Nov. 10, 1866: Nineteen months after the Civil War’s end, the first patient is admitted to the National Asylum for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, Eastern Branch, at the former Togus Springs summer resort near Augusta, the first such facility in the nation.
The hospital complex accommodates fewer than 400 patients at first, but an aggressive building program in the late 1860s eventually provides services for nearly 3,000 veterans.
Growth through the rest of the century leads to construction of a narrow-gauge railway from the Kennebec River in Randolph, to transport both passengers and coal. Togus offers band concerts, a zoo, a hotel and a theater for Broadway shows, making it a popular spot for Sunday picnics.
Another building program in the 1930s, featuring mostly brick construction, changes the campus appearance significantly, giving it a look that persists to this day. The facility now is known as the VA Maine Health Care System, Togus Campus.
The full VA Maine Health Care System, including outlying clinics, employs about 1,400 people.
Joseph Owen is an author, retired newspaper editor and board member of the Kennebec Historical Society. Owen’s book, “This Day in Maine,” can be ordered at islandportpress.com. To get a signed copy use promo code signedbyjoe at checkout. Joe can be contacted at: jowen@mainetoday.com.
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