Our History

Ellett Memorial Hospital was opened in 1935 by Dr. William H. Ellett.  In 1934, Dr. Ellett leased the Durley Hotel, which is located on the corner of 4^th & Walnut, and turned the building into a hospital.  Today that building is still standing and has been converted into apartments.  The doors opened for business in 1935 and in 1937 Dr. Ellett purchased the hospital building.  In 1943, Dr. Ellett volunteered to enlist in the Army Medical Corps.  The hospital was closed from the time he left until 1946 when he returned to Appleton City and reopened the hospital.  In 1952, Dr. Ellett and his wife, Dorothy, presented the hospital to the city as a gift.  The Appleton City community has kept the doors open for business since that time.  A new building for the hospital was built in 1973 and continues to be home of the hospital today.

While Dr. William H. Ellett has passed on, his aspirations to provide healthcare in this rural community continue on today in the spirit of the dedicated hospital employees.