Dr. D.S. Hoig

 

By Jennifer Weymark, Archivist; originally written for the Oshawa Express, 2011.

Oshawa’s longest serving medical doctor was born in Rochester, New York, to Scottish parents on October 28, 1853.  He was the youngest child in a large family and the only one not born in Scotland.

When Dr. David Scott Hoig’s parents immigrated to Canada and settled in Toronto, he moved to Oshawa to live with his sister and attended the Centre School as a child. He went on to pursue a medical degree and graduated from the University of Toronto in 1880. Following an internship with the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, Dr. Hoig returned to Oshawa where he set up his private practice, first at 7 Athol Street, then in his home at 245 Simcoe Street North.

In 1885, Dr. Hoig married Alice Loscomb and together they had two daughters, Marjorie and Dorothy.

Oshawa Hospital staff, 1910.  Dr. Hoig is second from left, front row.

Dr. Hoig was not only a dedicated doctor he was also actively involved in community activities. He was an engaged board member for the Board of Education for 20 years and the Library for 15 years. He was instrumental in the founding of the Oshawa General Hospital and served as the medical superintendent there for 25 years. In 1933, following his retirement from private practice after 53 years he  changed gears and held the position of medical examiner for an insurance company.

Dr. Hoig’s interest in literature inspired him to publish many of his observations and experiences in Oshawa in his book Reminiscences and Recollections.  He describes this work as “an interesting pen picture of early days, characters and events in Oshawa.”  Reminiscences and Recollections includes anecdotes on well known prominent citizens of Oshawa and their families, such as the Farewells and the Gibbs. It also outlines brief histories on Oshawa’s industries, including the McLaughlin Carriage Company, R.S Williams Piano Factory, and Joseph Hall Works. His passion for education is reflected in his chapters on the Demille College and Bishop Bethune College.

Dr. D.S. Hoig, from A History of the Medical Profession of the County of Ontario, 1934

Dr. Hoig’s passion for medicine remained steadfast until the day of his death in 1939. He still held the position of Dean of the Ontario County Medical Profession when he passed.

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Saturday, October 1 is Doors Open Oshawa! The theme for 2016 is Medical Science and Innovation.  Henry House is open from 12-4pm where we will have a pop-up exhibit on Oshawa’s Medical History!

Doors Open Oshawa: Behind the Scenes of Henry House

By Lisa Terech, Community Engagement

I love the Doors Open weekend.  It is a great program that gives people in their community, or those visiting town, to visit buildings that might not otherwise be open, or it may give them a fresh perspective on a familiar site.  A number of years back, I visited Doors Open Toronto and visited a number of churches, museums, and archives in Toronto’s downtown core, and it was wonderful to see the history amongst the tall office buildings.  This year, I am able to be a visitor for Doors Open Oshawa; in years past, I’ve always greeted visitors at the Oshawa Community Museum, playing a different role for the event.  I cannot wait to visit these heritage sites in the community that I love.

Historic Henry House, open from 12-4 as part of Doors Open Oshawa

At the Oshawa Community Museum, we are opening up the doors to Henry House, the oldest building of our Museum complex.  It is estimated that Rev. Thomas Henry has his stone house built c. 1840.  He lived in the home with his second wife, Lurenda, and there was typically 8 or 9 of his 15 children living in the home with them.  The second storey, a wooden addition, was added sometime after 1861.  We know this because Census records from 1852 and 1861 record a single storey brick home being owned by Thomas Henry, and Henry House today is very distinctly two storeys high.

The door that leads to the second storey of Henry House. The needlepoint to the right of the door was created by a Henry family member.

Often on tours, Visitor Hosts are asked what lies behind the door in the hallway, and the answer is storage.  If you ever visit a historic house museum and you see a closed door, chances are very strong that there are items being carefully stored behind them.  This is very true with Henry House.  Behind the door is a set of stairs which leads to the second floor storage areas.  There are three rooms: two of them are used for storing our textile collection, including clothing, hats, shoes, and quilts, while the third room is used as a digitization studio, used for photographing artifacts in the collection.

The upper level digitization studio in Henry House.

If you visit Henry House for Doors Open Oshawa, you will have the opportunity to learn about the family from costumed guides, tour through a Victorian home, one of the oldest in the City, and you will have the chance to view letters from the recently acquired Thomas Henry Correspondence Collection, a fascinating collection of papers and letters written by or written to Thomas Henry by family or associates in the community.  We will also have our tablet in Henry House and guests can view our Behind the Scenes of Henry House video.  Can’t make it to Doors Open Oshawa? View the video here: Behind the Scenes of Henry House 

Henry House is open for Doors Open Oshawa for FREE, Saturday, September 27, 2014 from 12-4PM.