California Genealogy and History Archives
Biographies
of
Sacramento County
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F.
L. ATKINSON, M. D. A
native of Illinois, Dr. F. L. Atkinson was born in Galena, Jo Daviess
county, June 28, 1860. He was educated in the public schools of Galena,
the Platteville Normal and Valparaiso University, after which he entered
the medical department of the University of Michigan, and completed his
medical course at Rush Medical College, Chicago. Graduating in February,
1885, with the degree of M. D., he came to San Francisco on May 1 of the
same year, and after traveling over the coast and through the northwest,
he located permanently in Sacramento. Here he has remained ever since,
practicing his profession. On June 6, 1886, he was elected health
officer by the City Board of Health, being the first physician chosen to
that important place within the history of the city. He afterwards
became assistant county physician and dispensary physician. Dr. Atkinson
was elected a member of the Board of Education of Sacramento in 1897,
and served in that position four years. During his service here he took
an active interest both in a sanitary and educational way in the city
schools and their improvement. He was the first member of the Board of
Education in Sacramento to raise his voice against the obnoxious
fraternities of the high schools, and the fact that the matter went to
the legislature and was enacted into a law restraining these improper
and harmful institutions, proved the wisdom of the Doctor's judgment. Dr.
Atkinson believes in a thorough and a practical preparation for the
duties of any trade, calling or profession. With this in view for his
own training he has traveled widely over the United States, Canada,
Europe and Africa, studying in the hospitals of New York, Chicago,
London, Paris and Vienna. He is a member of the Americal Medical
Association, the State Medical Society of California, and the Sacramento
Society for Medical Improvement, having been secretary and president of
the last mentioned organization. He is surgeon to the Northern Electric
Railway Company for this city. Having been an owner of swamp and
overflowed lands he naturally takes much interest in the reclamation of
such tracts, and has devoted much time to the study of the Sacramento
river, with reference to the reclamation of its overflowed shores as
well as its navigability. He is at present trustee for Reclamation
District 900, which comprises twelve thousand acres of swamp and
overflowed land in Yolo county directly opposite Sacramento City. The
territory is known as West Sacramento. It was virtually through Dr.
Atkinson's efforts that $2,500,000 was brought to Sacramento to develop
these lands. He believes in the great possibilities of Sacramento and
the Sacramento valley and is a powerful "booster" for these
localities. While his time is given to the practice of medicine and
surgery he finds time to look after his city real estate and landed
interests. Dr. Atkinson was married ip Sacramento in August, 1888, to Mrs. Florence E. Hodgdon, a native of Sacramento, the daughter of William P. Todhunter, one of the pioneers of Sacramento. Fraternally Dr. Atkinson was made a Mason in Sacramento Lodge No. 40, F. & A. M., and is also a member of all the Scottish Rite bodies. He is also a charter member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Woodmen of the World, Red Men and National Union. Politically he has always been a Republican and has taken a deep and active interest in the success of the party and in securing for the county a clean and progressive administration of public affairs. |
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Source: Transcribed by Peggy Hooper 2011 |