A history of Cleveland, Ohio, Volume I, Part 28

Author: Orth, Samuel Peter, 1873-1922; Clarke, S.J., publishing company
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago-Cleveland : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1262

USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > A history of Cleveland, Ohio, Volume I > Part 28

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

This same year (1853), a brother of Dr. B. F. Robinson, Dr. J. A. Robin- son, of Lowell, Massachusetts, with his two sons, came to Cleveland. Dr. J. A. Robinson practiced his profession in this city for several years when he moved to Jackson, Michigan, where he practiced until he retired after having practiced dentistry for more than sixty years. His elder son, Dr. Jere E. Robinson, con- tinued in practice in this city until he retired in 1900. The younger son, Wm. F. Robinson, studied with his father and practiced in this city for some years. He

218

HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

was in practice in New Orleans, at the breaking out of the Civil war, but re- turned north and joined the Union army. He was severely wounded in the battle of Gettysburg. Captain Robinson was killed by the Indians at Tucson, Arizona, shortly after the close of the war.

In 1861, Dr. L. Buffett began practice in this city. He gave a course of lectures on dental pathology at the Cleveland Medical college (now medical department of the Western Reserve University). He retired from practice in 1887 and moved to Easton, Maryland, where he died in 1901.

Dr. Chas. Buffett, a brother of Lewis, began practice in this city in 1866. For many years he was the treasurer of the Northern Ohio Dental association. He retired from active practice in 1903.

Dr. D. R. Jennings came to this city from Ravenna in 1872 and continued in active practice until the day of his death in 1897.

These are the men, with their strong personalities and indefatigable energy, who established the dental profession in this city. From 1870, the profession has had a rapid development, and as the accessions are still actively engaged in practice, we will only mention them in connection with their organized activi- ties. Before taking up the organized interests of the profession, of this city, it will be interesting to note the statistical growth of the profession in connec- tion with the growth of the population.

STATISTICS.

In 1835 the population of the city was five thousand and eighty, with one dentist; in 1837 there were nine thousand people with three dentist; in 1860 the population had increased to forty-three thousand, four hundred and thirty- seven, with twenty-two dentists. The number of dentists fluctuated much in the seventh decade. In the directory for 1859 and 1860 there were the names of twenty-two dentists ; in 1861 and 1862, eighteen ; 1867 and 1868, twenty-three; 1869 and 1870, twenty. Eight of these twenty dentists are still in practice in this city. The directory for 1880 gives the number of dentists as fifty-one, and the United States census report gives the population as one hundred and sixty thousand, one hundred and forty-six; in 1890, the number of dentists was eighty-eight, and the population was two hundred and sixty-one thousand, three hundred and fifty-three; in 1900, the number of dentists was two hundred and twelve, and the population was three hundred and eighty-one thousand, seven hundred and sixty-eight; in 1909 with an estimated population of half a million, there are three hundred and fifty-three dentists.

DENTAL ASSOCIATIONS AND THE PART CLEVELAND DENTISTS HAVE TAKEN IN THEM.

The American Dental association was organized in 1859 and the next year (1860) held its first session for scientific investigations. This assemblage was held in this city with Dr. W. H. Atkinson in the chair as its first president. In 1888 Dr. Chas. R. Butler served the society as its president. In 1897 this society and the Southern Dental association were consolidated as the National Dental association.

219

HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

NORTHERN OHIO DENTAL ASSOCIATION.

In 1855, the American Dental convention, the predecessor of the American Dental association, by resolution, recommended the organization of local socie- ties. Drs. W. H. Atkinson, J. A. Robinson and others, issued a circular letter to the dentists of northern Ohio, inviting them to meet in Tremont Hall, November 3, 1857. (Tremont Hall stood on the present site of the Wick block.) Of the thirty-four charter members of the Northern Ohio Dental association, there are living only Drs. W. P. Horton, Cleveland; Alfred Terry, then of Norwalk, now residing at Detroit; and Chester H. Harroun, of Toledo. Eight- een of the twenty-two dentists located in Cleveland at that time were present at the formation of the society.

This sociey has met annually with hardly an interruption. While it often meets in Cleveland because of the · conveniences afforded, it has met in other northern Ohio towns. For thirty years, the society little more than maintained the attendance of the first meeting. The writer well remembers the meeting at which he became a member of the society; it was in May, 1879, and the sessions were held in the parlor of the Weddell House. There was plenty of room, for there were not more than forty members present. In 1885, the expenses of the society were nine dollars and sixty cents. In 1890, the bills ordered paid were six dollars and eighty-one cents, but, in 1905, the bills paid amounted to eight hun- dred and sixteen dollars and twenty cents and the receipts were one thousand and seventy-five dollars. This year (1905) marked the high tide of its pros- perity. The enrollment of members, dealers and visitors present was five hun- dred and ninety-six, the largest in the history of the society. The phenomenal success of that year was due to the ceaseless labors of the corresponding sec- retary, Dr. W. G. Ebersole.

The officers of the association for 1909 are: President, W. A. Siddall; vice president, W. G. Ebersole ; secretary, J. W. McDill; treasurer, W. A. Price, all of Cleveland.

OHIO STATE DENTAL SOCIETY.

This association was formally organized June 26-27, 1866, at Columbus. Of the first officers elected, B. F. Robinson, of this city, was made second vice pres- ident. The following Cleveland dentists were charter members: Drs. B. F. Robinson, B. Strickland, C. R. Butler, L. Buffett, J. E. Robinson, John Stephan, and W. P. Horton.

The Cleveland men who have served this society as president are, in the or- der of their service: Drs. W. P. Horton, L. Buffett, C. R. Butler, D. R. Jen- nings, J. E. Robinson, G. H. Wilson, Henry Barnes, H. F. Harvey, J. F. Stephan, H. L. Ambler, and W. H. Whitslar serving for 1909. H. L. Ambler served the society for two years as secretary; W. A. Price is the treasurer, and has served for four years.

CLEVELAND DENTAL SOCIETY.

This society was organized in 1886 as the result of an agitation started by Dr. Henry Barnes. The evening of October 6, 1886, thirteen members of the

220

HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

profession assembled at the office of Dr. D. R. Jennings and organized the Cleveland Dental society, with the following officers: President, D. R. Jen- nings; vice president, J. Stephan; secretary, P. H. Keese; treasurer, S. B. Dewey.

The charter members were: Drs. D. R. Jennings, Henry Barnes, C. R. But- ler, J. R. Owens, J. R. Bell, S. B. Dewey, Ira Sampsell, H. H. Newton, J. E. Robinson, George R. Goulding, P. H. Keese, Charles Buffett and John Stephan.

Drs. H. F. Harvey and Ira W. Brown were made members at the second meeting, having been unable to attend the first meeting. The society met monthly, except July and August, at the offices of its members. In 1890, the society voted to increase their dues to ten dollars per year and serve dinner to the members at the hotel in which the meeting was held. For several years the society met regularly at the Hollenden. The society is at present assembling at the Colonial hotel. It meets the first Monday evening of October and Novem- ber, and from January to May, inclusive. The membership is upward of one hundred. At the November, 1909, meeting, there were twelve members elected and seventeen names proposed for membership.

The present (1909) officers of the society are: President, Frank Acker ; vice president, W. G. Ebersole; recording secretary, J. T. Newton ; correspond- ing secretary, J. R. Owens; financial secretary, Harris R. C. Wilson ; treasurer, W. S. Sykes; and critic, H. L. Ambler.

The ex-presidents are: D. R. Jennings, I. W. Brown, J. R. Owens, S. B. Dewey, H. Barnes, W. T. Jackman, H. F. Harvey, W. H. Whitslar, J. R. Bell, C. R. Butler, G. H. Wilson, J. W. Van Dorn, H. L. Ambler, J. F. Stephan, W. A. Siddall, W. A. Price, J. F. Spargur, J. W. McDill, G. N. Wasser, D. H. Zeigler, J. M. Yahres and M. C. Ramaley.

In the spring of 1909, this society was made the first "component" society of the reorganized Ohio State society.

In the winter of 1897, the society appointed a committee for dental instruc- tion in the public schools. The committee consisted of Drs. W. A. Price, W. G. Ebersole, and George H. Wilson chairman. This committee, after consultation with Superintendent Jones, formulated a series of apothegms on the nature, use and care of the teeth, which were given through the school authorities to the pupils. Some of the teachers are still making use of this information in their general instruction. This committee consulted with a like committee of the state society with the object of introducing similar instruction into all of the schools of the state; however, small results were obtained.

In the spring of 1906, the society appointed a committee of fifteen to act in conjunction with Director Cooley in caring for the dental needs of fifteen hundred children of the city's outdoor relief department. After due delibera- tion, the committee of fifteen elected a committee of five to take charge of this work. The committee consisted of Drs. H. L. Ambler, chairman; J. R. Owens, G. F. Woodbury, D. H. Zeigler and George H. Wilson. This committee was influenced to establish this clinic at the City hospital on Scranton road. This arrangement proved disastrous, as it placed the clinic out of the reach of the children of the indigent poor, for whom it was designed. The society by vol- untary contributions, raised a fund of over five hundred dollars with which to

221

HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

carry on this work. The arrangement was made with Director Cooley that the city should furnish the office, equipment and supplies, and the dental society free service. Dr. Frank Acker had volunteered to give one half day of time per week to this work. The committee thereupon arranged with Dr. Acker to devote two half days per week as the operator in charge of the clinic. The clinic was opened for free work to the children of the worthy poor October 16, 1906. It very soon developed that because of the location the only patients applying for relief were the inmates of the infirmary, but no children. At this time Dr. Harris R. C. Wilson obtained permission to act through the teachers in the neighboring ward schools, and thus the deserving children were interested in this charity. From this time the clinician had all he could do to care for the children of these schools and the children of the Jones' Home. This work was carried on for nearly two years. However, while the experiment was a success in its way, it did not establish the need for such a clinie among the downtown outdoor relief children, and the city authorities were not justified in maintaining the charity as it was expected they would do.

After the work of dental education was inaugurated by the committee of 1897, little was accomplished until the society appointed a committee on oral hygiene and education, consisting of Drs. W. G. Ebersole, chairman; J. R. Owens and W. A. Price. This committee obtained permission from the authori- ties to make an examination of the mouths of the children of four selected schools. This examination was made June 14, 1909, by forty-two members of the City society, and demonstrated the urgent need of dental supervision of the children of the public schools. Of the two thousand six hundred and seventy-two children examined, ninety-seven per cent were found to be in need of dental attention. With this data at hand, the committee obtained per- mission of the school board to examine the mouths of all of the public school children of the city, and to establish and maintain during the year of 1910, four clinics for the free care of the teeth of the needy ones. This examination, and the care of the teeth of the indigent children are to be without expense to the school board, except the board is to furnish suitable rooms, heat, light and water. To accomplish this work, outside of committee and preliminary work, it is planned that one hundred and sixteen members of the society shall each voluntarily give thirty-six hours of time, or its equivalent in money. Aside from this, a course of lectures for public instruction is contemplated. At the dental society meeting, held November 1, 1909, when the paper was passed for pledges of time or its equivalent, nearly sixty signatures were obtained.

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION IN CLEVELAND.

There have been two dental schools in this city. Besides these, dental in- struction has been given to medical classes by such men as Drs. L. Buffett, H. L. 'Ambler, J. R. Bell, and possibly others.

In 1891, a movement was started and resulted in the formation of the den- tal department of the Cleveland University of Medicine and Surgery (homeo- pathic school). The school opened in October, 1891, in quarters provided in the Y. M. C. A. building. There were fifteen students in attendance. The

222

HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

faculty consisted of Drs. W. H. Whitslar, dean; Henry Barnes, S. B. Dewey, J. E. Robinson, L. P. Bethel, Ira Sampsell, George H. Wilson, and four or five members of the medical faculty. The following spring the faculty was reorganized, owing to the death of Dr. Sampsell and the resignation of Drs. Whitslar and Wilson, who withdrew to accept positions with the dental depart- ment created in the Western Reserve University. The second year the homeo- pathic school was provided with ample quarters in the new medical building. In September of 1896, the school disorganized and disposed of its equip- ment to the Western Reserve University.

DENTAL DEPARTMENT OF THE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY.

This department of the university was established in March, 1892. Four dental professorships were created to cooperate with the medical department, and designed to teach dentistry as a specialty of medicine. Drs. C. R. Butler, W. H. Whitslar, H. F. Harvey and George H. Wilson were elected to the four dental chairs. Unused rooms in the medical building were equipped for the school. Twenty-one students enrolled for the first term, and there was an annual increase until the term of 1902-03, when there was an attendance of one hundred and fourteen students. The first faculty was organized with Dr. C. R. Butler, dean, and Dr. W. H. Whitslar, secretary. At the close of the first session, Dr. Butler resigned, when Dr. Ambler was elected dean and professor of operating dentistry, which position he held until the close of the term of 1905-06.

The fall of 1896 found the school housed in the Bangor building. The upper two floors were especially arranged and equipped for dental instruction, and, at that time, was considered excellent accommodations. As the school increased in numbers, other dental professors and teachers were added to the faculty.

The year of 1903 was a critical one with all dental schools, and was espe- cially disastrous (in a financial sense) to this school. It had been determined to discontinue the department, when the Cogswell Dental Supply Company, through its president, Dr. H. M. Brown, of Ashtabula, assumed the financial obligations and took charge of the school. The school remained nominally a department of the university. During the years 1904-05, the old members of the faculty resigned, when Dr. Brown reorganized the school by securing the services of Drs. T. J. McLernon, of Philadelphia, as dean, E. E. Belford, of Toledo, and H. E. Friesell, of Pittsburg; the remainder of the faculty being made up of young men from the dental and medical schools. With the close of the session of 1907-8, Dr. McLernon resigned and returned east, when Dr. Belford was made dean.

CLEVELAND DENTAL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION.

In the fall of 1907 Dr. Charles R. Strong, upon retiring from practice, made known his desire to donate his dental library as a foundation toward establish- ing the Cleveland Dental library. A number of the down town dentists were called together and organized, by adopting a constitution and electing the fol-

223

HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

lowing officers: President, G. H. Wilson; vice president, H. L. Ambler; sec- retary, Harris R. C. Wilson; and treasurer, Varney E. Barnes. The officers of the Dental Library association made arrangements, through Librarian W. H. Brett with the Cleveland Public Library board, so that the Dental library be- comes a part of the reference department of the Cleveland Public library.

The collection of books, generously donated by Dr. Strong as a start for this worthy object, consisted of about thirty bound volumes and more than seventy complete volumes of unbound dental journals. The president of the association added to this foundation about sixty books and a number of more or less com- plete volumes of unbound dental journals. Since then others have added a few volumes of books and unbound journals. However, because of the cramped quarters of the public library the books are not very accessible. It is hoped that this unfortunate condition may soon be remedied.

DENTAL JOURNALISM.

Late in the summer of 1905 the Cogswell Dental Supply Company, of this city, determined to establish a dental journal. For this purpose Drs. W. T. Jackman, W. G. Ebersole, V. E. Barnes, and G. H. Wilson were selected to formulate and edit the new venture.

The name chosen for the new journal was "The Dentist's Magazine." The first monthly issue appeared in December, 1905. The magazine contained over one hundred pages of reading matter each month, was liberally illustrated, printed upon fine quality of paper and had a new cover design for each issue. In 1909 the Cogswell Dental Supply Company was absorbed by the Ransom and Randolph Company, of Toledo, and the Dentist's Magazine was submerged in the "Dental Summary."

AMERICAN CIRCULATING DENTAL CLINIC.

This institution is a thought and creation of Dr. S. Marshall Weaver, of this city. The plan is to have seven centers for work, and at each center to have a committee of six, whose duty it shall be to collect a goodly number of dental technic specimens and send them to the central committee at Cleveland when they are to be properly mounted and shown at a half day clinic before the city dental society. After being arranged and cased, they will be exhibited at the second city in the circuit, and then sent on, until they return to Cleveland, when the committee will replace its exhibit with a new one and start it on the second round of the circuit; each city doing likewise. The cities in which committees have been appointed and are at work preparing their exhibit, are, in order: Cleveland, New York, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Kansas City, and Chicago. The first exhibition is to be made in this city early in 1910.

SPECIALISTS.

For some years there has been a tendency for the profession to specialize. Orthodontia is quite largely given over to the men confining their attention to

224

HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

this branch. The devotees of this specialty are: Drs. V. E. Barnes, F. M. Casto, W. E. Newcomb, and L. A. Krejci. The specialists in prophylaxis are : Drs. I. W. Brown, J. W. Jungman, W. C. Teter, and I. E. Graves. Extracting and anaesthetics: Dr. C. K. Teter. Prosthesis : Dr. G. H. Wilson.

While not specialists, there are three other names that should be mentioned : Dr. H. L. Ambler as an author, and Drs. W. A. Price and C. G. Myers, inventors. Dr. Ambler's works are: "Tin Foil and Its Combinations ;" "Facts. Fads and Fancies;" "Historical Notes on the Northern Ohio Dental Associa- tion ;" and the chapter on the "History of Dental Prosthesis," in Koch's History of Dental Surgery. Dr. Price's inventions are: Cataphoric appliances, dental X-ray, dental pyrometer, artificial stone and casting outfit. Dr. Myers origin- ated high pressure anaesthesia and a dental lamp.

The writer desires to express his appreciation for the historical writings of Drs. Gurini, Koch, Thorpe and Ambler. Much of this sketch has been taken from these authorities and is hereby gratefully acknowledged.

DIVISION IV. GOVERNMENTAL AND POLITICAL.

From an old engraving in the collection of the author

GEN. ARTHUR ST. CLAIR The first governor of the Northwest Territory and of Ohio territory

CHAPTER XIX.

EARLY GOVERNMENT, TERRITORIAL AND STATE.

EARLIEST JURISDICTION. .

The French and the British successively held dominion over these regions before the treaty of 1783 established the jurisdiction of the United States. The French had trading posts at Presque Isle (Erie, Pennsylvania), at Sandusky bay, on the Maumee, and on the Great Miami river, as early as 1749. They drove out the English, who had come from Pennsylvania to start trading at San- dusky in 1748. Notwithstanding these early activities, there is no record of any established civil jurisdiction over this territory. The authority of the French was confined to a limited zone around their forts and posts and the government was entirely military.

When the British succeeded to the sovereignty there was little practi- cal change in the government of the land bordering the southern shore of the lake. This territory was included in the civil jurisdiction of Canada, for parlia- ment in 1763 extended the province southward to the Allegheny and Ohio rivers. In 1778 Lord Dorchester, the governor general of Canada, divided upper Canada into four civil districts and included Detroit and the upper lakes in one of these. There is no evidence that this district girdled Lake Erie. Later, in 1792, Governor Simcoe, of upper Canada, was empowered by his parliament to divide his province into nineteen counties. Of these, Essex county on the Detroit river may have embraced not only these posts to the west, but all of the stations they established around the southern border of our lake. There is great obscurity as to these matters. It is more evident that Virginia, with character- istic colonial enterprise, did extend her civil jurisdiction over the western terri- tory, under color of title granted by her various charters to rule to the shores of the South Sea. In 1776 Virginia created three counties along the waters of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers. Their western boundaries are not definitely known. Two years later, in 1778, when the dauntless George Rogers Clark had captured the British posts on the Wabash and the Mississippi, Vir- ginia promptly established her jurisdiction by creating into a county called Illinois virtually all the land later embraced in the Northwest Territory, including the south shore of Lake Erie. Kaskaskia was made the county seat .* As the

* See Federal "Statutes at Large," Volume IX, page 557.

228

HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

British held the lake posts, however, Virginia's civil jurisdiction was limited vir- tually to Kaskaskia and old Vincennes.t

British military law prevailed during the Revolution in the sparse settle- ments and trading stations of all this region. The technical status of all the early civil jurisdiction of the south shore of Lake Erie is veiled in obscurity, for as long as there were no subjects dwelling here, the problem of sovereignty was merely a theoretical one. When settlers did arrive after the Revolution, they found no difficulty in governing themselves.1

When in 1783 title to the northwest passed to the United States practical conditions did not change. Not only did the British instigate their Indian allies to constant acts of savage cruelty, but they refused to evacuate many forts after the treaty had been signed and it was not until 1794, after the battle of the Rapids of the Maumee, that her open hostility ceased and not until 1797 that all of the lake posts were abandoned by the British, and not until after the war of 1812 that her covetous eye was diverted from this region.

Connecticut, as we have seen, also claimed jurisdiction over the western country, but unlike Virginia, she never established counties and her sons did not come to settle the wilderness until another jurisdiction claimed the land with more right and more immediate power to enforce it.

TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION.

With the ordinance of 1787 we may say that practical civil government was first established throughout Ohio.2

The ordinance vested all executive powers in a governor, all judicial powers in a territorial or general court, and all legislative powers in the governor sitting with- this court. It provided, however, that when there should be five thousand free male inhabitants of full age in the territory, that a legislature should be elected. The legislative power of the governor and the judges was limited to the adopting of "such laws of the original states, criminal and civil, as may be necessary and best suited to the circumstances of the district."

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

A history of Cleveland, Ohio, Volume I, Part 28

Author: Orth, Samuel Peter, 1873-1922; Clarke, S.J., publishing company Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Chicago-Cleveland : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1262

Author: Orth, Samuel Peter, 1873-1922; Clarke, S.J., publishing company
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago-Cleveland : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1262