Brown Bag Lunch “Dr. Letitia Westgate” with Denise Moran
The DeKalb County History Center’s second Brown Bag Lunch program for 2026, scheduled for noon on Thursday, March 5, located at the DeKalb County History Center, 1730 North Main Street, will offer a free presentation on Dr. Letitia Westgate, the first woman doctor, surgeon, chemist, and architect to design, build, and manage a hospital in the United States. Note – the program will be recorded. Check Facebook for details about when the link to the History Center’s YouTube channel will be posted.
Denise Moran, author of Dr. Letitia Westgate: Medical Pioneer, will present information and vintage photographs of the physician who opened Sycamore Hospital at the corner of Somonauk and Elm Streets on May 1, 1900. The building, which now houses the DNA Holistic Center, is a contributing structure within the Sycamore Historic District that was established when it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Copies of the book will be available for purchase during the lecture.
Dr. Westgate was born on a farm near Mendota, Illinois. She moved to Sycamore after she graduated with a medical degree in 1892 from Northwestern University. In addition to providing her community with its first hospital at a time when most surgeries were still being performed in the patient’s home, she singlehandedly immunized 120 area residents in 1902 against a smallpox epidemic and contacted wealthy industrialist Andrew Carnegie to secure funds for a new library in Sycamore. She was the first woman doctor in Sycamore and later became the first woman chemist for the city’s health department in Aurora, Illinois.
For more information, visit dekalbcountyhistory.org or call 815-895-5762. The program is free and open to the public; donations are always appreciated.
2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the United States, the Ellwood House Museum and DeKalb County History Center are proud to host the monthly Brown Bag Lunch series that will focus on commemorating this historic anniversary. This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council. To learn more about how Illinois is commemorating the 250th visit il250.org