The first hospital for Pocahontas County was completed in 1906 in the town of Marlinton.  Since the very beginning of the hospital, a problem has been the care of people who are unable to pay for the services rendered.  By the spring of 1926, the privately run hospital had been plagued with so many financial problems that it was feared the hospital might have to close its doors.  To prevent this, a group of citizens led a fundraising campaign for the purpose of modernizing the facility.  In addition, a petition was made to the County Court to designate the hospital as a Memorial Hospital in honor of the county men and women who had served in World War I and to be operated under a Court-appointed Board of Directors.  The hospital moved from private ownership to a county ownership.