In Woodruff, Wisconsin, near the intersection of US-51 and WIS-47, stands a unique tribute: a sculpture of a massive penny. This monument commemorates the incredible life and achievements of Dr. Kate Pelham Newcomb.
Born in New York in 1885, Kate became an accomplished doctor of obstetrics, delivering over 800 babies at what is now Lower Manhattan Hospital before moving to Detroit to work at Henry Ford Hospital. However, her life changed course. After marrying Bill Newcomb, she moved with him to northern Wisconsin in 1922 for the fresh air needed to treat his lung condition.
Initially giving up her practice to care for her husband, Dr. Kate returned to medicine in 1931 at the urging of a local physician. Setting up an office in her home, she became a dedicated doctor to the region, traversing hundreds of miles each week. She drove her Model T, converted with skis, or trudged through snow in snowshoes, delivering an estimated three thousand babies to families across northern Wisconsin.
The crowning moment of her community service came in 1952. Dr. Kate began raising funds for a much-needed hospital. Her high school patients, many of whom she had delivered, came up with a bold idea: the “Million Penny Parade.” Long before the age of the internet and crowdfunding, students and residents mailed letters nationwide, appealing for donations. They succeeded, collecting a million pennies from every state in just one hundred days. The iconic penny sculpture was erected to memorialize this remarkable community achievement. Today, Dr. Kate’s former home and office stands as a museum, preserving her enduring legacy.
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