Dr. Robert Clarke Allen
Dr. Bob, as he was affectionately called by many in Glendale, practiced medicine for 52 years beginning in 1907. He was born in 1886. His maternal grandfather was John Titus, one of the founders of Christ Episcopal Church. He was named for Robert Clarke. His choice of career may have been shaped by the fact that his father Clifford and Uncle Henry were druggists and Clifford Allen also served as the Village’s Health Officer. Also Dr. Allen lived next door to Dr. Shepherd as a boy and was said to have often talked with the Doctor. Dr. Heady was also an influence.
After attending the Miami Valley Medical College, Dr. Alllen interned at a hospital in Dayton, KY followed by an apprenticeship with Dr. Heady in Glendale. He was 21 years old when he opened his medical office at 16 Village Square where Ray Schatzman had his hardware store. It consisted of a waiting room, a consulting room and a lavatory. Mr. Walter Schatzman is said to have said with pride, “I did the plumbing.”
Three years later he married Alice Merrill also from Glendale. Shortly after they purchased their house on 845 Greenville Avenue and later moved the doctor’s office to the house. They raised three sons in the house, Bill, Clifford and Tom. Office calls were 50 cents, house calls $1. Dr. Bob was said to dispense whatever medication was needed from his bag.
Connecting with a doctor was not easy. Telephones became available which helped somewhat, but a lot of people did not have phones. There might be one phone in an area and several neighbors used it. Dr. Bob would himself check in on the phone and leave word about how he could be reached. Dr. Bob’s son Bill said that the telephone was the most important thing in the house. Life actually revolved around this instrument and the calls that came in on it. Dr. Bob responded at once to messages he deemed urgent, whether they came day or night, in the midst of a meal or during a social gathering. Once, such a call came from a woman who called screaming that her husband was dying. Dr. Bob quietly replied that he’d been dying before, but he went nevertheless.
Initially not able to afford a horse and buggy he walked to his patients. He eventually did acquire the buggy and the horse which was named Babe. Babe took good care of Dr. Bob. One story relates how Dr. Bob fell asleep with the reins in his hands after staying with a patient most of the night. He woke with a start as a caboose of a freight train whooshed by. Babe had stopped at the crossing stop and waited patiently while Dr. Bob slept. As Dr. Bob’s horse grew old and his practice expanded, he bought a second hand Maxwell, but when the Maxwell wouldn’t run, he could still count on Babe.
