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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,