One hundred twenty-five years ago, Marcus Daly passed away at just 58, leaving a legacy that extended far beyond his success as a copper magnate. The Daily Intermountain called him “a man to whom Montana owes much, from a penniless immigrant to a millionaire, the man who never lost a friend, save for death.”
While Marcus helped build Montana’s mines, it was his wife, Margaret Daly, who ensured his legacy would live on in the Bitterroot Valley. In 1931, Margaret funded the construction and operations of Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital. Her goal was simple but profound: to ensure everyone in the Bitterroot Valley had access to exceptional health care, equipped with the latest technology and treatments.
Marcus Daly.
Today, that vision thrives in Bitterroot Health, having grown into a thriving health system with Daly Hospital, 14 clinics, over 900 employees, and a continued commitment to providing specialty care. Bitterroot Health was named one of the Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals in the United States (out of 1,388 rural hospitals nationwide) by the National Rural Health Association (NRHA), a distinction earned through excellence in quality, outcomes, and patient experience. The organization also received multiple American Heart Association awards, including Recognition for both the STEMI (heart attack) program, rural coronary artery disease care, stroke care and outcomes, and its “Baby-Friendly” designated Birthing Center, to name a few.
“Marcus died from kidney disease, so I imagine he’d be especially pleased that we recently opened a new Dialysis and Nephrology Clinic,” said Al Garver, Senior Director of the Bitterroot Health Foundation. “I believe both Marcus and Margaret would be astonished but proud to see how the community they helped build has endured, grown, and earned many recognitions for excellence.”
From copper mines to cardiac care, the Dalys’ spirit of service lives on in every patient cared for, every life touched, and every new chapter written in the story of Bitterroot Health. Garver is hopeful that the legacy will continue to shine for another 125 years – and counting.
To learn more about the Bitterroot Health Foundation’s fundraising and philanthropic work visit: www.bitterroothealth.org/Foundation
Find our online donation form here: www.bitterroothealth.org/GIVE or contact the Foundation Directly: (406) 375-4674.
Brenda Wahler says
Marcus Daly died of what his doctors called “Bright’s Disease” — this term was a symptom descriptor of combined heart disease and kidney failure. One disease this describes is untreated Type II diabetes. I have wondered if that is what he had. His older sister died of the same condition in 1897