Columnist Kim Jarrell Johnson in downtown Riverside Wednesday, June 22, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG) Prior to the discovery of antibiotics, there was little doctors could recommend to patients for the treatment of tuberculosis other than visiting or moving to a dry climate. Many people with TB came to Southern California — after being told they would die at a young age if they stayed in the wet and humid climates common to other parts of the country. Sanitariums and sanitoriums, both of which referred to specialized hospitals for specific diseases, sprung up across Southern California for people diagnosed with TB, something referred to as “TB tourism.” All of Riverside County fit the “dry climate” criteria, but some places more than others got a reputation for the healthful nature of the climate, no place more so than Banning. The dry weather and somewhat higher altitude earned Banning quite the reputation for healthful air. Doctors began taking advantage of the Banning climate in 1910. That year Banning Hospital and Sanatorium, Banning’s first medical institution, was established by Dr. John C. King and Dr. W.L. Holt. They advertised the site in Los Angeles newspapers as having dry mountain air with no fog, at an elevation of 2,350 feet. The 1911 “Tuberculosis Directory,” compiled for the National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis, listed the Banning location. It cost $15 a week for a patient to live and be treated there and its capacity was 15 patients. Keep in mind, treatment at that time consisted primarily of good food and rest. It is believed that the second such medical facility in Banning, Southern Sierras Sanatorium, was opened in December 1912. It originally had five bungalows and was later expanded to 45 bungalows, used to house patients it was treating along with staff needed for the facility. An early advertisement for this hospital noted it combined the best elements of both desert and mountain climates. This sanitarium was later sold to Dr. C.E. Atkinson, who was considered at that time to be an expert on tuberculosis. Related Articles Local News | UCR’s bell tower will soon be 60 years old Local News | Citrus packers held a special Christmas dinner in Riverside in 1905 Local News | First Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival was held 40 years ago Local News | What we learned about the city of Perris in 1893 Local News | Small San Jacinto hotel served area for nearly 100 years until unfortunate end The Banning area became home to other medical facilities too, including the Stillwell Rest Home, the May Henderson Sanatorium and the Henrietta Sanatorium. The sanitariums helped make Banning a destination and brought many settlers to the area as they sought a cure for themselves or a family member. Health immigrants could expect an airy bungalow and a lawn chair in the sun in the hopes of curing their TB. The TB tourism industry was stopped cold in its tracks in the early 1940s when the antibiotic streptomycin was developed in 1943. Two years later doctors discovered it cured TB in most patients. If you have an idea for a future Back in the Day column about a local historic person, place or event, contact Steve Lech and Kim Jarrell Johnson at [email protected].