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Searcy Arkansas Sanitarium. Where was this and what was it?

My Searcy readers have said enough of those shoe blogs. Give us another history blog.

They just want a challenge. So here it is. I've had this picture for awhile but have never heard any discussion about it. It says Sanitarium Searcy Ark on the front.

Was this dated back to tuberculosis sanitariums? Searcy had one? If so, where was it and what happened to it.

Another possibility was that it was some sort of relaxing spa? Look at the ladies in fancy duds. Note the tennis net in the front. Bet they had dirt courts for sure! Perhaps they came for the healing waters of Spring Park springs.

I'm listening, Searcy....................................

Sanitarium Searcy AR

Posted by Barbara S. Duncan ABR, CRS, GRI, e-PRO Searcy AR on 10/13/2009 07:39 PM

Comments (9)

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9 Comments on Searcy Arkansas Sanitarium. Where was this and what was it?

OCT

Barbara, Neat old picture. I really like looking at old photos. The people, their clothes, even the old architecture. Sure beats looking at a shoe☺☺☺

Helping you live your American dream...

I have NO clue as to this place. I know the old Wakenight Hospital was called Wakenight Sanitarium early on, but that's not it. My experience with the tuberculosis sanitarium located in Booneville is that treatment was collapsing lungs, making the patients lie around in bed all day, drinking milk about every two hours.....in other words patients would never be dressed like that, nor encouraged to get out on the tennis court. Rest and healing the collapsed lungs was the treatment.

This "investigation" will give me something to do today.....and maybe the rest of the Searcy gang will get on it, too. Don will have a complete history, including pictures by noon, is my guess.

Anita Fuller

Have you looked in Dr. Muncey's book?

Godmother,

If you find out where it was, please enroll Mr James, Mr Charles and that wench Mrs Kate. They are totally crazy in Nutsy's professional view.

Nutsy, Godson

"I'm Bob Collins and I'm not smarter than a Fifth Grader"! I haven't a clue.

This picture is actually the Searcy Female Academy or Institute (1891 - 1907).

Searcy Female Academy (1891 - 1907)

The Searcy Female Academy or Institute was founded by Mary Jasper Willis and Miss Cora Tapscott. The school was located on the north end of Second Street (now known as Apple Street) on the hill south of where the Searcy Junior High School gymnasium would be built.

The way it got identified as a sanitarium was that Miss Tapscott resigned in 1901 and married William Watkins. Her sister Winnie returned to teach there after her graduation from Ole Miss in 1904. Three years later the school ceased operation and the building was sold to Doctors J.M. Jelks, L.E. Moore and J.B. Grammer for the purpose of opening a sanitarium.

Read all about it here.

I just KNEW Don would bail us out! and look at the time he posted: l0:l4 a.m., mid-morning. He's never let me down yet.

Having read everything I needed or wanted to know about the Searcy Female Academy....I'll have to tell this: one morning when my mother was a teenager, she was crossing the street to go to Dr. Tapscott's office when Dr. Tapscott drove by in his car. He stopped, she told him she was "headed" to his office, having been sent by her mother, because she had a sore throat. He leaned out the window, looked down her throat, pulled out a swab and iodine from his bag, swabbed her throat and drove on. Dr. Tapscott is the father of Cora Tapscott, one of the founders of the Academy. This would have been sometime in the mid-20's.

Michael, thanks. I'll bet you like looking at the shoe when it is on a shapely foot attached to a nice leg! LOL

Anita, quick as a flash Don has done his job. He is amazing!

Don Thompson, you've done it again! The whole story is now known and the colorized version is the same as the black and white picture. Thanks so much!!

Anita again, that's a good story. Wonder whether he sent her a bill. Your mother is in all our stories!!

Bob, we got the whiz kid to solve it. Thanks.

Nutsy, let's be on the lookout for a place for them. I suggest a building with bars on the windows.

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