regional Hospital: 100 Years and Counting. Carthage Evening Press, January 2008 supplement.

Powers Museum Vertical Files: McCune-Brooks Hospital.

Additional Information