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The story of McCready Memorial Hospital and its evolution as a community healthcare facility dates back to the early 20th century -- the result of a selfless act of gratitude prompted by an unimaginable tragedy.
  It was Sept. 13, 1919. The "war to end all wars" had ended 10 months earlier. Edward W. McCready, who at the time lived in the Chicago area, was in his native Crisfield with his 8-year-old daughter, Suzanne, visiting relatives.
Their visit over and the start of school beckoning, Suzanne, her father and her nurse, Henrietta Steinbach, were heading out of town when their Pathfinder sedan was involved in a collision with a train near Westover.
Both adults died at the scene. Rescuers attempted to rush Suzanne back to Crisfield’s General and Marine Hospital for treatment, but the youngster succumbed to her injuries en route.
 As was the custom of the day, General and Marine's head nurse, Florence Webb Smith, arranged for the bodies to lie in repose at the hospital to await the arrival of Caroline Pitkin McCready.
When the grief-stricken widow and mother reached Crisfield, she viewed her deceased loved ones and turned to Smith. “How much?,” Mrs. McCready asked.
“Why ... Mrs. McCready," a stunned Smith reportedly replied. "You have no bill from us. We are very sorry we could not have done more for you.”
Mrs. McCready insisted. “You and the people of Crisfield will be paid,” she said.(*)
Edward W. McCready Memorial Hospital -- his widow's $200,000 gift to Crisfield -- was dedicated May 6, 1923. Built on Cork Point and flanked by the tidal Daugherty's Creek and "Hospital Cove," the hospital serves as the healthcare hub for the hard-working people of Crisfield and their Somerset County neighbors in nearby towns and communities.
Mrs. McCready's generosity set a high standard for a community that continues supporting the hospital and its good works.
 The original McCready Memorial Hospital, dedicated in 1923, is used now as an administration building and by physicians who see patients in the surrounding community. Its replacement is in the background to the right.
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