Edgar F. “Daddy” Allen

Lorain County · Intersection of Cleveland St. and Ridge St., Elyria, OH, 44035 -- Ridgelawn Cemetery

Side A: Elyria businessman Edgar “Daddy” Allen (1862 — 1937), founder of Easter Seals, is buried in this cemetery with his wife Blanche and son Homer. In 1907 Allen lost his son because of an interurban crash. The lack of adequate medical services prompted Allen to begin a fundraising campaign to build the city’s first hospital, Elyria Memorial Hospital, which opened in 1908. In 1915 he spearheaded the founding of Gates Hospital, the first facility in the U.S. dedicated to the care of children with physical disabilities. Aided by the strong support from a network of Rotary Clubs, Allen founded the Ohio Society for Crippled Children in 1919 and thereafter the National Society for Crippled Children, which later became Easter Seals. Now named Easterseals, it remains dedicated to providing services to children and adults with disabilities and special needs. Side B: Same

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

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Marker data: Ohio Historical Markers program, Ohio History Connection (Remarkable Ohio)

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