A Compassionate Life Cut Short by Smallpox
A dedicated social worker dies after contracting the disease while visiting a local house of charity.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Mrs. Edward C. Damon died of smallpox at her residence, 223 Ninth street, last evening. The remains were hermetically sealed in a casket and buried in Lake View cemetery. The case is peculiarly sad, as Mrs. Damon undoubtedly contracted the disease while visiting unfortunate women at Mrs. Ryther’s house. Mrs. Damon’s maiden name was Amy C. Ryther. She was the daughter of Noble K. Ryther, and was born September 9, 1869, at Mount Alger, Iowa. In November, 1881, her parents removed to this city, where she married Edward Damon, son of the Rev. John F. Damon, December 30, 1887. Their union was blessed with two children, Gladys and Ruth, the former of whom died when two years old. Mrs. Damon was a member of the Plymouth Congregational church, and a zealous worker in the cause of humanity. She leaves a husband who is honored among the business men of Seattle.
“She was a zealous worker in the cause of humanity, she had a large circle of friends, who will miss from their number one who was womanly in every action.”
This tragedy highlights the stark reality of public health in the 1890s, where charitable contact with vulnerable populations—often stigmatized as 'unfortunate women'—could lead to fatal outcomes. It serves as a grim reminder of how social reform efforts in early Seattle were inextricably linked to the physical risks of an under-sanitized city.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.