One of my passions is historical research. When I came into possession of the historical archive at work, I enjoyed digging through the old photos and coming up with #TBT posts for social media. One of the best performing posts was a link to a very important figure in women’s history that we posted as part of Women’s History Month.

M. Nettie Gable (right) was Chambersburg Hospital’s first nurse when the hospital opened in 1895. The only nurse on duty, she was occasionally assisted by a practical nurse in treating the 30 patients the hospital served in the first year. She would later become the hospital’s superintendent.
She is pictured with Lavinia Dock, a nurse, author and pioneer in nursing education, as well as a devoted suffragist and social activist. She was an assistant superintendent at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and lived in the Chambersburg area for part of her life. She helped form what is today the National League of Nursing and was inducted to the Nursing Hall of Fame in 1976.