The Huntsville Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1867
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member jhuoni
N 30° 43.607 W 095° 32.823
15R E 256113 N 3402094
Yellow Fever was responsible for the death of approximately 150 residents of Huntsville between August 9 and October 18 of 1867.
Waymark Code: WMY11C
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 03/30/2018
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member QuarrellaDeVil
Views: 2

Yellow Fever epidemic of 1867 receives Texas Historical Marker

By Donna Coffen Walker County Historical Commission Nov 2, 2016

The Texas Historical Commission has recognized the Huntsville yellow fever epidemic of 1867 as a significant part of Walker County and Texas history by awarding it an official Texas historical marker.

Funds for the marker were obtained through a hotel occupancy tax grant. The Walker County Historical Commission prepared the research and application for the marker and will share that information with the public at a marker dedication on Saturday at Oakwood Cemetery.

Oakwood Cemetery is the home to many grave markers from the year 1867 when yellow fever, one of the most dreaded diseases of the time, struck people all across the county. An earlier epidemic occurred in 1853 due to mosquitoes carrying the disease from the Trinity River bottomlands northeast of Huntsville near Cincinnati.

In 1867, a stagecoach passenger who arrived sick from a coastal city, was said to have started the epidemic in Huntsville. Soon after his death on Aug. 9, the disease spread through Huntsville claiming many lives, including those of physicians and caregivers.

The historical marker dedication ceremony will be conducted at Oakwood Cemetery, located in Huntsville at Ninth Street and Avenue I, near the Sam Houston Gravesite, on Saturday at 10 a.m. An outdoor reception at Gillaspie Park, located across the street from Sam Houston’s grave, will follow. The rain site is at the County Museum at Gibbs-Powell House, located at 1228 Eleventh Street at Avenue M.

(visit link)
Marker Number: 18491

Marker Text:

Oakwood Cemetery is home to many grave markers from the year 1867 when yellow fever, one of the most dreaded diseases of the time, struck the county. The disease ravaged many cities across the United States. Texas remained relatively untouched until 1839 when Galveston experienced its first epidemic. As the primary port of entry for shipping from the Caribbean and the rest of the world, Galveston went on to suffer eight more epidemics through 1867. Due to the transportation of goods and people inland, the epidemics spread quickly to other counties in Texas, including Walker County.

The first instance of yellow fever in Walker County occurred in 1853. Mosquitos from the Trinity River bottomlands northeast of Huntsville spread the disease rapidly through nearby Cincinnati. Town doctors did their best, but yellow fever was a relatively new disease in Texas and little was known about it. The second instance came in 1867 when a stagecoach passenger, who arrived sick from a coastal city, stayed at a Huntsville tavern. Soon after his death on August 9, the disease spread through Huntsville, claiming many lives. Many residents panicked and fled town, but many also stayed to tend to the sick. Those who had previously contracted the disease appeared to be immune. Many of the African Americans of Huntsville nursed the sick due to what was perceived as a low susceptibility to the disease. In September, the Howard Association of Galveston sent five experienced nurses and a doctor to aid the struggling doctors of Huntsville. Due to the epidemic, in all, approximately 10 percent of the 1500 residents of Huntsville died between August 9 and October 18 of 1867. (2016)

Marker is Property of the State of Texas.


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