Cambridge Springs and Edinboro

Terry Perich, Kathleen Perich

• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Year: 2006
• ISBN:
  9781439617946
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

A fascinating journey through the history of Cambridge Springs and Edinboro, Pennsylvania with postcard images and anecdotes from the locals who experienced it.

The penny postcard became popular during the years that mineral water therapy changed the quiet, rural town of Cambridge Springs into a popular resort town.

Hotels and spas filled the area, and several daily trains brought guests to this world-class resort town. Hotels such as the Riverside, Rider, and Bartlett brought wonder and hope to people seeking cures for illnesses. Edinboro, known for its university and lake, has been another popular vacation spot for more than 200 years. The town developed an academy that became a normal school, a college, and finally a university.

Through historic postcards, Cambridge Springs and Edinboro invites readers to witness the past wonders of this beautiful area. A portion of the proceeds for this book are being donated to the Cambridge Springs Heritage Society.

One

HOTEL RIVERSIDE

A group of out-of-town promoters, among them William Douglas Rider, started the Hotel Riverside between the years 1886 and 1888. The date of 1885 has also been used as the beginning of the Hotel Riverside. After a disagreement between Rider and his two partners, the Hotel Riverside was sold to a retired bridge builder, William Baird. Baird soon purchased the Gray Mineral Springs from Dr. John H. Gray for $60,000 and then built a one-quarter-mile boardwalk to the spring from the hotel.

The Hotel Riverside, constructed in the town then named Cambridgeboro, was the first of grand hotels. It was among 40 hotels built during the mineral spring era. The Hotel Riverside had all luxury guest rooms and offered a myriad of baths, such as cabinet, Turkish baths, sea salt, and needle baths. Electrical treatments were also available. The Riverside is the last of those hotels still welcoming guests and has been in continuous operation since its doors first opened in the 1880s.

The caption on the back of this postcard states that the Hotel Riverside was a 450-acre estate with 101 guest rooms, an 18-hole golf course, registered Jersey cattle, mineral springs, a boardwalk, and gardens to provide fresh vegetables for the hotel guests. The beautiful manicured lawns of the hotel provided a tranquil country setting and stylish surrounding for hotel patrons.

This 1907 postcard shows a view of the front of the Hotel Riverside and part of the casino building. The grounds of the Riverside were kept immaculate for the guests to enjoy. The serene peaceful setting provided guests with a calm country atmosphere that offered relaxation and rest to aid in their cure.

A 1906 view of the main entrance to the Hotel Riverside from McClellan Street and Fountain Avenue shows the wraparound porches available to the guests. The unpainted fence to the right of the postcard surrounded the vegetable garden. The registered Jersey dairy herd and bulls grazed in a nearby pasture. The Riverside provided their guests with fresh milk and other dairy products, along with homegrown vegetables for their guests.

The 1902 Cutter’s Guide to Cambridge Springs describes the Hotel Riverside as the oldest of the large hotels at this resort, and for many years it was the only first-class and popular hostelry at Cambridge Springs. “It is a three-story building with wide corridors and large rooms, furnished with a view to the substantial comfort of its guests, at any season of the year they may be there. It is a hotel where the weary may indeed find rest. No detail has been neglected that could add to its helpfulness in restoring you to perfect health. It’s a homey home with all the benefits of a sanitarium without any of the unpleasant features—a spot for quiet rest and enjoyment. The lobby is a large, comfortably furnished meeting place for guests, well equipped with easy chairs and rockers and tables for writing. The parlor is of ample dimensions, handsomely furnished

and very inviting. There is also a music room, with a great old-fashioned fireplace that bids defiance to cold. This room is finished in natural wood. Large rugs and lounging c...