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Stratford centennial
(1891-1991)
Stratford's medical community, pp. 219-221
Page 219
Stratford's Medical Community Stratford Physicians Once again we are grateful for the wonderful job done by Mrs. Allen and the Stratford Journal in recording Stratford's history. We have used her article from the 1956 issue of the Stratford Journal and other articles from the newspaper for your enjoyment. Village Served by Many Distinguished Medical Men By Mrs. Robert Allen In 1895, 200 people called Stratford their home. The need for medical service was being felt by all. W. D. Connor knew of a young man from Canada who would soon finish medical school and he made arrangements for him to come to Stratford. Dr. Henry Wahl came to the village in 1895. For eighteen years he served the needs of the growing population. He put up his private single telephone lines to Rozellville, March Rapids and Fenwood to better serve his practice. Dr. Wahl's wife was a nurse. Like other horse and buggy frontier doctors of his day, he also pulled teeth and acted as coroner as well as being a physician and surgeon. The Wahls left in 1913. One of Dr. Wahl's contemporaries was Dr. C. 0. Fuller, who came to Stratford the first part of this century. In 1905, Dr. Fuller built the brick home on the comer of State Highway 97 and 153. Dr. Fuller left here in 1918 to join the army at Fort Riley, Kansas. Dr. and Mrs. J.H. Blekking moved here in 1913. Their home was the one vacated by Dr. Wahl. Dr. Blekking left Stratford in 1917. Dr. C. H. Hilger followed Dr. Fuller. A year later, Dr. G. F. Murphy came here and the two doctors formed a partner- ship which was to last only two months. From Stratford Journal, Aug. 8, 1919: Dr. G.F. Murphy Will Locate Here This week a deal was made whereby Dr. G.F. Murphy of Athens, will go into partner- ship with Dr. C.H. Hilger of this Village. The office will be located at the same old stand, at the Dr. Hilger residence. Dr. Hilger left and Dr. Murphy continued his practice until his death in 1930. He was followed by another Dr. Murphy. Dr. E. R. Murphy came here from Antigo and served here until 1954. Dr. F. C. Kroeplin came to Stratford in 1930. From: Stratford Journal, Dec. 1 1938: OPENS NEW OFFICE For the past two months, Dr. F. C. Kroeplin has had a crew of men remodeling and repairing the property he pur- chased on the comer of Second Avenue and Elm Street, across from Allington & Van Ryzin's store, building for him a modem office. Dr. Kroeplin has been planning to move his office to a ground floor location for some time, to make it easier for his patients, especially those with injuries, to call at his office for treatment. His office will occupy the entire ground floor of the building. The room at the southeast comer of the building will be the waiting room, and off from this Dr. Kroeplin has had partitioned a small closet which he will use for his dark room to develop the x-ray pictures. Just north of the waiting room is the consultation room, and, also, off from this room, a closet has been partitioned to house his drug supplies. The northwest room of the building will be used for an operating room, and he has two other smaller rooms for treatment rooms. From the operating room there is a cement platform out to the driveway, to allow the transfer of ambulance patients to the office with the least difficulty. An outstanding feature of the whole office is the extra wide doors he has had installed. Patients, even those with the most serious of injuries, can be taken to the office, and from one room to the other in the office, with no difficulty whatsoever. From The Stratford Journal March 10, 1966 Dr. Kroeplin Thirty six years ago on Feb. 22, a young man from Milwaukee, just out of medical school, drove to Stratford to find a location to open an office. This young man was Dr. Frederick C. Kroeplin. Getting as far as the Carl Spindler hill and seeing the village as it looked, dressed in its dirty spring attire, was enough to discourage him and make him turn back. On his way home, some friends who had accompanied him, asked if he had noticed the nice farms in the area. Thinking it over and encouraged by these young men, he decided he would return and inquire more about the needs and location. He returned the next day to interview Mrs. Murphy,
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