Many trolley suburbs came about because developers built lines to attract residents. For Cleveland Heights the process was somewhat more complex. The first trolley to the region came for a slightly different reason. Dr. Nathan Hardy Ambler (1824 – 1888) was a Cleveland dentist who went into real estate development. This, in turn, led him, in 1880, to create a health care resort/sanitarium, based on the supposed medical benefits of mineral water. In those days, such “health resorts” were popular vacation spots for those who could afford them and, if nothing else, gave folks a chance to get out of the city. Ambler’s Blue Rock Spring House, was located in Cleveland’s Cedar Glen, and operated until 1908. It became quite popular, so much so that a trolley line was extended to the facility.

After Ambler’s death, his business partner, Daniel Caswell, along with Dr. Ambler’s nephew, William Ambler, continued to develop the property. In 1900, the two laid out what now is the exclusive Ambler Heights neighborhood overlooking Cedar Glen. It was connected to downtown Cleveland by Patrick Calhoun’s street railway extension, and the two together became the stimulus for further development.

Next week, we will look at the next stage of that development and the associated trolley lines.

Pictures: 1) Dr. Nathan Ambler, Cleveland Heights Historical Society. 2) Cedar Glen, 1893, Cleveland Memory Project, Cleveland State University Library. 3) Early view of Ambler Heights, Cleveland Heights Historical Society.