Bethesda Sanatorium History 1910-1950

Bethesda first started in 1898 in Maxwell, New Mexico, when Reverend Idzerd Van Dellen and his Christian Reformed Church chose to open a sanatorium to treat people with tuberculosis. This sanatorium was closed in 1908 and in 1910, the Bethesda Sanatorium opened its doors to tuberculosis patients. The sanatorium operated from 1910 to approximately 1950 (from https://www.qwaters.org/about-us/history-of-organization/ and http://bethesda.fallshosting.com/history).

From an undated letter written by Rev. Idzerd Van Dellen, one of the founders of Bethesda, titled “The Initial Period of The Bethesda Sanatorium Association”:

At the meeting of Aug. 21, 1912, it was reported that the ten acres on the corner of Iliff and Birch Sts. had been purchased for the sum of 10,000 dollars. This piece of land, on which the Sanatorium was built, was paid in full, and there was still $12,073.15 left in the treasury. At that same meeting it was decided to build at the cost of $20,000, including furniture, heating, etc. At the next general meeting (Aug. 20, 1913) $18,902.29 had been disbursed on the building, which would be opened for patients on Jan. 1, 1914. And at the next annual meeting of the Association, (Aug. 26, 1914) it could be reported that all bills had been paid and that the treasurer was only about 1000 dollars in arrears. . . .

Meindert Bosch, CEO Emeritus of Bethesda, discussing the mental health history of Bethesda. Mr. Bosch worked at Bethesda from 1950-1986 and is the author of Bridges Across the Years: Ninety Years of History; the Bethesda Hospital Association, Denver, Colorado 1895 to 1985.