On this date in 1905, Billy Flynn of McClean County was recovering from severe burns. A prairie fire swept across his farm. He was badly injured as he tried to free his horses from the stable. He was rushed to Underwood, forty-two miles away, to be treated for his injuries. A woman doctor was still unusual in 1905, and the Washburn Leader found it notable that Billy was treated by a “young lady physician.”
Fannie Almara Quain was the first woman in North Dakota to earn a medical degree. She grew up in Bismarck. She originally planned to be a teacher. But she developed an interest in medicine as several of her family members were doctors. Fannie taught and did bookkeeping to earn her tuition at the University of Michigan School of Medicine in Ann Arbor. She graduated in 1898.
After completing an internship in Minneapolis, Fannie returned to North Dakota. She traveled long distances to ger to her patients. She once operated a railroad handcar for six miles to reach a man with appendicitis. She arrived in time and saved his life.
Dr. Eric Quain was serving as a surgeon at St. Alexis Hospital in Bismarck. Fannie met him there and the two married in 1903. They had two children. Fannie practiced medicine for a few more years before retiring from her practice.
But she wasn’t done with medicine. She was instrumental in founding North Dakota’s first baby clinic. She was very concerned about tuberculosis. In 1909 she helped to found the North Dakota Tuberculosis Association. Over the years she served as the association’s secretary, treasurer, vice-president, and president. She was the driving force behind the North Dakota Tuberculosis Sanitarium at San Haven.
Aware of the difficulties faced by women in the field of medicine, Fannie worked to promote women as physicians when she served on the North Dakota State Board of Health. She chaired the Nurses Training School Committee at Bismarck Evangelical Hospital. She also supported women doctors when she served on the Medical Woman’s National Association as regional director for North and South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa.
Dr. Fannie Quain spent her life improving healthcare for the people of North Dakota. In 1950 she died in Bismarck at the age of 75.
Dakota Datebook written by Carole Butcher
Sources:
Washburn Leader. “Badly Burned.” Washburn ND. 4/15/1905. Page 2.
Changing the Face of Medicine. “Fannie Almara Quain.” https://cfmedicine.nlm.nih.gov/physicians/biography_351.html Accessed 3/10/2020.
Minot Daily News. “Notable Women in ND History.” https://www.minotdailynews.com/news/local-news/2018/02/notable-women-in-nd-history/ Accessed 3/10/2020.
