Carthage Area Hospital recently marked a very special milestone, celebrating 60 years of caring for the community at its West Street campus, which first opened on July 7, 1965.

As part of the celebration, the hospital welcomed back two familiar faces: the first twins ever born there.

Their visit was a touching reminder of the many personal stories that have become part of the hospital’s history and how closely the hospital and community have grown together over the past six decades.

Just days after the new hospital first opened its doors, Margie and Richard Steria of Carthage welcomed twin daughters, Lori Lee and Lisa Ann.

Lori arrived at 5:59 a.m., weighing 4 pounds, 4 ounces, and Lisa followed just four minutes later at 4 pounds, 2 ounces.

“We weren’t expected,” recalled Lisa Brenon of Watertown.

“My aunt even had to name me.” Her sister, Lori Kelsey of Philadelphia, N.Y., added with a laugh, “Dr. Wiley had to yell for another bassinet. We definitely surprised everyone that morning.”

Their father, Richard Steria, summed up the moment simply: “It was a surprise, but a pleasant one. It’s been 60 beautiful years.”

The twins quickly became part of the hospital’s story, with local papers covering their milestones from the very beginning.

Their first, 10th, 21st, and 40th birthdays all made the pages of the Carthage Republican Tribune and other outlets.

Now, their 60th birthday is being celebrated alongside the hospital’s own anniversary.

And the sisters are already looking ahead, saying they plan to be back to mark the 70th together.

Looking Back, Moving Forward

Before the West Street campus opened, health care in Carthage looked very different.

Families relied on house calls and a few small “house hospitals” set up in converted homes. In 1923, Miss Rilla McNeil ran a small rest home on State Street. A few years later, in 1930, Miss Marguerite Garvin opened a hospital at Vincent and Madison in West Carthage.

By 1936, RN Emogene Peck launched a 16-bed hospital at 812 State Street, a facility that later passed through several hands, including Clarisse Luther in 1948, William Reeves in 1952, and James and Rosalie Sligar in 1956.

Those early efforts paved the way for a new chapter in local health care: the opening of Carthage Area Hospital on July 7, 1965, at 1001 West Street.  Remarkable Growth Over the past six decades, Carthage Area Hospital has seen remarkable growth.

When the West Street campus opened, just 54 patients were treated during its first week. During that same week this year, the hospital cared for 400 unique patients, not including those seen in outpatient clinics or at the Claxton-Hepburn Medical Campus.

Services have also expanded far beyond the hospital walls, now including several rural health centers, a walk-in clinic, five school-based health centers, and a variety of specialty clinics such as podiatry, urology, pediatrics, orthopedics, wound care, and more.

This fall, the hospital will add a new cancer treatment center, marking yet another milestone in a long history of growth and service to the community. A Special Homecoming “It was exciting to welcome Lisa and Lori back, hear their stories, and show them how far the hospital has come in 60 years,” added Jerian O’Dell, Chief Operating Officer.

The sisters, fraternal twins often mistaken for identical, still smile about a little youthful mischief. “In second grade we tried to trick our teachers, but it didn’t last long. I’m left-handed and Lori is right-handed,” Mrs. Brenon said. “Dr. Wiley told us we were mirror twins.” Today, both sisters are mothers and grandmothers. While neither has twins in the family yet, they share a lasting bond, and a lifelong tie to the hospital where their story began.

During their anniversary visit, the twins toured the hospital’s modern facilities, including the birthing center added in 2007.

“It’s amazing to see how much has changed,” said Mrs. Brenon. “To think we were part of the hospital’s very first week is pretty special.” Looking to the Future As Carthage Area Hospital celebrates 60 years on West Street, the milestone highlights both its deep roots and its ongoing commitment to the North Country and Fort Drum.

Since welcoming its first set of twins in 1965, the hospital has remained at the heart of countless family milestones. In 2024, more than 400 babies were delivered here, reflecting its vital role as a trusted provider for both the community and the military.

That same spirit of service has carried Carthage from its earliest days of house calls and small home-based hospitals to today’s modern facilities, specialty clinics, and expanded partnerships.

With the opening of a new cancer treatment center this fall, the hospital continues to grow alongside the North Country, honoring its history while preparing to meet the health care needs of generations to come.