Sacramento County
Biographies
GUSTAVUS LINCOLN SIMMONS,
M.D.
One of Sacramento’s
most distinguished physicians of former years was the late Dr. Gustavus L. Simmons, whose death, on October 7, 1910, was a distinct loss to the
community which he had honored by his life and labors for nearly sixty years.
He was well equipped in medical knowledge, was skilled in practice and during
all the years of his professional career here commanded the unreserved
confidence and respect of his fellowmen.
Dr. Simmons was
born in Hingham, Plymouth
county, Massachusetts,
on the 13th of March, 1832,
and was therefore seventy-eight years old at the time of his death. He attended
the local schools and Derby Academy,
in Hingham, and in 1849, when
seventeen years of age, decided to come to the gold fields of California.
Embarking at Boston on the brig “Caracoa,” he sailed around Cape Horn,
his plan being to join a brother-in-law, Dr. Henry B, May, in San
Francisco. After a voyage of four months, he reached
his destination remaining for a few months in San Francisco,
and then removing to Sacramento
during the great epidemic of cholera then prevalent. Here he joined Dr. May in
the establishing of the old Boston
drug store, which was located on J Street,
between Front and Second streets. Here also he took up the study of medicine
and later, in order to properly equip himself for its practice, he returned to
the east and entered the Tremont Street
Preparatory Medical
School, in Boston.
Later he became a student in the medical school of Harvard
University, receiving the degree of
Doctor of Medicine in 1856, after which he returned to Sacramento,
where he practiced medicine and surgery to the time of his death. He received
prompt recognition as a trustworthy physician and during all the years of his
professional career in this city stood in the front ranks of those whose lives
were devoted to the public welfare. For twenty years he served as commissioner
of lunacy, one term as county hospital physician and also as United
States pension surgeon. He was the first
secretary of the city board of education who also acted as school
superintendent, and he was the president of the board of trustees of the
Marguerite Home for Old Ladies. He was a charter member of the Sacramento
County Medical Society and belonged to the California State Medical Society and
the American Medical Association.
Dr. Simmons was
married to Miss Celia Crocker, a daughter of Rev. and Mrs. Peter Crocker. To
them were born three children, Dr. Gustave Crocker,
Celia May and Dr. Samuel Ewer, who is represented on other pages of this work.
Mrs. Simmons passed away September 23,
1926. She was a woman of strong character, an ideal wife and
mother, and was beloved throughout the wide range of her acquaintance. Dr.
Simmons was a man of high professional ideals, was closely devoted to his life
work and
commanded the grateful regard of
hundreds who had benefited by his ministrations.
Transcribed by Debbie Walke Gramlick.
Source: Wooldridge, J.W. Major History of the Sacramento
Valley California,
Vol. 2 pgs. 387-388. The Pioneer
Historical Publishing Co. Chicago 1931.
© 2005 Debbie Walke Gramlick.
Sacramento
County Biographies