| I had a different topic scheduled for the March blog, but due to recent events I thought you would be interested in reading about how epidemics were handled over a hundred years ago, with both similarities and differences to today’s pandemic. To read other posts about local history, visit my web site here: https://www.patcamallierebooks.com |
The article that follows is excerpted from The History & Anecdotes of Lemont, Illinois, 6th Edition, that I revised in 2016. For information about ordering the Lemont Historical Society publication see below.
“In November of 1903, a small group of armed farmers from DuPage and Will Counties encircled Lemont and Lemont Township, refusing to allow anyone to enter or leave the area. The township was cordoned off to the outside world, while vigilante groups stopped terrified refugees from the town and turned them back on threat of death. Only foodstuffs and medical personnel were allowed to enter the village and township. Dissatisfied with the lack of any effective public health action by the local authorities, this drastic move was the only way they knew to control the spread of smallpox that had plagued Lemont since the middle of October.
“The rumors and whispered fears started around October 20, when a worker at quarry No. 6, who had been very ill, broke out in a rash. After visiting him, Dr. Fitzpatrick, who tended most of the quarry workers, had stationed someone in front of the patient’s home, allowing no one to enter or leave. Soon the frightening word “smallpox” began to creep into conversations.
“Dr. Fitzpatrick was evasive when his patients tried to get information, but he did explain the early symptoms of the disease for all who asked: very high fever, headache, weakness, upset stomach, backache, and leg pains. He added that isolation and vaccination were the best means to control the disease.”
However, Lemont’s mayor at the time, Otto Earnshaw, disagreed, saying “It is only a case of chicken pox, and we are just instituting normal precautions.”
“…soon others became ill with a rash that appeared on the third or fourth day of the illness. The rash started with a red spot that became raised, filled with a fluid, and crusted over. When the crust came off, often a scar remained. This process, from the red spot to the crust, took about a week.”
Old timers knew the signs of smallpox, and knew what was infecting Lemont’s residents was certainly not chicken pox.
As more and more cases developed, Mayor Earnshaw and Township Supervisor Joe Starshak placed Dr. Fitzpatrick for the village and Dr. Leahy for the township in charge of the “health problem.” They were told they could decide the fee for their services once the emergency was over.
“Dr. Fitzpatrick had the bulk of the work, as the village was hit harder than the township. He demanded that all cases be strictly isolated, with guards posted at the homes, and that the Board of Health and the county authorities be notified of the epidemic.
“The mayor was reluctant to take such drastic measures. It would severely hurt business if word got out that Lemont was having a serious outbreak of smallpox. Farmers would ship from other towns and not come to town to buy goods. He and Supervisor Starshak reasoned that the disease was fairly mild and the epidemic would probably end soon.
“This attitude angered Dr. Fitzpatrick, who was frustrated and tired. In ten days, he had cared for three hundred cases and saw the outbreak as a serious health problem, so he quit the job as health officer and went back to caring for sick patients. In his place, Dr. Leahy accepted full control of the village and township
“Meanwhile, the farmers began their siege. They were determined to prevent the spread of the disease. The siege lasted ten weeks through bitter cold weather… Some Lemonters were angry. It was suggested that the siege was an attempt by DuPage and Will County towns to get the local farm shipment and trade, but most of the townspeople understood the fear that initiated the vigilante action.
“Finally…the County Board of Health was notified and medical help was sent… Fifty special deputies were sworn in to guard quarantined homes. The very things Dr. Fitzpatrick had requested were done at last.
“The epidemic began to wane in late December, and by the first week in January no new cases were reported. In all, about 450 people contracted the disease…No fatal cases were reported, but about one-half of the victims had permanent pox scarring.”
The population of Lemont was around 2500 at that time.
“On January 7, 1904, the farmers, satisfied that the disease was under control, lifted the siege and commerce flowed in and out of Lemont once more.”
In January Drs. Fitzpatrick and Leahy presented their bills, which were disputed by Village and Township Boards. Dr. Fitzpatrick’s bill was $18 per case for 300 cases, Dr. Leahy’s $57 per case for 100 cases. The contentious handling of the epidemic and bills resulted in the Village and Township Boards being swept out of office in the next election.
“Lemont experienced a form of smallpox called Alastrim, a relatively mild form of the disease which was introduced into the state with the return of the troops from the Spanish-American War. From 1899 through the spring of 1904, it was widespread throughout Illinois. Lemont was lucky, however, because in the fall of 1904 the character of the disease changed and returned to a more virulent type with a death rate of 22 percent of all persons affected. Lemont’s epidemic had the effect of naturally immunizing a large part of the unvaccinated population against smallpox, because infection with Alastrim conferred the same immunity as if the patient had had the more virulent form of smallpox.”
For those of you who are interested in purchasing your own copy of History & Anecdotes of Lemont, Illinois, copies are available at the Lemont Historical Society and Smokey Row Antiques. You can also purchase copies on Amazon, and a Kindle edition is also available. All proceeds, both local and Amazon purchases, benefit the Historical Society.
Fascinating read. Thank you.