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In 1983, I was sitting in the Elliot and Waldron Title Office with Mrs. Mattern signing papers to purchase 1024 Milam from her. It was a grocery store in the front, a feed store in the rear, and living quarters on top.
Mrs. Mattern asked what I was going to do with her building. I told her I wanted to turn it into a fitness center for our discharged Physical Therapy parents. They did not have any place to go and exercise after they finished physical therapy. In 1984, I remodeled the Mattern Building and we opened in 1985 as Columbus Health and Fitness Center. We gave all our discharged PT parents free use for one month after outpatient discharge and we charged $25.00 a month for the general public to utilize.
Around 1994, the building next to 1024 Milam (1018 Milam) caught fire and burned down; it was the Gindler’s new store. It was a tremendous fire. Mr. Glaeser from the Columbus Fire Department was spraying our building from 11:00pm to 3:00am to keep it from catching fire.
The Columbus Fire Department saved our Fitness Center that I thought was impossible.
Shortly after that, I purchased the burned down property from Mr. Davis Gindler.
This was about the same time my mind began thinking about new ways to provide rehabilitation. Water therapy came to me. Body weight is reduced and parents can exercise with less stress on the joints.
I went to the First State Bank and told Mr. Hill (bank owner) and Mr. Whitcomb (bank attorney) I need to borrow money to build a pool in the burned down Gindler’s property. I believe they both thought I was crazy. With the support of our Mayor at the time, Dr. Tom Hancher it all came together.
In 1996, we were the only State licensed outpatient aquatic therapy center within a 100mile radius. Columbus Physical Therapy acquired the contracts to eight school districts to treat their handicapped children with Aquatic Rehabilitation. The schools bussed the children to the downtown facility. Monica Orsak and Anne Masarik were two therapists that provided our aquatic rehabilitation to these students In 1998, we were able to purchase the Winn’s building next to 1024 Milam. This allowed us to move our fitness operation to that building and have 1024 Milam dedicated to outpatient therapy and 1018 Milam was outpatient Aquatic Therapy.
In 2000 we had the largest (15,000 sq. foot) Wellness Center between Houston, Austin and San Antonio in Downtown Columbus.
In 2004, our company was the largest provider of outpatient aquatic therapy to the Medicare population of Texas!
If it were not for the confidence of the First State Bank and the support from Dr. Tom Hancher, our company could not have grown to where it is today.
My two business partners, Kristina Hill and Rachel Post, PT run, guide and lead our team of 50+ employees moving forward.
Special thanks to the Columbus Hospital Administration and the Board of Directors for allowing us to design, develop and operate the finest outpatient rehabilitation clinic in Texas!
Please go look at the new Wellness Center on the campus of the Columbus Community Hospital. It has everything you need to stay healthy. Visit our outpatient PT clinic. Lisa or Anna will be glad to give you a tour.
When Karl Hill took over as president of the First State Bank, he followed in his dad’s footsteps. Always there willing to do anything to help our company. We will deeply miss him. God bless him and his family, may he rest in peace.
