The Rio Grande Hospital opened in November 1885, described as “one of the finest buildings of similar size in the West and...the especial pride of the town.” Railroad workers throughout the line paid
fifty cents each month to a fund to cover the operation of the hospital. The substantial two-
and-a-half-story brick building resembled a fine residence and featured a wrap-around
verandah surmounted by a balcony. The landscape of the grounds included a wrought iron
fence, bushes, a fountain, and flowerbeds.
Disaster struck at the railroad facilities on 14 April 1899, when a fire in the attic of the D&RG Hospital destroyed the building. Demonstrating the railroad’s continued commitment to the city, the hospital was quickly rebuilt on the same site.
Bob Rush Collection.
