In 1913, when the Red River Lumber Company was building its company town, the Great Western Power was in the midst constructing its Big Meadows dam to create nearby Lake Almanor. Great Western Power did have a resident physician, namely Dr. Fred J. Davis to provide medical care. Red River routinely sought his services. By the fall of 1913, Dr. Davis accepted employment with Red River and remained with the company until 1939 when he moved to Susanville and opened a private practice.
Red River, now with its own physician, now needed some type of medical facility. They made what today we might consider an Urgent Care facility by converting a three-room cottage as an emergency hospital. This was a temporary solution and from the offset it was insufficient to meet Westwood’s needs. However, Red River was waiting to see if legislation concerning the passage of the Workmen’s Compensation Act, would dictate what type of medical care it would be required to provide its employees. The Act passed and went into effect in 1914. Red River had two options, to self-insure the employees or pay into a state insurance fund. In January 1914, Red River held an election concerning an insurance tax. The employees agreed to pay a monthly fee of one-dollar a month for full medical coverage. Shortly thereafter work began on a twenty-bed hospital at 500 Elm Street. In 1924, as Westwood continued grow, the Red River added a second story and two wings, bringing the capacity to one hundred beds.
In 1955, the Fruit Growers Supply Company, the successor to the Red River Lumber Company announced the closure of the lumber mill, the sole purpose of the town’s existence. There were a lot of unknown variables at the time. Fruit Growers sold the town to liquidators Wershow & Weisz. For a time after the mill closed, the hospital remained open, but the nagging question, how long? Wershow and Weisz offered the hospital to the County of Lassen, but while they would provide some assistance, they would only be interested if the residents would form a hospital district. With a large percentage of the town’s population moving to greener pastures, that was not an option.
The hospital’s savings grace, came from longtime Westwood physician, Dr. Levin who kept the hospital doors open. However, the operations were drastically curtailed and mainly to provide for emergency aid until a patient could be transported to another hospital and in the meantime, Dr. Levin continued with his practice. In 1972, Levin retired and shortly thereafter the hospital closed.
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My mother passed away at that hospital when I was a freshman in high school in Feb. 1953. Moved back to Susanville and graduated in 1956. Seeing this picture was a shock, I recognized it immediately.
My Mother and Uncles graduated from Westwwood High School. My brother and and were born there in 1942 and 1945.
There is so much more interesting history that I hope someone will share .
This was the hospital I knew growing up. Dr. Levin was the doctor. Mrs. GaQuette was his nurse. He lived behind the hospital and she lived in front of the hospital, so it would take very little time for them to get to the hospital. Dr. Levin smoked, alot,, used the floor as an ashtray. Had that cigarette in his mouth all the time, including when he talked to you and when he examined you. I thought all this was normal because its all I knew.
Forgot to enter the years. Years. From 1958 to 1972.
I was born there in 1950 , January 10. My parents said there was a bad snow storm and the roads where not plowed. They drove over on the night of January 9th. The hospital was not heated at the time of my birth. I also have vivid memories of Dr Levin with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth while he examined you.
I was born there, and I am glad to see the old building still standing. I sure wish I could get inside and look around, but I guess that is probably impossible due to the condition of the place. Westwood was a great place to live back when Red River Lumber Company was in operation. Too bad they had to sell out and leave.
I had to Google this hospital because I found it for sale on CL last night – https://reno.craigslist.org/reo/d/westwood-fixer-upper-bargain-mansion/7743624479.html. I wish I had the money to purchase it and fix it up. My fiance’s a gifted carpenter with a lot of friends who can do electrial, plumbing, and other remodeling work.
Hello, its Sandy Jackson again, still i nterested in your Westwood hospital building. I’m looking for down payment solutions.