Temple, Bell County
The Temple Charter of the International Order of the King's Daughters and Sons, a Protestant ecumenical group, was formed in 1893 to provide medical care to indigent citizens. The group, made up largely of educated women, rented rooms in a small house and opened King's Daughters Hospital in 1896. In 1898 a board of trustees was elected which appointed the first staff physicians; Cornelia Parsons became hospital superintendent. By 1920 the King's Daughters organization had discontinued support of the hospital facility. Considered ahead of its time from its earliest days, King's Daughters Hospital remains a major provider of affordable modern medical care. (1998)