Neighbors Shun Sick Family During Fever Outbreak
A community's fear of contagion leads to the isolation of a grieving family in Oakesdale.
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.
An incident which seems almost incredible occurred within three miles of Oakesdale recently. The infant child of James Clark was taken ill with scarlet fever. The neighbors, fearing to contract the disease themselves, refused or neglected to assist the Clark family. The child grew worse and died. The heart-broken father and mother prepared the body of their darling babe for burial and buried it alone upon the farm. Their sorrow was made doubly bitter by the treatment they received from their supposed friends and neighbors, and to cap the climax their other two children were stricken with the disease. Dr. Gaines, of Oakesdale, is attending the remaining two children and says they are now out of danger.
“The heart-broken father and mother prepared the body of their darling babe for burial, and buried it alone upon the farm.”
This story highlights the intense social stigma and fear that accompanied infectious outbreaks in the late 19th century. It mirrors the modern psychological struggle of community versus individual isolation during health crises, though today's public health systems provide more structured support than the tragic abandonment described here.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.