PLEASANT HILL DOCTORS No review of Pleasant Hill history would be complete without mention being made of those guardians of health and life in the community, the Doctors. This community has been very fortunate in the many worthy men who represented that profession and have so capably looked after the sick and afflicted in this community. Dr. Hezekiah Dodge was born in New York state, October 28,1794. He emigrated to the state of Georgia, where he married the daughter of a southern planter. Later, about the year 1826, he moved to Illinois and settled in the pioneer settlement on Bay Creek at the present site of the bridge, one and one-half miles southeast of Pleasant Hill. He was probably the first physician and surgeon to locate in this section of Pike county. Dr. Dodge died February 28, 1873 and is buried, in Dodge Cemetery on the banks of Bay Creek north of the bridge. The stone marking his resting place is in the view of travelers as they pass along the bluff road. One name that will always live in the history of this community is that of J. A. Thomas, who served almost 40 years of continuous practice among our people. He arrived in Pleasant Hill in 1849 when it was only a small village, a typical wild pioneer settlement that had more than its share of sickness due to the low swampy lands below the bluffs. Many today recall the chills, fever and malaria that was so prevalent in this community 40 years or more ago, and it was even worse in the day of Dr. Thomas. We still have citizens here who can testify to the services rendered by this early physician and the many hardships of the profession of that period. The large square dwelling prominently located the top of the bluff overlooking our village was built by Dr. Thomas and is now used by his youngest son, C. C. Thomas. In 1872 his son, Dr. J. Smith Thomas associated with him in business and it continued thru until the death of the senior member in l888. Dr. J. Smith then continued on and his years of faithful service are well known so many today. His death occurred in 1912, making a total of 63 years that father and son followed the medical profession in our town. Another well known Doctor that practiced many years in this community was Dr. H. D. Fortune.He graduated from medical college in 1865 and started practice in Missouri but moved to Pleasant in 1874 and lived here until his death in 1922. His son, Dr. Claude Fortune, graduated in 1905 resided here a while. but for many years has practiced elsewhere and is now located at Payson, Illinois. Dr. Alanson Mosher followed his profession and was a prominent citizen here several years, arriving here in the early days w hen the settlement was small. The exact date of his coming is not known but was previous to 1846 as the school record shows he was elected school trustee in January of that year. He was active in community affairs and was one of the owners of the Thomas and Mosher addition to the old or original town. He built a brick dwelling on the Schultz property on the top of the hill and the lower part or foundation is part of the present structure on that location today. For a number or years he had his office ever the building just south of the Christian church. Dr. J. H. South was another Doctor of the early day coming to Pleasant Hill Township in 1865, and his office was an up-stairs room over Fowler's barber shop in block 4, lot 6 of Cannon's addition. He also ran a drug store on the lower floor for a while. He met a tragic death, taking a quantity of poison, mistakenly the bottle for whiskey. Dr. Thomas administered first aid and a hand car was dispatched to Louisiana for a stomach pump but their efforts could not curb the effects of the deadly poison Dr. T. W. Shastid practiced here about five years, coming to Pleasant Hill in 1858. Years ago there was a Dr. Ogden located here, also Dr. T. J. Baskett, Dr. Lacy, Dr. Craine, and in more recent years Dr. O. H. Berry, Dr. J. W. Turner and Dr. S. D. Reiboldt. The Doctors now practicing in our town are well known needless to say we recognize their value to this community. Dr. R. P. Wells was graduated in 1904 and practiced with Dr. J. Smith Thomas until the death of Dr. Thomas in 1912, after which he formed a partnership, with Dr. J. E. Goodman and they practiced under the name of Wells and Goodman. In recent years the practice has been handled separately, with each having his own office. Today we step to the telephone and call the Doctor to administer to our sick; fast transportation and good roads soon place him at the bedside and in an emergency the patient can be removed to a hospital within one or two hours time. The situation is quite different from the early days of Dr. J. A. Thomas's practice in this locality. The request for his service was brought by messenger and responded to either on horse back or by buggy, many times over rough and muddy roads. The case was entirely in his hands with no thought of hospital care for the ailing person. Today our, Doctors visit patients 15. 20 and 25 miles away but then their field of service was limited and seldom extended beyond our own immediate settlement. Thus by contrast we have a picture of the many changes in this profession during the past 100 years and the blessings we enjoy today that were unknown to the early settlers in Pleasant Hill Township.