Butte County
Biographies
ELLA F. GATCHELL, M. D.
ELLA F. GATCHELL, M.D.—A prominent and appreciative representative of the
medical profession, and a distinguished leader among the progressive women of
the twentieth century, is Ella F. Gatchell,
who was born in Oxford County, Maine, the daughter of Benjamin F. Twitchel, a cousin of General John Bidwell. Her father was
a Maine farmer, and her great-grandfather was Benjamin Griggs, who was in the
Revolution and died at Valley Forge. Miss Twitchel
was educated at the Oxford Normal School at Paris, Maine; and there she was
later married to Dr. W. L. Gatchell, a
native of that state and the son of Hiram Gatchell, a
lumber dealer. W. L. Gatchell was a
graduate of the department of medicine of Bowdoin College, and was engaged in
medical practice at Brownfield, Maine.
Mrs. Gatchell
began the study of medicine and graduated at the College of Physicians and
Surgeons in Boston, receiving therefrom, in 1889, the
degree of M. D. At that time there were only two or three women graduates
practicing as physicians in Maine, and she was therefore among the pioneer
women practitioners in that state. She had an office at Brownfield, and there
she remained until 1895. About the middle of the nineties she came to
California for her health, and happening to locate in Chico, she was so
attracted with the town that she has remained here ever since, practicing
medicine and surgery. When she began here, she was the first woman practitioner
north of Sacramento. She has been more than ordinarily successful, and now
enjoys an extensive patronage.
Dr. Gatchell has
been blessed with one child, Florence, now Mrs. Ralph Requa, of Chico. Mrs. Gatchell
is ex-president of the Butte County Medical Society, where she was secretary
for eight years; and she is a member of the State Medical Society, as well as
of the American Medical Association and the Women’s National Medical
Association. She belongs to Josephine Chapter, No. 104,
O. E. S., and to the Women’s Relief Corps, and is Past Commander of
the Woman’s Benefit Association of the Maccabees, and
chairman of the hospital board of the same organization; and she is also a
member of the Order of Pocahontas. In matters of religion, Dr. Gatchell prefers the Baptist faith and worship, while in
national politics she is a Progressive Republican.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard
09 July 2009.
Source:
"History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Page 1208, Historic Record Co, Los
Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2009 Marie Hassard.
Golden Nugget Library's
Butte County Biographies