The Mayo Brothers Almost Didn’t Build Their Hospital in Rochester

The Mayo Brothers, Dr. William Mayo and Dr. Charles Mayo, better known as Dr. Will and Dr. Charlie, almost didn't build their hospital in Rochester! They wanted to build their hospital west of Rochester, in Waterville.

Dr. Will and Dr. Charlie both joined their father's practice in Rochester after they had graduated from college. Dr. Will graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1883, according to NotableBiographies.com. He also got degrees from the New York Post-Graduate Medical School and Hospital in 1884 and also from the New York Polyclinic in 1885. Dr. Charlie graduated from the Chicago Medical School (which is now called Northwestern University Medical School) in 1888.

The Mayo Clinic is a huge staple in Rochester. Rochester wouldn't be what it is today without the Mayo Clinic. So imagine what Rochester might be like today if the Mayo Brothers never built their hospital here in the first place!

According to the Waterville Chamber of Commerce, the Mayo Brothers had visited Waterville in the past (Waterville is a little over an hour away from Rochester). A post on the Waterville Chamber's website says that the Mayo Brothers "were impressed with Waterville’s location and wished to build a hospital here." To their disappointment, they "were unable to secure sewer and water from the city fathers". So instead of Waterville, they built their hospital in Rochester.

How crazy is that! We might not even be living here if the Mayo Brothers decided to build the Mayo Clinic in Waterville instead. Actually, it's possible we'd be living in Waterville!

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