The Darke County Health Department has had a long history in providing services to the residents of Darke County. We have composed a timeline of major events that occurred within our history so that you may gain a feeling of how we started and how we got to where we are today.
Many of you may be surprised to learn how recent in our history that a particular regulation came into existence. We have listed when the regulation first came into existence; however, the form that regulation is in today may be much different then its original form. Regulations are continually updated to incorporate improvements in technology and advancements in science.
We hope that this timeline will be helpful. If you have any questions, or feel that there is a major event we may have missed, please let us know. There were many events that occurred within our history, and it was difficult to include them all.
Sincerely,
Marilyn Holman
Administrative Assistant
1910 Start of records for Greenville City Board of Health,
1st Health Commissioner - Dr. S.A. Hawse,
1st Sanitary Police Inspector – Ben Devor, 1st Plumbing inspector – J.P.
Lucas
1914 Quarantine imposed due to an outbreak of scarlet fever & diptheria
1918 Influenza outbreak closed schools & restricted public gatherings
1920 Darke County General Health District formed, 1st Health Commissioner – G.W. Burnett
1924 1st County Public Health Nurse hired – Ruth Murray, R.N.
1926 1st Public Health Nurse hired for Greenville City – Agnes Riggs, R.N.
1927 Greenville City & County Health Department combined
1927 Birth & death records were turned into the Health Department from townships and villages
1927 1st Health Commissioner hired for combined health department – Dr. W.E. Barnes. Staff consisted of a Health Commissioner, Assistant Health Commissioner, Supervising Nurse, 3 public health nurses, a clerk, and a city sanitary officer.
1927 The Ohio Training Station was set up at the Health
Department
-1929
1927 Roy Kester hired as 1st Sanitarian for the combined health department.
1933 The Health Department moved to the Courthouse
1947 Dr. M.M. Kane was appointed Health Commissioner
1949 Darke County Fair ordered cancelled or postponed by the Board of Health due to a polio myelitis outbreak
1949 Dr. Wayne Ramsey became Health Commissioner
1949 Health Department cooperated with the Darke County Tuberculosis and Health Association in sponsoring mass chest x-ray screening program.
1953 1ST Sanitary Regulation for sewage systems. Health Department passed orders and regulations governing the installation and operation of water supplies, privy vaults, chemical privy tanks, sewage and sewage disposal equipment.
1953 1st Food Service Regulation
1945- Dr. Beane appointed Health Commissioner
1957
1958 Dr. E.W. Arnold appointed Health Commissioner
1960 “Strike Back at Stroke” program
1960- Dr. Giles Wolverton - Health Commissioner
1970
1961 1st Plumbing Code Regulation passed. Frank Russ 1st plumbing inspector for combined district
1966 Home Health Service Regulation adopted
1968 Storage & Collection of Solid Waste Regulation adopted.
1971 1st Water Well Regulation became effective
1972 Health Department moved to Delaware Avenue
1972 Trailer park, camp, and swimming pool regulations became effective
1971 Special Service Regulation was adopted.
1976 Dr. Schlosser became Health Commissioner for combined district. Campground Regulations adopted.
1977 Adoption of Household Sewage Disposal Regulation.
Public Swimming Pool Regulations adopted.
1979 Darke County General Health District under the jurisdiction of the Darke County Board of Health – 5 members: 3 appointed by the Darke County Advisory Council and two by the Mayor of Greenville City.
1979 Resolution on time for confinement of a biting animal was adopted.
1980 Adoption of Mobile Home Park Regulations.
1984 Provisions of the Ohio Revised Code and Administrative Code adopted.
1985 Dr. William O. Osterbur became Medical Director. Dr. Terrence L. Holman became Health Commissioner.
1986 Premise Sanitation Regulation adopted for abatement of nuisances.
1991 Darke County Health Department moved to Garst Ave, Greenville. Board of Health adopted Local Air Pollution Control Regulation.
1992 Adoption of Temporary Park/Camp Regulation
1993 Construction and Demolition Debris Regulation effective.
1994 Food Establishment Regulation adopted. Bathing Beach Regulation adopted.
1995 Health Department became a Model Community Waste
Reduction member.
Health Department employee, Josephine Bruns, RN, was inducted into the
Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame.
1999 “Operation Baby Buckle” program was started.
Tattoo and Body Piercing Laws and Rules adopted.
2001 Community Health Assessment
2001 Health Department website established.
2002 Public Health Infrastructure Grant for Bio-terrorism Preparedness
2004 Ohio EPA 319 Grant funding for On-Site Sewage Treatment Systems received.
2007 Help Me Sleep Program
1920-1927 George W. Burnett, MD
1927-1929 M.E. Barnes, MD
1929-1947 W.D. Bishop, MD
1948-1949 Maurice M. Kane, MD
1950-1954 W.S. Ramsey, MD
1955-1957 Carle W. Beane, MD
1958-1960 E.W. Arnold, MD
1961-7/13/70 Giles Wolverton, MD
7/16/70-1975 Gilbert E. Sayle, MD
9/7/76-8/31/85 R.C. Schlosser, DVM
9/1/85-present Terrence L. Holman, DVM
The Darke County Health Department continues to look to the future and
how it may improve the health and quality of life of its residents. Recently,
Darke County conducted a Community Health Assessment in which a Steering
Committee identified five health issues that the community will need to
work for improving. To learn more about this, refer to Darke
County Community Health Assessment. To learn more about our organization
and mission, refer back to our home page.
Page last updated: 10/29/2007