Cotton Township near Bennington in Switzerland County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

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Dr. John Shaw Billings

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 30, 2023

1. Dr. John Shaw Billings Marker (post)

Inscription. Billings (1838-1913) lived in Allensville as a child. A Civil War surgeon, he established field hospitals at battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. He transferred to Surgeon-General’s Office and developed a comprehensive library, revolutionizing medical research. In 1870s, he helped compile Index Catalogue and Index Medicus, forerunner to databases like MEDLINE.

Billings’ experience treating and transporting wounded Civil War soldiers made him an innovator in hospital design. He planned Johns Hopkins Hospital, reflecting his novel ideas about medical education, hygiene, and sanitation. First director of New York Public Library, 1896-1913. He devised more efficient systems to tabulate vital statistics for the U.S. Census.

Erected 2018 by Indiana Historical Bureau • Switzerland County Junior Historical Society. (Marker Number 78.2018.1.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Science & Medicine • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Indiana Historical Bureau Markers series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1838.

Location. Marker is missing. It was located near 38° 52.392′ N, 85° 1.218′ W.

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Marker was near Bennington, Indiana, in Switzerland County. It was in Cotton Township. Marker was at the intersection of Indiana Route 250 and Allensville Road, on the right when traveling west on State Route 250. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 10243 IN-250, Bennington IN 47011, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 9 miles of this location, measured as the crow flies. Patriot Burials (approx. 8½ miles away); Edgar Lamkin House (approx. 8.8 miles away in Kentucky); First Christian Church (approx. 8.8 miles away in Kentucky); Craig House (approx. 8.8 miles away in Kentucky); Warsaw Deposit Bank (approx. 8.8 miles away in Kentucky); Henry Yates House (approx. 8.9 miles away in Kentucky); Sally McCann House (approx. 8.9 miles away in Kentucky); Thompson-Bradley House (approx. 8.9 miles away in Kentucky).

More about this marker. Inscription obtained from Indiana Historical Bureau.

Also see . . .
1. About John Billings. This multitalented and vastly accomplished man, almost single-handedly, designed almost all of The Johns Hopkins Hospital and figured out how a medical school could operate within it. (The John Hopkins Hospital) (Submitted on May 9, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

2. John Shaw Billings: “I Could Lie Down and Sleep for Sixteen Hours without Stopping”.

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 30, 2023

2. Dr. John Shaw Billings Marker (post)

As a Civil War surgeon at several prominent battles — including the Battles of Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg — Billings was tasked with establishing field hospitals, operating and treating wounded soldiers for hours while under fire, and transporting waves of injured soldiers from battle sites with limited equipment. (Nicole Poletika, Indiana Historical Bureau "Indiana History Blog," posted April 14, 2016) (Submitted on May 9, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

3. John Shaw Billings: “The Many Lives he Has Led”. We have, in large part, Billings (of Allensville, Indiana) to thank for many of the basic preventive measures in hospitals, particularly with the establishment of the Johns Hopkins Hospital. (Nicole Poletika, Indiana Historical Bureau "Indiana History Blog," posted May 23,2016) (Submitted on May 9, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Dr. John Shaw Billings (1838-1913) image. Click for full size.

Library Journal via Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division (Public Domain), 1896

3. Dr. John Shaw Billings (1838-1913)

Credits. This page was last revised on May 9, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 9, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 68 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 9, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

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