Early Life and Family
The Sloan family emigrated from Ireland in the early nineteenth century following the American Revolution; Earl's father settled in Venango County, Pennsylvania.
The family home was a small log house on Sandusky Street in Zanesfield. Earl's father was a horse harness maker, who served as a pioneer veterinary surgeon for central Ohio, and he bought and sold horses for the army during the Civil War. He had a certain ability with horses and spent as much time caring for animals as he did in mending saddles. From a formula reportedly given to him by the Indians (though this is uncertain), Andrew made a strong-smelling brown concoction that was applied to horses' shoulders when they stiffened from the spring ploughing. The formula grew to be in great demand in the area.
Andrew Sloan pursued his skill with healing animals until he was a self-taught veterinarian, becoming known as the "Village Vet" and "Doc Sloan." A notice that appeared in the Logan County Gazette on September 6, 1856 advertised:
Dr. Andrew Sloan takes this method of informing his old friends, who have so liberally patronized him for many years, that he is now prepared to practice as a Veterinary Surgeon, and will attend to any call in his profession in Logan and adjoining counties. Dr. S. professes to cure Poll Evil, Spavin, Splints, Curb, Callous, Sweney, Shoulder-jam, or any other disease, external or internal. So bring on your cripples. Residence at Zanesfield.
ANDREW SLOAN.
N.B. Dr Sloan is prepared to furnish stable or pasture for horses from a distance. Medicines of all sorts furnished, and prescriptions given. - Charges reasonable.
Earl attended school in Zanesfield's old school building, directly across the street from his home. He did not attend more than the elementary grades, but did learn to read and developed a great appreciation for books.
Townspeople recalled that Earl was mischievous as a youth and objected to the nickname "Spider" that was attached to him for reasons unknown.
Under the tutelage of Frank Pope, Earl also became a harness-maker, beginning his apprenticeship at the age of fifteen.
Read more about this topic: Earl Sloan
Famous quotes containing the words early, life and/or family:
“Early education can only promise to help make the third and fourth and fifth years of life good ones. It cannot insure without fail that any tomorrow will be successful. Nothing “fixes” a child for life, no matter what happens next. But exciting, pleasing early experiences are seldom sloughed off. They go with the child, on into first grade, on into the child’s long life ahead.”
—James L. Hymes, Jr. (20th century)
“It seems to be a law in American life that whatever enriches us anywhere except in the wallet inevitably becomes uneconomic.”
—Russell Baker (b. 1925)
“The family environment in which your children are growing up is different from that in which you grew up. The decisions our parents made and the strategies they used were developed in a different context from what we face today, even if the “content” of the problem is the same. It is a mistake to think that our own experience as children and adolescents will give us all we need to help our children. The rules of the game have changed.”
—Lawrence Kutner (20th century)