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Denver, History of Colorado, BIOS: DOUGLASS, Atwater Lincoln M.D. (published 1918)
"History of Colorado", edited by Wilbur Fisk Stone, published by The S. J.
Clarke Publishing Co. (1918) Vol. II p. 374-375
ATWATER LINCOLN DOUGLASS, M. D.
Dr. Atwater Lincoln Douglass, engaged in medical and surgical
practice in Denver, was born in Bar Harbor, Maine, on the 14th of April. 1869, and is of Scotch descent. His grandfather, William
Douglass, was a native of Scotland and the founder of the American branch of the family. He came to the new world when twenty-five years
of age, in 1804, studied for the ministry and throughout the greater part of his life resided at Bar Harbor, Maine. He engaged in preaching
as one of the clergymen of the Methodist church and he lived to the advanced age of ninety six years, passing away in 1875. His son, John
H. Douglass. was born in Maine and was reared and educated at Bar Harbor. At the age of fifteen he entered upon a seafaring life and was
thus engaged until the outbreak of the Civil war, when he enlisted in the Eighteenth Maine Volunteer Infantry. Later he was selected for duty
with Company C of the First Maine Heavy Artillery and was wounded at the battle of Cold Harbor, being shot in the shoulder and arm. He was
then sent to Washington, D. C., and upon his recovery he served with the Home Guard at that point. After the close of the war he entered the
hotel business at Bar Harbor, being one of the early hotel proprietors of that place. His first hotel was destroyed by fire, after which he
built and conducted the Atlantic House, which is today known as the Louisburg. He continued his residence in Bar Harbor until 1906, when he
married a second time and removed to Colorado, settling in Longmont. He was a stanch republican in politics and was very active as a
supporter of the party in Maine and also took a helpful interest in civic
affairs. He married Margaret Higgins, who was of Scotch-Irish descent and also of Spanish extraction, representatives of the Higgins family
having removed from Spain to Ireland during the historic vanquishment of the Spanish Armada. Mrs. Douglass was a daughter of Stephen Higgins,
a native of Maine and a descendant of the first of that family who came from Connecticut. She died in Bar Harbor, Maine, in 1887, at the age of
forty-two years. By her marriage she had become the mother of ten children, of whom tour died in infancy. Two daughters have recently
passed away, while four sons are yet living. The father died January 1, 1917, at the age of seventy-seven years, his birth having occurred in
1840.
Dr. Douglass of this review was the fourth in order of birth in
his father's family. He acquired his early education in the public schools of Bar Harbor. Maine, passing through consecutive grades to the
high school, and later he entered the East Maine Conference Seminary at Bucksport, Maine, where he pursued a preparatory course. He studied for
the medical profession in Hahnemann Medical College of Philadelphia, where he won his M. D. degree in 1895. He then entered upon active
practice as the successor of his former preceptor, Dr. C. C. Morrison, of Bar Harbor. Maine, who at that time went abroad, spending a year in
study in Germany. On Dr. Morrison's return Dr. Douglass removed to
Kllsworth. Maine, where he successfully practiced for two years and then took up his abode at Kennebunk, Maine, where he remained in
practice until February. 1905, when he took special work in rectal diseases with the late Dr. T. Lewis Adams, a renowned specialist of
Philadelphia, with whom he continued for about a year. At the end of that time Dr. Douglass opened an office in Portland, Maine,
specializing in that branch of practice there until the latter part of 1907, when on account of illness in the family he removed to Longmont,
Colorado, where he took up general practice of medicine and surgery, as the population of the place was not sufficient to enable him to
continue in the line of his specialty. In March, 1913, however, he removed to Denver, where he has since practiced and now has a large
patronage extending to many states. He has had patients from Nebraska, Kansas, Wyoming, Texas and other sections of the country. He is now
confining his attention exclusively to rectal diseases and in that branch of the profession is widely known, his marked skill being
recognized by colleagues and contemporaries as well as by the general public. His life record is indeed an interesting one. He worked his way
through the university and the first money which he earned-five hundred and fifty dollars-was secured in the logging camps of Maine and was
spent for his tuition as well as for his entire personal expense for seven months. The money necessary for the remaining two years of his
course was earned in various other ways. The determination with which he pursued his studies indicated the elemental strength of his
character and enabled him to overcome all difficulties and obstacles in his path until, advancing step by step, he was able to complete his
course and through the intervening period his record has been one of steady progress, bringing him to a position of distinction as a
specialist in medical practice in Denver.
On the 21st of December, 1900, Dr. Douglass was married to Miss
Elizabeth Smith, a native of Kennebunk, Maine, and a daughter of Robert and Clara (Hardy) Smith, both of whom have passed away. They were
members of old and prominent families of that state. Dr. and Mrs. Douglass have two children: Donald Hardy, born October 5, 1901, in
Kennebunk; and Margaret Morrison, born on the 3d of November, 1904.
Dr. Douglass belongs to Henry M. Teller Lodge, No. 144, A. F. &
A. M., of which he was one of the organizers, and he is a past high priest of Murray Chapter, R. A. M., of Kennebunk, Maine, and past
commander of St. Amand Commandery, K. T., of Kennebunk. He is now affiliated with Ascalon Commandery, K. T., of Denver, and he is also a
member of Maine Council, No. 71, R. & S. M., of Saco, Maine, and of Maine Consistory, No. 1, S. P. R. S. He was formerly identified with
Korah Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Lewiston, Maine, but demitted to El Jebel Temple at Denver. When he left the Pine Tree state he was deputy
sovereign of Maine Conclave No. 1 of the Red Cross of Constantine. He also belongs to Denver Lodge, No. 17, B. P. O. E. He is not interested
in clubs and in tact prefers to devote his leisure hours to his home, where his interest centers. His religious faith is that of the
Unitarian church. In politics he is a republican where national questions are involved but at local elections casts an independent
ballot. Along strictly professional lines he has membership with the Colorado State Medical Society and the Denver City & County Medical
Society. He is a frequent contributor to medical journals and his articles are widely read, the profession recognizing the tact that he
speaks with authority upon the subjects of which he treats. He is very active in Boy Scout work and in the Red Cross and is now a teacher of
first aid work in connection with the latter. He has ever stood for those things which are progressive and valuable in citizenship and
particularly at this critical hour of the country's history he is putting forth every effort to uphold high national standards and
service, doing everything in his power to promote not only American interests but the great cause for which the allied nations are
striving. |
