Our History in Clay County
It all began in September 1899 when Martha Coldiron Hogg donated 1/4 acre land - on the condition that a church or school with a value greater than $600 must be built on the land within two years.
The present-day Manchester Seventh-day Adventist Church
James Anderson Burns founded Mamre Baptist College on December 20, 1899. Mamre opened its doors on January 1, 1900. On October 29, 1904, the trustees changed the name of the school to Oneida Baptist Institute. The first class of five boys, J. M Hensley, Perry Davidson, W.S. Burns, C.W. Craft and Paul Hounchell, graduated in May 1908.
Henry B. Hensley (1843-1929), a one-time feudist, was baptized at age 66 and became a staunch supporter of the school.
A Grist Mill Owned by George Ponder, (The Grand Father of Barkley Moore) was moved to Oneida from a community called Sidale to grind corn to feed workers and students at no cost.
Between 1902 and 1929, several structures of Oneida Baptist Institute were completed. While fundraising for the school, circa. 1915, Burns was approached by a New York doctor. He asked Burns if medical care was available to the students. Soon, construction was started and in 1929 Oneida Hospital was completed. It had it’s share of difficulties - the first of which was they were unable to find a staff willing to operate the hospital.
The State finally opened the hospital in 1941, just 4 years before the death of Burns. Furnished with military surplus equipment, Oneida Hospital stayed open until 1954.
Thomas Britton became the Secretary of the Oneida Board of Trustees. He was given the responsibility of reopening the hospital. The difficulty was finding a denomination to operate it. Eventually, he read about the Seventh-day Adventist Church. When they were contacted, he was originally turned down. But, after many generous donations made by friends and alumni of Oneida Baptist Institute, $10,000 were raised, and the Seventh-day Adventists agreed to open the hospital.
Thomas Britton and his wife
On August 22, 1955, Oneida Mountain Hospital opened.
Oneida Mountain Hospital
Nurse’s Station
Waiting Room
Ward Room, Pictured Julie Walker
Ambulance
on left, Rominger, on Right Britton
with Jim Trosper attendant
Nursery 1963
Hospital Staff 1965
includes Dr. Wheeler, Dr. James Becknell, Dr. W.E. Becknell, Dr. Chu
Hospital Board 1965
includes Dr. Wheeler, Dr. Chu, Herb Davis, Debbie Smith’s father
Oneida Mountain Hospital
Eventually, after many years of service provided to the people of Clay and surrounding Counties, the state condemned the hospital building. Among other things, the facility was not up to code, and the building was too small.
Old Hospital Building
today is a staff residence for Oneida Baptist Institute and a school clinic
Oneida Seventh-day Adventist Church
today is staff housing
So, in 1971 Oneida Mountain Hospital was moved to its present location in Manchester, where it is known as Manchester Memorial Hospital. The brick from the second two stories of the old Oneida Mountain Hospital were reused to build the new Manchester Seventh-day Adventist Church.
