Smallpox Outbreak Hits Alder Street
Two women are quarantined and moved to the city pest house as officials scramble to contain a sudden infection in a residential neighborhood.
Two cases of smallpox were discovered yesterday in the residence of Mrs. X. E. Righter, on Alder, near Ninth street. The victims, identified as Lizzie Faxon and Alice Barron, will be removed to the pest house this morning. The residence was placed under strict quarantine restrictions last evening by health authorities.
“Lizzie Faxon and Alice Barron were the victims, and both will be removed to the pest house this morning.”
Quarantine measures were the primary tool for public health control in 1891 Seattle. The fear of contagion, especially in growing urban districts, often led to swift, heavy-handed local government interventions.
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