Biographical Sketch of Dr. Fredrick Youngblood
November 20, 1876 – February 24, 1956
Fredrick Youngblood was born in Missouri on November 20, 1876.
His father’s occupation as listed in the 1880 census was a blacksmith.
“He was graduated from the Beaumont Medical College at St. Louis,
Mo. in 1897 and came to Huntsville that same year where he had since
resided. He was actively engaged in practicing medicine for the past 57
years.” 1 He was featured in 1926 in Ripley’s Stranger Than Fiction for
having delivered triplet daughters on February 14, 1908 near Huntsville
and later the same night delivering twins sons. All five babies were
delivered at home. The five children were first cousins. “Dr. Youngblood
would boast that he delivered five babies in the same family on the
same night and they all lived without any help from the government!” 2
Dr. Youngblood held a commission in the Army Officers’ Reserve
Corps and in October 1940 he was assigned as CCC camp physician at
Paris, Logan county. “In August 1942 he was on duty at the Deal
Ordinance Plant at El Dorado until April 1943, at which time he was
granted retirement from Army service which will be permanent
except in case of a disease epidemic or military disaster.” 3
Dr. Youngblood died at home on the evening of February 24, 1956, after
a short illness. “Dr. Youngblood was regarded by the medical profession
as one of the most outstanding physicians of this area.” “With his
passing, we might say, went the last of the country doctors of the
horse-and-buggy era of that locality. In fact, Dr. Youngblood came to
Huntsville scarcely before the ink on his diploma had dried, and got a
horse and saddle and began his ministry of healing the people over the
Hills of Home before a buggy could negotiate many of these hill trails
and by roads. We would like to recall another incident that happened in
the doctor’s life back in those days that would never happen now.
There was a case of smallpox out in the hills and Doctors Youngblood
and Massie attended the patient, and when it was learned that the
illness was smallpox the two doctors were quarantined and moved into
a tent over on top of the Town Bluff. Doctors M. Knight, F. O. Massie, J.
E. Plummer, F. G. Eubanks or Fred Youngblood, we never saw any of
them making a call any other way except on horseback. All beloved and
honored in their profession. They are all gone now—God rest them.” 4
Dr. Youngblood is buried in Huntsville Cemetery, Huntsville, Madison
County, Arkansas
1 Madison County Record (Huntsville, Arkansas) March 1, 1956, page 4
2 Madison County Record (Huntsville, Arkansas) Sept. 9, 1965, page 2
3 Madison County Record (Huntsville, Arkansas) April 15, 1943, page 1
4 Madison County Record (Huntsville, Arkansas) Mar. 15, 1956, page 6
John T. Mitchell
February 20, 2021