This article is the fourth in our series discussing the Sisters of the Holy Cross and their 146-year legacy of serving Utah and Park City. 

In our previous articles, we discussed the Salt Lake City arrival of the Sisters of the Holy Cross in June 1875 and their fundraising prowess. Healthcare and a quality education for Catholic Utahns required hospitals and schools. Building and operating them required money. Their first medical facility, Holy Cross Hospital, opened in October 1875. After multiple expansions and ownership changes, it remains one of Utah’s premier medical institutions. 

Park City finally welcomed the Sisterhood in 1880. In 1881, they opened the first “iteration” of Saint Mary’s Church. It was essentially two structures: a church and school. Constructed of wood, it was consumed by fire four years later. The lesson learned: locally quarried stone was selected for its rebuild. A fortuitous decision, as the compound survived the Great Fire of June 1898 — an event which incinerated 75% of town. 

Intending to expand their community health care offerings, in the early 1920s the Sisters attempted to purchase Miners’ Hospital, but they were outbid. Fifty-eight years later, they would try again to open a hospital in Park City. 

December 1963 witnessed the opening of Park City’s “first” major ski resort: Treasure Mountains. The project was a public-private partnership between the Federal Government and United Park City Mines, or UPCM. Each entity invested $1.2 million ($13 million today).

Their goal was to diversify and rejuvenate the town’s moribund economy. By 1978, the town was 15 years into a gear-grinding transition to a resort-based economy. Unbeknownst to Parkites at the time, the unthinkable would occur in April 198; After 112 years of mineral extraction, the Fat Lady belted out her swan song.

While it seems inconceivable today, in 1978 there were no healthcare clinics in Park City. The once vaunted Miners’ Hospital was derelict. If you needed medical attention, your only option was a trip to the “valley.” Additionally, the Park City ambulance needed replacing, and there was no money to do so. With their community in need, the Sisters stepped into the void. For Park City, they envisioned a three-phase strategy: open a clinic, operate the ambulance corps and build a hospital. 

In 1977, Holy Cross Hospital opened the “Family Health Center and Emergency Clinic” first in a trailer next to the Skaggs Alpha Beta Market in the Holiday Village Mall, later moving inside the market. Company executives, always mindful of the communities they served, charged $1.00 per year for the space. Holy Cross Hospital hired physician assistant Mike Anderson and medical secretary Carol Santy to operate the clinic. Family doctor Dr. Thomas Schwenk arrived a year later. Their respective medical careers would prove brilliant. 

Next, Holy Cross Hospital submitted a proposal to fund and operate the Park City Ambulance Corps. They were awarded the contract in 1980. HCH invested $30,000 ($120,000 net present value) to purchase a new ambulance. They also hired two full-time EMTs. Two goals down, one to go. 

That same year, Holy Cross Hospital announced its intention to build a hospital in Park City. They committed $5 million toward doing so. A Kimball Junction landowner donated eight acres for the hospital. The Sisters were committed: “We can do this.”  

Our fifth and final article in this series discusses the Sisters’ two-front campaign to build their Park City hospital while simultaneously battling a lethal pandemic. 

Acknowledgements: Andy Cier (Holy Cross Ministries), Steve Leatham, Dr. Thomas L. Schwenk, MD, Cheryl Soshnik (BS Nursing, Level 3 EMT, Trauma System Specialist), and Stuart Stanek.

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The following is the fifth and final article in a series on Park City and Ketchum, Idaho.

By the early 1950s, the four largest mines in the Park City mining district flirted with insolvency. The Ontario, Silver King, Daly Judge, and Daly West (along with other struggling mines) were consolidated into one entity – United Park City Mines (UPCM). Besides the subsurface rights, UPCM controlled 20,000 acres on the surface. The company’s formation did little to arrest the decline of mining and Park City. 

In 1957, during a UPCM Board of Directors meeting, Walker Wallace (his father was UPCM’s President) observed that the company needed to create new revenue streams to offset commodity market volatilities. Other board members supported his position – in particular Lamar Osika (UPCM Controller) and Jack Gallivan (second in command of the state’s dominant newspaper, The Salt Lake Tribune). Twenty years earlier, Averell Harriman, CEO of the Union Pacific Railroad, demonstrated the economic potential of snow, sun and mountains. His masterpiece, the Sun Valley Resort and its host town, Ketchum, Idaho, became magnets for the rich and famous.

Blessed with the same endowments, local leaders contemplated a similar future for Park City. One little problem loomed: where to secure the funding. Five years later, a close friendship would resolve this challenge. 

Jack Gallivan eagerly anticipated the 1960 presidential sweepstakes. His close friend John F. Kennedy ran on the Democratic ticket against Richard Nixon, a Republican. This would be the first presidential campaign featuring televised debates (there would be four of them that election). Nixon enjoyed an enviable record as Dwight Eisenhower’s VP. His experience and credentials were formidable. JFK was not intimidated. His advantages: a sophisticated and glamorous wife, movie-star good looks, a casual yet confident demeanor, and comfortability in front of the camera. He relished debating Nixon before network audiences predicted to approach 120 million viewers.

Jack Gallivan watched all four of the debates. Unfortunately for Nixon, he was no match for his media-savvy competitor. He looked haggard – the result of a grueling campaign schedule that visited all 50 states. In contrast, JFK appeared relaxed, handsome and confident. He looked directly into the cameras, explaining his vision for a vibrant future America. One of his most important proposals was to create a federal agency to invest in chronically depressed regions.

The election was hard fought by both sides; The outcome best described as a photo finish. Regarding the popular vote, Kennedy’s margin of victory was one of the closest in history – 49.7% compared to Nixon’s 49.5%. Less than 117,000 votes separated the victor from the vanquished. JFK became the 35th president of the U.S. at 43 – the youngest to do so and the first Roman Catholic. Jack Gallivan conveyed his congratulations. A White House luncheon awaited scheduling. 

Honoring one of his campaign promises to invest federal funds in distressed regions, JFK established the Area Redevelopment Administration. Park City qualified for consideration. In early 1962, UPCM applied for a loan. Their proposal: build a ski resort to diversify the local economy and provide work for unemployed miners. Coincidentally, a White House luncheon was arranged for August 10. Utah’s leading newspaper publishers would dine with the president. As the event drew to a close, JFK asked his good friend Jack, “was there anything he could do for him?” Without hesitation, Jack mentioned UPCM’s application. Kennedy stated he’d look into it. Two weeks later, the loan was approved, ushering in a new era for Park City. 

The authors wish to acknowledge the contributions of Larry Warren, Steve Leatham, Jim Hewitson, Peggy Fletcher, Keith Droste, Sandra Morrison, Connie Nelson (Alf Engen Museum), and Terry Olivia (Ketchum Regional Museum). David Nicholas and Stuart Stanek are also giving a lecture on the similarities between Park City and Ketchum on April 3 from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Museum’s Education and Collections Center, located at 2079 Sidewinder Drive.

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