Dr. Napoleon Paul Salvail De Tremont 
1859-1933


COURTESY OF RICHARD EKLUND




Dr. Salvail was a pioneer Helena physician, who for many years operated a private sanitarium/ hospital at 1320 Madison Avenue (demolished in 1963).

The following is an excerpt from the book, “Medicine in the Making of Montana” by Paul C. Phillips, courtesy of Richard Eklund::

“Dr. Napoleon Salvail arrived in Helena in 1883. He was naturalized as a US citizen in 1890 according to the 1920 Lewis & Clark County census. He was a French Canadian, born in St. Thomas Parish, [sic] Quebec, Canada. He graduated from Victoria College and took his MD Degree from McGill University in 1882.

He was an honor graduate, and his Alma matter offered him a position because of his outstanding ability. He declined this offer and determined to go to Montana. He spoke broken English but brilliant French and, in the new territory, found difficulty in making himself understood. He went first to Virginia City, then to Deer Lodge, arriving at Helena on May 3, 1883.

[Pioneer Helena physician] Dr. [William L.] Steele recognized the young man’s ability and took him into his office, where he remained for years as his partner. He handled most of the medical work while the older doctor gave more time to civic interests.

Dr. Salvail was an ardent horse horseman and always rode horseback, not only on outlying calls but in Helena. He told the story of his “toughest ride”. Late one night he was intercepted by two armed and masked men who ordered him to accompany them. They blindfolded him and started into the mountains, where they stopped at a hideout. There lay a man, shot just below the heart, in great pain and bleeding internally. “If he can live, get him in shape to ride” said one man to the doctor. “If he has no chance, give him something to put him out of the way as we are moving along in a few minutes” The doctor saw that the wounded man had little chance but started to work. He gave a dose of morphine to kill the pain and the man died immediately. Dr. Salvail was blindfolded and taken back. When they arrived at the point of interception, one of the bandits put a twenty-dollar gold piece in the doctor’s hand and said "If you ever tell the authorities or anyone else, you’ll be found dead in that same cabin” Dr. Salvail was so frightened that he did not tell Dr. Steele for two years.

Dr. Salvail confined his interests strictly to medicine and won popular respect and a large practice by his skill. In 1894, he presented a paper before the meeting of the medical association in Helena on the subject “Puerperal Fever, and its Prophylaxis”. He continued his practice until his death in Helena on August 19, 1933.”

Research by Marie Robichon confirms that Napoléon Salvail studied at L’École de Médicine et de Chirurgie de Montréal, affiliated to Victoria College in Cobourg, Ontario, and that he graduated in 1883 as Docteur en Médecine as well as Maître de Chirurgie.

 

Dr. Salvail's Residence/ Sanitarium
1320 Madison Ave.

The residence was built in 1892 by Joseph Hirshberg (1847-1926), a noted area merchant. Dr. Salvail had his practice there by about 1918, and continued so until his death in 1933.

In 1925, the Florence Crittenton Home was in negotiations with Dr. Salvail to purchase the building, but a price could not be agreed upon. A Helena Independent story provided a good desciption of the facility, which was evidently quite well-appointed...

Instead of the Salvail sanitarium, the former Kleinschmidt home at 22 Jefferson St. was chosen for the Crittenton.

The building housed the Deaconess School for a time following the 1935 earthquakes, which destroyed the school in the valley.

The Salvail sanitarium was demolished in 1963, to make way for the construction of the Lundy Shopping Center. The c.1950 photo below shows the rear of the imposing Salvail home behind "Carroll Village", which was postwar housing for married Carrol students.


c. 1950 PHOTO FROM THE DEC 16 1964 CARROLL COLLEGE "PROSPECTOR"