Memories from the Homestead: Dr. Shumate had a long career in Stone and Western Taney County

With a career that lasted over sixty years, Doctor L. S. Shumate, based in Reeds Spring, was long remembered for "curing what ails ya," as well as delivering a number of babies. Here in the Garber community, he was long remembered for providing medical care after the passing of Dr. Robert Irwin in 1914.

     Dr. Shumate was born Lucius St. Clair Shumate in Holland, Michigan, on October 11, 1879. I haven't found much in the way of early details of his life, but can confirm that Shumate and his family moved around quite a bit when he was young, ending up in St. Louis in the late 1890s. He graduated from Barnes Medical College in 1902 at the age of 23. It was later that year that he ended up here in the Ozarks.

Doctor Shumate with Mr. Meridith, owner of the Reeds Spring drug store.(Photo submitted by John Fullerton)

     Arriving in Galena during a typhoid fever outbreak, Shumate came at just the right time, providing assistance to Galena's physician, Dr. W.D. Craig. In 1906 Shumate settled in the new community of Reeds Spring and continued his medical practice there for the rest of his career. 

     Dr. Shumate came to the area at a time when there was about to be a boom in progress. This was a result of the construction of the White River Railway through the area, and soon, Reeds Spring was on the map as a full-time railroad tie market.  The railroad tie market would continue into the mid-1920s.

     In the early years of his practice, Shumate would travel on foot from patient to patient, going from home to home as needed. Eventually he had earned enough income to purchase a horse and later a wagon. If a client couldn't pay for his services, often times he was happy with a home cooked meal.

    In 1918, Shumate enlisted and was a physician during World War I. He served in the Medical Corps at Fort Riley, Kansas, and after the war returned to his practice in Reeds Spring since a flu epidemic had taken place; petitions were sent to Fort Riley from Stone County residents asking the urgent return of Dr. Shumate. 

     His long career continued, even into the 1960s, Shumate only charged $2 for an office call. Dr. Shumate passed away in August 1975 at 95 years of age. He was laid to rest at the Yocum Pond Cemetery. 

     A humorous piece was related by Artie Ayres that is worth sharing. 

"In 1906 Joe Meridith built and opened the first drug store in Reeds Spring. Meridith had translated the doctor's prescription and made an error that delayed the patient's recovery. It seems that this tie hacker came in complaining of a real bad earache. The problem was caused by excess, hardened ear wax. Doc was able to remove part of it, but concluded that there was probably more, so he wrote the prescription: three drops warm mineral oil in R. ear twice a day. The patient took the prescription to the druggist to be filled but was back in the doctor's office in a few days saying his right ear was still hurtin' bad and besides that, he didn't see how that could help his ear no how. The druggist had not seen the period after the R and the abbreviated R. (right) ear had become one word!"

     Happy trails, everyone!