Ambler historian and doctor Mary P.H. Hough found a fascinating discovery on the home of Charles M. Shoemaker (1827-1917). The home played a special role during the 1918 influenza outbreak, but it's more interesting to learn about the home itself and what stood out from the rest of the homes in Ambler.
Isaac Thomas's 10 Acres of Land
It was the year 1832 when Isaac Thomas purchased 46 acres of land that was detached from the 83 acres granted to Andrew Ambler for $1,581 where his home stands.
Jonathan Lukens, a well-known builder and woodman from Gwynedd, came into the mill town and saw an opportunity to build a community there. After seeing the sawmill on Isaac's land, located on the northeast corner of Spring Garden street and Butler avenue, Jonathan purchased the 36 acres of land for $7,125. He showed confidence he will transform the mill town into a prosperous community.
In 1868, the rest of the 46 acres of land (10 acres) was sold to Charles Shoemaker, the son in-law of Isaac Thomas, for $2,500.
Jonathan Lukens occupied the West end of Butler Avenue while Charles Shoemaker occupied the East end of Butler Avenue where his home was built. His home was originally located where the Indian restaurant Saffron currently stands.
His home was a frame structure that contained 16 rooms with porch floors made of North Carolina pine, which was made of lumber sawed at Isaac Thomas's saw mill, and modern necessities inside the home like a bathroom. He built a cellar vault on his property for the purpose of refrigeration and sanitation.
"At the time of the erection of the house, Pasteur's discovery of bacterial invasion was not then known, the modern methods of refrigeration was not yet adopted, and the housewife, in order to keep her butter from melting, her meat from spoiling, and her milk from souring, had recourse to one of three methods: the spring house, cellar vault, or outside vault."
- Mary P.H. Hough, Early History of Ambler, 1682-1888
He and his wife Susanna had one son: Samuel T. Shoemaker, who was born in Isaac Thomas's home. When the home was built and completed, the Shoemaker family moved right in. After the death of his father, Samuel came into possession of his home.
The 1918 Influenza Epidemic
During the 1918 epidemic, Ambler became infected with the disease as well as pneumonia. Ambler physicians, the Ambler Red Cross, and the borough council came together at the office of Harold G. Knight. After seeing rising cases and deaths, the physicians decided to take action. With the courtesy of Samuel Shoemaker, the committee used his home as a hospital, and four African American residents of Ambler volunteered to clean and disinfect the place. Bed linen and cots arrived at the hospital as well as a cook for the kitchen.
Mrs. Norton Downs was appointed chairwoman of the committee and associated with the Ambler Red Cross. The people in charge of the hospital were Dr. George Robinson and two trained nurses. As the number of cases were continuing to climb, the committee decided to call for help from the Abington hospital.
Unfortunately, things took a turn when the two nurses were stricken with influenza. Adding to the financial problems, the hospital was discontinued. The patients at the Ambler hospital were moved to the Abington Memorial Hospital. Even though the hospital was abandoned, Mrs. Norton Downs saw hope to have a real hospital in the borough in memory of the hospital created at the home of Samuel Shoemaker.
One of his daughters, Mae Shoemaker (1893-1982), married architect William J.H. Hough, son of Mary P.H. Hough. After her father died in 1935, Mae and William came into possession of her father's home.
Bibliography
"Ambler's Sick Cared For." Ambler Gazette. October 17, 1918. Page 1. http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/wivp-gazett/id/9703/rec/16.
"Ambler, Yesterday: The Hospital Drive, Part No. 1." Ambler Gazette. January 27, 1938. Page 4. http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/wivp-gazett/id/21735/rec/7.
Franklin Survey Company. Montgomery County 1949 Vol D, Plate 15, 1949.
Hough, Mary P. H. "Early history of Ambler 1682-1888." A Celebration of Women Writers. Accessed February 27, 2022. https://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/hough/ambler/ambler.html.
Mueller, A. H. Atlas of the North Penn Section of Montgomery County, Pa., Plate 26, 1916.
"Samuel Shoemaker Succumbs Suddenly." Ambler Gazette. December 26, 1935. Page 1. http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/wivp-gazett/id/23669/rec/26.
Scott, J. D. Montgomery County 1877, Gwynedd, North Wales, Ambler, Royer's Ford, Limerick Station, 1877.
Scott, J.D. North Pennsylvania Railroad 1886 Philadelphia - Bucks - Montgomery Counties, Ambler, 1886.
Smith, J.L. Montgomery County 1893, Ambler Borough, 1893.
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