The estate of noted author, historian, publisher, train enthusiast and photographer Alfred Rose (1918-1995) of Modesto yielded a treasure trove of memorabilia from Modesto’s Hammond General Hospital, probably the largest ephemera collection known to exist from the largest WWII military hospital on the West Coast.
Here you will find staff photos, newsletters, directories, booklets, military passes, posters, war propaganda, award ribbons and much more. I believe most of these were lithographed by Mr. Rose as part of his wartime service. Some of his contributions are in the California State Railroad Museum Library and Archives as well.
Have a story to share?
In hopes of preserving the stories of those who served and were treated there, I am inviting members of the Modesto community to share their memories, family histories and anecdotes.
Brief history
More than 24,000 injured soldiers were treated at the roughly 300-acre, 2,556-bed Modesto facility at Blue Gum and Carpenter roads during World War II. The hospital had 240 buildings that included 78 wards, convalescent wards, clinics, barracks, offices, warehouses, 6 mess halls, water treatment pump houses, laundry houses and utility shops (see Wikipedia entry for more).
After it closed in 1946, it became Modesto State Hospital, operated by the state of California, with its buildings used as a mental health facility. When that hospital closed, it became part of the Modesto Junior College West campus.
Hammond General Hospital - Modesto's key role in WWII 