After Dr. E. O. Bennett resigned in 1900, Dr. John J. Marker was appointed to replace him. His initial act was the erection of a second Asylum Building. In 1906, Dr. Marker was made Executive Officer of the Eloise Board. He was the first resident full-time physician in the County House and General Superintendent. Before this time, both the County House and Asylum were operated by separate administrative organizations and all departments in both were independent of each other. Marker served from 1906 to 1921.

Upon Keeper James Gillespie’s death, the first medical physician was appointed to serve in this capacity – John J. Marker, M.D., who served from July 1, 1905, to September 2, 1921. Dr. Marker, at first, had been appointed as an assistant physician of the County House on February 28, 1891. On May 15, 1891, the Board appointed Dr. Marker as the first resident House Physician of the County House; and on June 2, 1893, he was also appointed as Assistant Medical Superintendent of the Asylum. On May 1, 1900, Dr. Marker succeeded to the Superintendency of the Asylum upon the retirement of Dr. E.O Bennett, the first Medical Officer of both Institutions. On June 1, 1905, he was appointed Keeper of the County House; and finally, following the death of the Board Secretary in 1906, Dr. Marker was made “Executive Officer of the Board of Eloise.” This position had been created for him since the Board realized that it was necessary to have someone on the grounds in charge. Prior to this, all the institutional departments were independent of each other; and all matters of importance arising in any of them were reported by the head of that particular department to the Board itself.

Thus, Dr. Marker, on March 7, 1906, became the first General Superintendent of Eloise, retaining this position unil his untimely death on September 2, 1921, when he was struck and instantly killed by a train while driving to the farm across the Michigan Central Railroad track at the Hospital.

[ This information presented in part from “A History of the Wayne County Infirmary, Psychiatric, and General Hospital Complex at Eloise, Michigan” by Alvin C. Clark; page 60. ]