The Nevada County Historical Landmarks Commission is pleased to invite the public to attend the dedication ceremony of a plaque designating the Nevada City Sanitarium as a historical landmark. Especially welcome are people who were born there and former patients. The unveiling of the plaque will be at 10 am, Sunday, October 27, 2024.
The Sanitarium was located at 424 Coyote St. and was demolished to make way for the Highway 49 freeway. The plaque is installed across the street at 425 Coyote St. with the consent of the property owner, Carolyn Ivey-Cone. She has a personal connection to the Sanitarium.
In 1910, Nurses Elizabeth McDonald Watson and Laura M. Peterson, at the request of local doctors, established the City of Nevada’s first hospital in a cottage at what was 424 Coyote Street.
A particular claim to the Sanitarium’s fame is its record of delivering around 3,000 babies. It also had an excellent reputation for handling victims of mining and automobile accidents.
The Sanitarium operated as a hospital until 1946, when it was converted to a rest home. The rest home closed in 1953. The founders continued to live there with Peterson taking care of Watson until Watson died at age 90, in 1957.
This Landmark will be featured in the Commission’s interactive map and in the electronic edition of its book Exploring Nevada County, a guide to all the County’s historical landmarks. The book is available for any smartphone or tablet from Apple or Amazon.
Go to You Bet Press to find clickable links. The paper edition is available from Comstock Bonanza Press.
The purpose of the Nevada County Historical Landmarks Commission is to promote the general welfare of Nevada County and its citizens through official recognition, recording, marking, preserving and promoting the historical resources of Nevada County. For more information, please call 530 264-0115