Gainesboro cholera outbreak of 1850

In July of 1850 (one source reports it began on the 17th"Epidemics". Yeahpot.com. n.d. Web. Accessed 24 June 2015.), an outbreak of cholera struck the town of Gainesboro. At that time, the causes of disease were not well-understood. Residents came up with two theories about the source of the disease:
#The recent filling-in of a deep gully running through the town, and the construction of a system of drains, may have altered the town's water supply.
#A prisoner, recently transported from Nashville to the local jail, brought the disease with him.
The prisoner's name is unknown, all that is known is that he was the first victim, he was released while still sick, but survived. While still incarcerated, he came into contact with Dave Gipson, a slave owned by the jailkeeper William Gipson. Dave was soon found seriously ill in a cornfield, and was brought to town for care, where he died.
In total, eleven victims, listed below, perished. An unknown number contracted the disease but survived. At the first signs of an epidemic, the citizens of Gainesboro fled, leaving only a few people behind to watch over the town, including Joseph and Elizabeth Eaton, William Sparkman, and T.G. Settle, who were left in charge of all the keys to the businesses.Dixon in Dixie. "Joseph Eaton". Findagrave.com. 22 May 2008. Web. Accessed 24 June 2015.
In the fall, after the first frost, the townspeople judged it safe to return. They found the streets grown up with grass and weeds.Jones, Christine Spivey. Jackson County, Tennessee: History from Many Sources, Volume 1. Indiana University Libraries, 1983.
==List of fatalities==
*Dave Gipson (slave of William Gipson)
*William Hare
*Nep Montgomery
*______ Salee
*Mary Ann Salee
*Sallie Cowan
*Hense Cowan
*Robert Cowan
*J. Kenner (slave of Dr. W.R. Kenner)
*Harriet Kinnaird (slave of Russell M. Kinnaird)
*Josie Young
==References==
Category:Gainesboro
Category:Jackson County healthcare
Category:Disease