Historical records bespeak that Dr. Squier Littlel, Dr. Jacob Lewis, and Dr. J. Lanier served the country anterior to the accomplishment of Hamilton’s archetypal imperishable physician, Dr. Daniel Millikin.
“Old Doctor Dan” (1779-1849) archetypal visited the country successful 1804 and returned with his wife, 3 children, and 2 of his brothers successful 1807. He had joined Joan Minor successful 1801 and had 8 children with her. A 2nd matrimony with Ellen Curry aft 1830 produced different 4 children. He established his signifier successful Hamilton but provided wellness attraction to galore different Butler County residents and settlers surviving successful adjoining counties.
As a pioneer doctor, Millikin’s beingness was afloat of hardship, extended question connected horseback implicit horrible roads successful each types of upwind conditions, and predominant vulnerability to infectious diseases. The mediocre wellness helium suffered precocious successful his beingness was attributed to his vocation successful medicine.
Dr. Dan was a trustee of the Hamilton Literary Society during the 1810s and helped rise the funds needed to physique a ceramic schoolhouse astatine the country of Third and Dayton streets. He was a subordinate of Miami University’s Board of Trustees from 1812 to 1824, represented the country successful the authorities legislature successful 1816 and 1817, and was an subordinate justice for Butler County’s Court of Common Pleas from 1827 to 1841, each portion practicing medicine.
Millikin was president of the Butler County Medical Society erstwhile it was organized successful 1836 and signed the caller constitution and by-laws erstwhile the radical was reorganized successful 1848.
Robert B. Millikin (1793-1860), a younger member of Dr. Dan, came to Hamilton from Pennsylvania successful 1813. After studying with his member and taking Sarah Gray arsenic his woman successful 1816, “Dr. Bob” was licensed to signifier medicine successful 1817. He established his signifier successful Rossville and operated a drugstore determination for galore years.
After Sarah died successful the 1830s, Millikin joined Ann Eliza Yeomans. Robert served arsenic Rossville’s postmaster from 1824 to 1836, was a subordinate of the authorities legislature during 1836 done 1838, and was concisely Butler County’s treasurer successful 1849-1850. He besides served arsenic a trustee of Miami University from 1840 to 1848.
Dr. Daniel Millikin (1845-1914) was 1 of the astir popular, respected and admired men successful Hamilton during his lifetime. He was the lad of lawyer John M. Millikin and grandson of the pioneer Dr. Dan and 1 the archetypal 3 graduates of Hamilton High School successful 1862. Young Millikin studied chemistry astatine Yale University (1863-64) and medicine nether Dr. Cyrus Falconer who had been 1 of Dr. Robert B. Millikin’s students. He joined Amanda Hunter successful 1866 and the mates had 4 children.
In 1875, Millikin earned his aesculapian grade astatine Miami Medical College successful Cincinnati and instantly began his signifier successful Hamilton. He joined his alma mater’s module successful 1884 and held 3 world subject chairs until helium resigned from the schoolhouse successful 1893.
“Dr. Dan” was president of the Ohio Medical Association during 1895 and 1896 and appointed to Miami University’s Board of Trustees by Ohio Governor William McKinley, a presumption helium held from 1891 to 1900. Millikin was elected to the Hamilton Board of Education and served arsenic committee president during 1906 done 1913.
Millikin was besides a fashionable antheral of letters who contributed articles and essays to literate and technological journals and was a highly effectual nationalist speaker. He often acted successful a assortment of locally produced plays and wrote respective comedies which were staged passim the county. A clipping from the May 5, 1910 Hamilton “Telegraph” reported that 1 of Millikin’s plays with a formed that included Stella Weiler Taylor, his lad Dr. Mark Millikin, Dr. Louis Frechtling and others would beryllium staged astatine a authorities aesculapian nine gathering successful Toledo.
When “Dr. Dan” died successful 1914, much than 500 radical attended his memorial work successful Hamilton’s caller YMCA.
Mark Millikin (1868-1945) graduated from Hamilton High School successful 1886 and attended Johns Hopkins University from 1886 to 1889 earlier earning his aesculapian grade from Miami Medical College successful 1892. When “Dr. Mark” joined his father’s signifier successful 1893 the bureau became known arsenic “Millikin and Millikin.” Also successful 1893, helium joined May Beckett with whom helium had six children.
The younger Millikin was Hamilton’s wellness commissioner from 1904 to 1911 and was 1 of the 15 men who organized the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce successful 1910. He was a subordinate of the city’s archetypal charter committee that unsuccessfully tried to signifier a metropolis manager authorities successful 1916. However, successful 1926, Millikin and different assemblage leaders connected the 2nd charter committee won elector support for a caller metropolis charter. “Dr. Mark” was elected to the metropolis assembly successful 1927 and was reelected six times, serving from 1928 to 1943.
Millikin was the main of the aesculapian unit astatine Mercy Hospital from 1920 to 1944, the twelvemonth helium ended his signifier owed to mediocre wellness aft much than 50 years of work to the community. In 1945, the metropolis renamed what had been known arsenic Stahlheber Woods, Millikin Woods successful “Dr. Mark’s” honor.
Neil Millikin (1900-1981), Dr. Mark’s lad and great-great-grandson of the pioneer Doctor Daniel Millikin, graduated from Hamilton High School successful 1918. Young Neil is seen successful his Hamilton High 1915 shot squad azygous successful the photograph astatine the left. Millikin acquired a bachelor’s grade astatine Johns Hopkins University successful 1921 earlier earning his aesculapian grade astatine the Harvard University Medical School successful 1925 soon aft marrying Grace Krauth.
Dr. Neil was a Hamilton-area wide practitioner for much than 50 years. For 33 years, from 1948 to 1981, helium provided aesculapian attraction to the section US Selective Service committee without wage and served connected the committee of the Butler County Children’s Home. He was a founding subordinate of the Hamilton Community Foundation. In 1962, Dr. Millikin was elected main of unit astatine Mercy Hospital, a presumption held by his begetter for astir 25 years.
He was besides main of unit astatine Fort Hamilton-Hughes Memorial Hospital, contiguous called Kettering Health Hamilton.
Taken together, these 5 members of the Millikin household provided astir 175 years of astir uninterrupted work gathering the wellness attraction needs of Butler County residents. To a man, they besides gave of themselves to amended the societal life, acquisition and prime of beingness of Hamilton’s citizens. The Millikin household of doctors was an exceptional power connected Hamilton and the surrounding area.
This file is published connected behalf of the Butler County Historical Society, located astatine 327 N. Second St. successful Hamilton. See much astir the BCHS online astatine bchistoricalsociety.com.
CELEBRATING LOCAL HISTORY
In grant of the Journal-News’ genitor company, Cox Enterprises, celebrating 125 years successful 2023, we volition periodically people humanities columns and articles passim the year. The institution was founded by James M. Cox successful 1898 erstwhile helium purchased the Dayton Evening News. The institution is Atlanta-based and is inactive family-owned. It includes the newspapers of Cox First Media successful Ohio, including the Journal-News, Springfield News-Sun and Dayton Daily News.
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