Dr. W. P. Skirball Practiced in Sandusky for Many Years

from p 52, Reflections: First 85 Years of Providence Hospital

Wilbert P. Skirball was born on September 20, 1919 in Alabama, to Rudolph and Zerhyl Skirball. After growing up in Ashland, Ohio, Dr. Skirball attended Ohio State University, and graduated from the OSU Medical School. Dr. Skirball served as a Captain in the U.S. Medical Corps. While in military service, he met his wife Mary, who was a nurse. 

In 1948 Dr. Skirball joined the medical staff of Providence Hospital in Sandusky, Ohio. In the early 1950s Dr. Skirball had an office in Castalia and Sandusky. He moved his office to the Sandusky Medical Center at 1218 Cleveland Road in 1956. Throughout his long career, Dr. Skirball was active in community organizations. He was a popular speaker to civic groups. In 1956, he gave a talk entitled “Should We Bury the General Practioner?” to the Jaycees, which focused on the rapid rise in the number of medical specialists in the United States. His topic when he spoke to to the Sandusky Business and Professional Women in May of 1956 was “The Doctor and His Ethics.” 

In the August 8, 1963 issue of the Sandusky Register, Dr. Skirball was one of two local doctors who were interviewed about the problem so many people have with being overweight. He stated that he did not think drugs were an effective tool in weight loss; he advised that people who wish to lose pounds should do so by reducing their caloric intake. 

Dr. Skirball was chairman of the Department of Medicine at Providence Hospital from 1976-1979, and had been active in local and state Medical Associations. The picture at the top of this post was taken at the 1974 Providence Hospital Board of Trustees and Medical Staff Dinner, where he was presented a plaque in honor of his twenty-five years of service. Board member George Howells is standing next to Dr. Skirball in the picture, which was taken by Alden Wintersteller.

Dr. Skirball retired in 1986, and later he and his wife moved to Florida. He died in Florida on November 10, 1999. 

Frank Cable and Family

The Frank Cable family is pictured above in the late 1890s. Frank’s wife was the former Ida Schwind. Their daughters were Clara, Florence and Stella. Frank, along with his father Laurence Cable and his brother Edward, was active in real estate development in Sandusky in the early twentieth century. The Cable family developed Cable Park, a residential neighborhood on Sandusky’s Wayne Street, and they were key donors to the former Providence Hospital. Below we see Frank Cable standing outside the home in which he grew up, at the southwest corner of Central Avenue and Monroe Street.

Frank and Ida’s daughter Clara Cable married Leo Wagner, who operated a florist shop in Sandusky for many years on Columbus Avenue.

Clara Cable Wagner

 Florence Cable married attorney George C. Steinemann.

Florence Cable Steinemann

Youngest daughter Stella went on to marry Dr. M.A. Wagner. After the the doctor's death, Stella wed Roman Burnor, and they made their home in Toledo, Ohio.

Mrs. Ida Schwind Cable died at the young age of 40, in a hospital in San Antonio, Texas following a serious illness. The telegram announcing her death was delivered to the Cable family on the very day that the Providence Hospital dedication took place, in April 1904. The original Providence Hospital had once been the home of C.C. Keech on Hayes Avenue.

  

Frank Laurence Cable died at the Sawyer Sanitarium in Marion, Ohio on December 14, 1913. Sadly, his brother Edward Cable had died just a few weeks earlier. The Cable family left their mark on Sandusky, Ohio. If you would like to learn more about this family and their many contributions to our community, visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center, where you can view the Cable Family Collection.

Plenty of Holiday Cheer at Sandusky’s Hospitals in 1923

In December of 1923, the city of Sandusky had two hospitals, Good Samaritan Hospital (top) and Providence Hospital (lower). (These images appeared in Our City Sandusky a publication printed in 1924, for the 100^th anniversary of the incorporation of the city of Sandusky.) 

Local newspaper articles provide us with interesting details about how Christmas was celebrated at each hospital in 1923. Early on Christmas morning, Betty Mound sang “Softly the Babe was Sleeping” in the room where all the newborn babies were sleeping at Good Samaritan Hospital.  All the nurses attended an early morning service, at which Lillian Gowdy read the Christmas story. C. Webb Sadler, a trustee of Good Samaritan Hospital, gave all the nurses a long-stemmed red rose, which they carried as they sang Christmas carols throughout the hospital.

A Christmas tree was placed in the children’s ward, and gifts were distributed to all the youngsters. Even a young boy named Jack, who had been critically ill, was feeling well enough to enjoy the festivities. At Providence Hospital, four youngsters were treated to presents, candy and oranges and “all the delicacies that the nurses felt were for their good.” Holiday music was played on Ed Strang’s radio. Visiting hours at both hospitals were extended, so that patients and their families could enjoy Christmas Day together.

In the historical photograph collection of the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center, is this picture of the staff of Good Samaritan Hospital at a holiday party in December, 1923.

    

If you would like to read more about what was happening in Sandusky in years past, visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center, where local newspapers dating back to 1822 are found on microfilm.

Mothers and Babies on National Hospital Day

Seated on the steps of the former Providence Hospital in Sandusky are several babies and young children with their mothers on National Hospital Day on May 12, 1930. Ernst Niebergall was the photographer. Both Good Samaritan and Providence Hospital held on Open House on this date, and offered guided tours of the hospitals to visitors who wished to see the various departments of each facility.

Lawrence Cable, Originally Known as Lorenz Kobul

Lawrence Cable, also known as Lorenz Kobul, was born in 1824 in Siegen, Alsace-Lorraine, which was then a part of France, but later was incorporated into the German Empire. Laurence emigrated to the United States in 1843, and he first settled in Indiana, where his brother was living. After attending college classes at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, he moved to Sandusky. 

In the spring of 1848, he married Miss Josephine Zuercher. She died of cholera in 1849, leaving behind a young daughter named Josephine. That year he began working for the Mad River Railroad. For a time in the 1850s he worked with Ben Icsman, to furnish timber for the railroad bridge across Sandusky Bay. He worked in the shoe business from about 1856 to 1867. In 1872, Mr. Cable was named president of the newly formed Third National Bank, and he stayed in this position until his death in 1904. Ernst Von Schulenburg wrote in Sandusky Then and Now, that Cable and the bank’s treasurer, F.P. Zollinger, protected the Third National Bank “with the eyes of an Argus.” In 1904 he purchased the site of the old fairgrounds at the end of Wayne Street with the intent of building an upper middle class neighborhood. After he died, his sons Edward and Frank Cable continued the development of Cable Park, located at 1103-1234 Wayne Street.

Mr. Cable had married Victoria Stoll in 1852, and they had five children. Mrs. Victoria Cable died in 1874. Laurence married for a third time in 1880, to Miss Mena Walter. In 1880 he built a two story home at 910 West Monroe Street, which still stands today. After his death, his wife stayed at this home until she died in 1930.

       

Lawrence Cable was known for his generosity. He, along with two other parishioners, donated three bells to the St. Mary’s Catholic Church, when the current church building was in its early days. In 1902 Mr. Cable donated money to buy the former residence of C.C. Keech on Hayes Avenue for use as a hospital under the direction of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine. This home eventually became Providence Hospital, which later became a part of Firelands Regional Medical Center.

    

Lawrence Cable died on October 16, 1904; he was buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Sandusky. In a long life, beginning in Europe and ending in Sandusky, he became one of the community’s most respected residents. You can read much more about him in the book, History of the Western Reserve.  The Cable Family Collection is housed in the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center.  This collection documents some of the business activities of Cable and his sons Edward and Frank in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Miss Rose Ball, Graduate of Providence School of Nursing

Miss Rose Ball was born May 4, 1877 in Reed Township, Seneca County, Ohio. An article in the February 20, 1926 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal stated that Rose Ball was a well-known nurse, having graduated from Providence Hospital School of Nursing. U.S. Census Records list Rose’s occupation as a nurse in 1910, 1920 and 1930. She resided in Sandusky, Ohio during these years. In October of 1933, Rose Ball was on the featured speakers at the banquet of the Nurses’ Alumnae Association of Providence Hospital, which was held at the Hotel Rieger. After having been in poor health for several years, Miss Rose Ball died on September 6, 1956 in Tiffin, Ohio. Though we do not know the exact year of Rose’s graduation from nursing school, this is how Providence Hospital looked in 1910. The facility formerly known as Providence Hospital is now the South Campus of Firelands Regional Medical Center. 

A Musical Revue in 1937

On Thursday evening, April 15, 1937, A Musical Revue was held at the State Theatre. Presented by the Women’s Association of Providence Hospital, the production was directed by local dance instructor, Carl Ernst, and proceeds went to Providence Hospital. One of the most outstanding features of the Musical Revue was “Largo,” from the Ballet Moderne, performed by Sandusky librarian Dorothy Keefe. Miss Keefe also performed a toe solo, “Sea Gardens” and was well received in her performance of the “Castilian Castanet Dance.” Dorothy Keefe is pictured in the group of Sandusky Library staff members below. She is second from the left.

Local musicians provided music for the revue. The orchestra members were: William Hay, Kenneth Luteman, John Hay, Frank Kleinfelder, Norbert Smith, Michael Mazur, Charles Held and Lawrence Gassman. Miss Ruth Sponseller accompanied on the piano. Several skits, dances, and songs were presented throughout the evening. An amusing comedy skit directed by Mrs. Paul Squire was entitled “If Men Played Cards as Women Do.” The April 16, 1937 issue of the Sandusky Register stated that the comedy skit caused “a great deal of merriment in the audience. An ensemble of boys and girls participated in the number “Hey Babe! Hey!”

Wedding gowns from 1800 to 1937 were modeled in the final production number. The costumes worn by the bride and groom were furnished by the M. R. Herb Co. The M.R. Herb Co. also provided furniture for the Musical Revue. Mrs. Gladys Hohler portrayed the bride, and Robert Mathes played the groom. Modeling bridal gowns were: Dolores Geason, Dorothy Stahl, Mary Lou Maus, and Miss Bernadine Meyer. Mrs. Nellie Bailey Miller sang “Her Bridal Veil” as the wedding scene was enacted.

An article in the April 13, 1937 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal stated that the Musical Revue was “a snappy show with the zip of a professional revue” and featured “unusually gay music and especially clever comedy skits.”

Training Nurses in Sandusky

September 26, 1907 was the date of the first official graduating class from the Providence School of Nursing. Providence Hospital opened its doors at 1912 Hayes Avenue on April 5, 1904, under the direction of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine of the Cleveland Diocese. In 1923, the diocesan boundaries were re-drawn, placing Sandusky in the Toledo diocese, so the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine transferred ownership to the Sisters of St. Francis, Sylvania, Ohio.

Leo Bahnsen, the first male nurse at Providence Hospital, is shown making his rounds in 1938 in a male ward at Providence Hospital:

In 1918, local Red Cross officials taught nursing skills to volunteers to help in the war effort during World War One, as well as to assist with local victims of influenza.

From 1910 to 1937, Good Samaritan Hospital also trained nurses. A listing in the 1923 Sandusky City Directory shows Good Samaritan Hospital at 624 Van Buren Street, and the Good Samaritan Hospital nurses’ home at 612 Van Buren Street.

Here is a scene from the Good Samaritan nurses’ residence in 1923; the young ladies may actually be Good Samaritan nursing students:

If male callers came to visit the nursing students, they had to stay in the “beau’s room” at the end of the hall, and they were never to enter the upstairs rooms of the young ladies.

Names of individual nurses who resided in Sandusky were listed on pages 501 and 502 of the 1923 Sandusky City Directory.

Today individuals who wish to enter into a career in nursing can enroll at Firelands Regional Medical Center School of Nursing. The history of the school has its origins in Sandusky, dating back to 1905. Today's Firelands Regional Medical Center is the combination of three former hospitals in Sandusky, Good Samaritan Hospital, Sandusky Memorial Hospital, and Providence Hospital.

Visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center to learn more about the history of health care in the Sandusky area. Books, historical newspaper articles, city directories, and other archival resources provide details about the former hospitals, nurses and doctors who served Sandusky residents.

The American Liquor & Opium Cure Company of Sandusky, Ohio

A newspaper article in the December 1, 1892 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that the American Liquor and Opium Cure Company was ready for business. Medical directors were physicians A. J. Crane and A. L. Wilson. Officers were: F. E. Hoover, President; Sam W. Miller, Manager; F.A. Layman, Secretary; and F. L. Felch, Treasurer. The facility claimed it could help patients overcome the habits of liquor, morphine, and cigarettes with pure vegetable remedies. The sanitarium was located at Oak Grove Place, the former home of Sandusky businessman C.C. Keech.

By 1898, the American Liquor & Opium Cure Company was no longer in operation, and a saloon known as Oak Grove Villa was at this location. In 1902, Laurence Cable purchased the former Keech residence, and deeded it to Rev. Bishop Ignatius F. Horstman to be used as a hospital. After the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine took charge of the proposed hospital, it was given the name of Providence Hospital. In 2001, Providence Hospital became a part of the Firelands Regional Medical Center. Helen Hansen wrote about the C. C. Keech house, at 1912 Hayes Avenue, in Article 17 of her book At Home in Early Sandusky.