The rain cleared long enough on Mother’s Day weekend to hold the DuBois Area Historical Society’s 15th Spring Walk in dry conditions.
Twenty-nine people participated in the walk held on Main Street in DuBois. Two walks were conducted, led by Society members Tom and Ginny Schott.
Many of the homes and businesses along Main Street were occupied in the past by people who were instrumental in the growth and development of DuBois. Among the people to be discussed are: one of the city father’s John Rumbarger, his son William Rumbarger, Dr. Wilson Smathers, Dr. Charles Sullivan, DuBois Brewery founder Frank Hahne, Swift Kennedy and Company founder Patrick Swift, William Moore, Syrian born Ameen Damus, Shankel’s Pharmacy founder Joseph Shankel, and department store owner Fred Tamler.
Also pointed out for special attention was the former Simon Dahrouge store and the Nelson House. The current owners of the Nelson House granted permission for the walk to originate in its parking lot.
One of the most unique bits of information discovered during researching the Main Street buildings concerned #2 South Main Street. The present site of Roses on Main was in 1921 the location of DuBois’ Tuberculosis Dispensary. Tuberculosis, known as TB, the “white death”, or historically “consumption” was an infectious disease caused by bacteria. Symptoms included a chronic cough with blood-containing mucus. The disease was usually fatal and could be spread from one person to another through the air.