In 1900, Jamestown was a thriving summer community with several large resort hotels and other attractions catering to visitors from Philadelphia, St. Louis and Providence. That year, a Quaker physician from Providence converted the old Champlin Inn into Maplewood, a sprawling complex of buildings offering all of the amenities of a Gilded Age hotel. The owner, Dr. W. Lincoln Bates, specialized in electro-therapeutics and was one of the first to introduce shock treatments to cure a host of physical ailments in addition to “mental disease.” His monthly newsletter featured current events, social gossip, sports results, poetry and advice for fine living for those seeking an attitude adjustment after a long day of summer fun. Dr. Bates’ Sanatarium operated from 1900-1944 and was located across from the Bay Voyage Hotel on Conanicus Avenue.
The Electric Spark monthly newsletter of Dr. Bates Sanatarium, from the NHS collections.