The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-03-26
FEARFUL VISITATION OF
CHOLERA IN KENOSHA IN
THE SUMMER OLE 1850.

The following account of the cholera
in Kenosha in the summer of 1850 was
written for the TELEGRAPH over three
and q half years ago, compiled from
. papers and documents bearing date at
the period mentioned. disqualification
has been deferred to the present time
for no particular reasons.
The first visitation Of cholera in
KenOsha was in the summer of 1S49.
There were only three, cases, all near
the foot of Market street, near the
lake; one of these was Mr.. Fitch, a
man of some prominence.
On the 2Sth of July, 1850, the cholera
broke out near the foot Of Market
street in the same locality where it
first appeared the previous year. Two
deaths occurred on that day, both
strangers, who died at the Trant house
"a building which disappeared many
years ago From the date of the first
cases Of cholera that year, the disease
did rot abate until about the goth of
August More than two-thirds of the
deaths were on Market street, east of
Exchange street. 1t must be remark
ed at that time Market street was
quite compactly built up from Elk
change street to the lake, and on this
entire portion not less than one death
occurred in every house, with but one
exception; in some Of the houses there
were several deaths.
No adequate idea can be given of Ii e
general panic which prevailed il the
city-all was CONSERVATION and alarm.
The Board of Health consisted of Col.
M. Frank, Gen. John Bullen and Hon.
Samuel Hale. DR.. Shelton was APP
pointed city physician. The members
of the Board of Health were kept busy
from morning until night 1t so hap
pened that large proportion of the
sick belonged to the poorer classes,
many of them strangers, and therefore
the greater need of their being looked
after.
Fora more full understanding of
the distressed condition of the cholera
sufferers, individual cases will be de-
scribed, not in the order Of their occur
renee, but promlscuously. On pleas
ant afternoon about o'clock the
Mayor was notified a man was sick
with cholera at the fremont House.
(This was a hotel located near where
Grant 4 Sons lumber office now stands. J
The Mayor, with DR.. Shelton, imme-
diately proceeded to the hotel; man
(stranger) was lying on the bar-room
floor, apparently unconscious. DR.. s.
pronounced the man past hope and he
was left to die. On passing into the
hotel dining room, long table was
seen ready spread, awaiting the eatables
to be brought in. No sound of voice
OF footsteps was heard; the servants
had fed. If there were any inmates
remaining in the house it was not as
certained. The boarders must have
taken their meals elsewhere that even.
ing. AT little later hour hearse
came with cheap coffin and carried
the dead man to the cemetery,
On Pearl street, in the old Kenosha-
Cope House" which had in early times
been occupied as tavern, an old man
and his wife lived in small wing of
the building. The man was nearly
blind; when he went out on the street
he was obliged to feel his way with his
cane. He had been placed on the poor
list by the city. Word was brought
the Mayor that the wife was sick with
ohola,,o. On uainU RI Ahic ahnda of