The vine maple which now follows the direction of the original scaffold, was brought from the then nearby woods and planted by Bishop Morris himself, and constitutes what is now known as the "Bishop's Arch." Another interesting receipt is one for $67 for "extracting stumps."
Among the original donors we find the names of General Eaton, Colonel McCraken, Samuel Sherlock, S. Pennoyer, Dr. R. B. Wilson, G. S. Brooks, Lloyd Brooke, Mrs. Couch, Judge M. P. Deady, Mrs. Hewett, Wm. Sherlock, Mrs. Corbett, Weeks & Morgan, Ladd & Tilton, Dr. Glisan, W. Wadhams, S. G. Skidmore, Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Lewis, George Goode, Elijah Corbett, H. W. Corbett, James Laidlaw, G. E. Wethington, Hodge, Calef & Co., James Steel, D. P. Thompson, Henry Failing and others. Also the churches of Trinity and St. Stephens of Portland, St. Peter's of Albany, St. Paul's of Oregon City, St. Mary's of Eugene, St. David's of East Portland, and St. Luke's of Vancouver, Washington.
An appeal from the bishop to raise funds for the hospital reads, "A hospital and orphanage to be erected in the northwest part of the city under the supervision of the Episcopal church. Patients will be admitted to this hospital, and children to this orphanage, without distinction of race or religion, of color or country, and any ministration that may be desired at the bedside of any patient, will be cordially allowed. It is proposed to raise a building fund of $5,000 for immediate use. I have pledged $2,000 of this and hope the good people of Portland will soon furnish the $3,000. The first hospital board of managers were Hon. M. P. Deady, Rev. Geo. F. Plummer, Mr. C. H. Lewis, Capt. Geo. H. Flanders, Dr. R. B. Wilson, Dr. R. Glisan, Mr. James Laidlaw, Mr, Henry Hewett, Gen. J. H. Eaton, Mr. Ivan R. Dawson, Mr. Henry Failing, Gen. J. H, Eaton, secretary, and Mr. George Goode, treasurer.
The hospital was opened October 9, 1875, and the first patient admitted October 10th. It then consisted of a building which cost $10,000, of which $1,500 was unpaid at that time. The first superintendent was George Boyd, a deacon of the church, who did faithful service in the hospital for 10 years. During the first year it cared for 51 patients, and in the orphanage were 25 children. Two years later there were 129 patients in the hospital, and 15 children in the orphanage. In 1877 a mortgage of $2,000 was placed on the hospital, but was paid in 1880.
A portion of the address of Bishop Morris for the year 1878 we quote: "By the fencing of the surrounding property, access to the hospital has been very difficult for the past year, and in the winter, the long and circuitous road to it was almost impassable to any ordinary vehicle, and a very terror to patients and physicians." It was during this winter while the bishop was east that the hospital was closed, waiting for a passable road. One of the staff, Dr. W. H. Saylor, often told about letting down bars while on his road to make his daily visits to the hospital.
Some years later the bishop makes an appeal for money "to relieve an alarming indebtedness of $636." Another time he was strongly urged to sell it for a marine hospital, as he had what was then considered a good offer for it; but gradually it prospered. During the year 1883, it sustained a great loss in the death by typhoid fever of Mr. Boyd. The expenditure of the hospital during this year was $4,988.20. Sister Hannah and Sister Mary were next in charge, and after them, Rev. Mr. Ferguson. In 1885, Mrs. Emma J. Wakeman was asked to manage its affairs, and for 20 years was its faithful and beloved superintendent.
The first addition to the original part was made in 1889, increasing its capacity about 25 beds. In 1890 the training school was organized—the first in the northwest; Miss Emily L. Loveridge, a graduate of Bellevue, taking charge of it, and starting with six student nurses. It has now ninety.
When the missionary jurisdiction of Oregon became a diocese, the control of Good Samaritan Hospital was vested in a corporation founded under the laws
