Historian's Corner



Charlene Cole
Sandy Creek/Lacona Historian
Historian's Corner
January 24, 2014

Photo: Dr. J. Lyman Bulkley

As we continue with the research of the Doctor’s of Sandy Creek/Lacona book we are using many sources and have gleaned some information from the research of Nanette Hamer and Pauline Tanner. In last week’s column Marie Parsons shared memories of Nanette. This column will highlight some interesting stories on local doctors.

About 1825 Dr Ayer is credited with being one of those who suggested changing Sandy Creek’s name to Washingtonville as it was thought desirable to have a “local” name for the little settlement where the Salt Road crossed Sandy Creek.

The attempted murder of Dr. J. Lyman Bulkley by a patient who had just been released from the Ogdensburg State Hospital was big news in 1894. The young man had lived in Boylston and was a former patient of Dr. Bulkley.

In the old days when travel in winter was by horse and cutter, Doctor LeRoy Hollis was called Up East one stormy day to addend a patient who was dying. The roads were drifted and it was quite a trip. It was during the flu epidemic, and in the same household was another member of the family, also apparently at death’s door, so to save time and travel, Dr. Hollis signed another death certificate for him. The story was, however, that the second patient lived for some years afterward.

One of Dr. Solomon J. Douglas patients was a school teacher, Mrs. Sage, who was ill with tuberculosis. She had three children, the youngest being only six months. Mrs. Sage realized she could not live and on one of the Doctor’s visits expressed her concern for the baby’s care after her death. Dr. and his wife, not having any children of their own, adopted little Martha Sage.

Dr. Samuel Crockett was born in Baltimore Md, and was a graduate of the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia in 1866 and was a veteran of the Civil War.