The Serenity Issue
45
When the Palace Hotel Became Urgent Care Words and Photos Provided by Terry Ommen
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1: The Palace Hotel building, located at Court and Main streets, became a temporary emergency hospital room for many. Notice Mixtures drug store is located on the ground floor. Circa 1960. 2: Fred Jackson was wounded while on the hunt for Evans and Sontag. His left leg was amputated while being treated at the Palace Hotel. He continued to serve as a peace officer for many years. Circa 1935.
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any drive or walk past the 148-year-old Palace Hotel building,
He had also injured himself, having fallen from a train in Goshen.
unaware of its history. Although it dominates the northeast
When he arrived in Visalia, he felt terrible and checked himself into
corner of Main and Court streets in Visalia, the large and mostly
the Palace. When he called for medical help, a Dr. King arrived and
unadorned structure doesn’t attract much attention. Though the
treated him. A short time after the doctor left his side, Fowler passed
exteriors lack eye-popping glitz, its interiors contain captivating
away, leaving behind a wife and three children. The Fresno County
history. Uncovering the hotel's past reveals its role in much of
town of Fowler was named in Thomas Fowler’s honor.
Visalia's history.
In 1893, again the hotel became, in part, a makeshift hospital. This
The hostelry was the brainchild of Visalia pioneer Solomon Sweet,
time it was for Deputy U.S. Marshal Fred E. Jackson, a member of the
who introduced it to the town at a gala grand opening ceremony on
posse on the hunt for local train robbers John Sontag and Christopher
Oct 12, 1876, with sitting California Governor William Irwin as the
Evans. In June 1893, the officers confronted the pair of outlaws near
guest of honor. His presence foretold the significance the Palace
Stone Corral, and Jackson received a serious gunshot wound in the
would hold in the town.
battle. He was quickly taken by wagon to Visalia for treatment, and
The two-story brick hotel was a first-class structure that gave Visalia a metropolitan flair. The second floor held the guest rooms while the ground level offered retail spaces. It had a restaurant and provided buggy service for guests needing transportation to and from the train
placed in a room at the Palace. Drs. Bernhard and Patterson treated his wound and even though he survived, his left leg had to be amputated. Using a prosthesis, Jackson continued to serve as a lawman for many years after the incident.
depot. It even offered hot and cold water for bathing. While it was a
Less than a year later, the hotel would again serve as an emergency
popular hotel, many are unfamiliar with its use as an emergency
room. In April 1894, the Fresno Athletic Club baseball team came to
medical facility for the sick and injured.
Visalia to play the local squad. Charley Button was pitching for Visalia
In 1884, Thomas Fowler, a wealthy cattleman, Mineral King mining entrepreneur, and former state senator representing Tulare County, unexpectedly found himself in the hotel. Upon returning to Tulare County after a business trip to San Francisco, he wasn't feeling well.
and by the fifth inning, Visalia was leading 7-0. When 18-year-old Frank Chance, Fresno’s star player, came up to bat, Button threw an inside pitch. Chance ducked, but not quickly enough. The ball struck him on the head knocking him to the ground. Visalia doctor E.D.
