GIANTS OF SAN JUAN by Buckley Jensen In the early days of San
Juan, medical doctors and medicines were rarely available in
times of need. That fact made living on the frontier even more
difficult. Child mortality, women dying in childbirth, death
from accidents and diseases; situations we hardly worry about
today were matters of life and death in San Juan for decades
after settlers arrived in Bluff. How did the people cope?
Leadership identified someone in the community whom they felt
would be able to handle the challenge and then issued a call and
set them apart as a “midwife.” Most midwives were mothers
themselves with all the responsibilities and uncertainties
inherent to living in the wilderness. Few had any formal
education in health or medical fields. It was a huge added
burden to suddenly become responsible for the health and welfare
of everyone. Perhaps the most loved, admired and respected of
these early health providers in early Bluff and Monticello was
Josephine Catherine Chatterley Wood. She and h