History of Lee County, Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY 305
October 28, 184S. Her parents, William and Amelia (^Omen)
Garrison, were butli natives of Pennsylauvia, but left the east in
1845 and made their way to Illinois, with Lee county as their
destination. They traveled overland by team, bringing with them
their seven children, the eldest at the time being ten years of age.
They were also accompanied by Mathias Garrison, brother of
William Garrison. Their route lay at times through dense for-
ests or over open uncultivated prairies and they saw much wild
game wliile -upon the way and after their arrival in this county.
On reaching Illinois, Mr. Garrison obtained a tract of government
land upon which not a furrow had been turned or an improvement
made. With characteristic energy he began its development
and converted it into productive fields from which he
annually gathered good crops that enabled him to provide a com-
fortable living for his family. He continued upon his farm until
death called him. At one time he removed to Ogle county, Hli-
nois, where he operated a sawmill for a brief period and then re-
turned to Lee county, where his remaining days were passed.
After the arrival of the parents in Illinois foui- more children
were added to the family, making eleven in all. Dr. Garrison was
trained to the usual household duties but the parents were ambitious
to give their children good educational opportunities and
she was anxious to take advantage of such. Accordingly she supplemented
her public-school course by study at Mount Morris,
Illinois, and also in the Rock River Seminary. By this time she
had determined to engage in the practice of medicine and pursued
her studies at the Women's Medical College of Chicago, fi'om
which she was graduated with the class of 1876. She also took a
six months' hospital course and thus gained the broad knowledge
and experience which only hospital service can bring.
On the 5th of October, 1876. Dr. Garrison came to Dixon and
opened an office and has since engaged in practice here, although
she went to New York city in 1890 and again in 1891 for postgraduate
work. In this and other ways she has continually broadened
her knowledge and increased her skill. She traveled in
Euro]-)e with a party of physicians in 1897. She was the only
general practitioner among them and when Dr. Senn, a noted surgeon
of Chicago, became ill she was called upon to attend him. Her
trip was made for the purpose of attending the International
Medical Association at Moscow, Russia, and in 1900 Dr. Garrison
again went abroad attending the International Medical Associa-
tion at Paris. She has attended five different meetings of the
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