Erie's History and Memorabilia

Hamot Hospital was founded as the Hamot Hospital Association on February 7, 1881. The hospital was named after Pierre Simon Vincent Hamot, a successful French businessman who had settled in Erie in the early 19th century and became an active member of the community. Following his death in 1846, his children and grandchildren donated the Hamot Homestead for use as a general hospital. Hamot’s heirs, on the ninth day of April, 1881, conveyed to the association a large building on a lot of land that measured 216 x 165 x 106 feet along State, Front and Second street. The valuation of the property at that time was placed at $12,000. Quickly organized and managed by the first nurse hired by the hospital, Irene Sutleff, the hospital opened its doors to the public on July 1, 1881, and Dr. David Hayes Strickland treated its first patient, who was admitted on July 10, 1881. That same year, Hamot begun providing medical treatment to the area’s sailors through the Marine Hospital Servi

In the late 1860s the ownership of the peninsula changed hands. From the time Erie became incorporated in 1805 the peninsula had been jointly owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the City of Erie. The City assumed the right to regulate the use of the peninsula, and forbade the logging of trees and the harvesting of wild cranberries, with the intent to make the peninsula a nature preserve. In 1867 the Pennsylvania Legislature granted the Marine Hospital of Pennsylvania a very large piece of land on Presque Isle known as the Garrison Tract, and appropriated funds for the construction of a hospital on the site. In 1869, taking it a step further, the legislature granted the Marine Hospital complete control and supervision of the entire peninsula. The State claimed that the Town Council of Erie had neglected management and supervision of Presque Isle by limiting the generation of revenue from the land. The city fathers and citizens of Erie were outraged about this. However, there