Obion County, Tennessee Genealogy

Obion TNGenWeb County Coordinator

Obion Epidemics

March 25, 1864, Small-pox:  Nathan Bedford Forrest: The First With The Most by Robert Selph Henry.  Mr. Henry states the following regarding Forrest's attack on Paducah which occurred on March 25, 1864:   "Forrest held the town until nearly midnight and 'could have held it longer' her reported, 'but found the small-pox raging and evacuated the place'."  The source quoted by Mr. Henry is as follows: [O.R., Serial No.57, pp.607, 612.  The report of Colonel Hicks, commanding the defense, is on p. 547.]
1873 Cholera  Marshall, E. H., Obion County History, Pub. H. A. Lanzer Co, Union City TN, ca.1940, p.161   (underlining mine)

Soon after the Civil War the town of Union City, recovering from the war and recouping its fortunes, had reached a population of one thousand people when a general attack of Asiatic cholera took place, breaking out in 1873, when the homes were without plumbing and the inhabitants were supplied from shallow wells, hardly suitable for drinking purposes, but the only source of water supply.  It may not seem strange that under these conditions, half the population fled as refugees to other places.  Of the remainder about one hundred died of the disease, with recovery of perhaps that number.   Many of the good women turned to nursing the sick.  Among the physicians of the time were Drs. Evans, Warterfield  and Harrison, who remained and administered to the patients.  The whole community was in sickness and mourning.  One particular instance of immolation and sacrifice was that of the late Harvey Caldwell, on of the popularconductors on the N.C. & S. L. Ry., who left his work and gave his entire time to the peole of Union City in providing for and rendering all the assistance possible to the sick.  For the fine things accomplished and the valuable assistance rendered, the railroad company recognized his services with generous reward and his choice as conductor of any passenger run on the road.

1885 Small Pox:  Charley Laster Burress (1876-1957) born Obion Chapel and lived there most of his life, in August 1948 wrote an account of the 1885 smallpox epidemic in the community. One family lost five children to the disease. All spelling appears as he wrote them:

Jimmie Evans died on his own farm.
Jim Brewer died on the Fuzzell farm.
Mrs. John Pennell died on the Fuzzell farm.
Willie Easterwood lost five children. Died on Bilbry Roberson farm.
Bas Forster died on Jim Burress and Will Dun farm.
Will Dun lost one child. Died on Burress and Dun farm.
Jim Burress lost one child. Died on Burress and Dun farm.
Anase Dun and his wife died on Burress and Dun farm.
Bill Evans died on Bob Wright farm.
Sialias Crews and one child died on Bob Wright farm.

1899 - Typhoid Fever:  "Crockett Blasingame's children, Mary Clarinda and Myrtle Lee, all died in 1899 (in Obion Co, bur. Mt. Ararat).   The girls died of typhoid fever and Crockett died of pneumonia."  He was married to Mary Elizabeth "Mollie" Kersey.

Aug 30, 1901:  Smallpox "From Hickman Courier Ky, Newspaper, Sept 6, 2001, Turning Back The Clock - 100 Years Ago - Aug 30, 1901:
"Smallpox has developed in Obion County, 4 or 5 miles from Fulton, but it is well under control of Dr. Rippy, and no fears are felt of its spreading."

1905: Flu Epidemic January and February killed both my grandfather Thomas Hutson and grandmother Mariah Hutson a week apart. Hutwood@aol.com

1918 Spanish Influenza   The Map Page indicates it hit NW Tennessee after Oct 5.  What do your death records reflect?

1925 Typhoid Fever:  Luther Clarence Whitley 10/3/1899 - 9/27/1925,  his wife was 20 years old and pregnant with their 3rd child (a son) who was born in February, 1926.  She had a daughter, Ruby age 4 1/2, a son Clyde Alton (Buddy) age 1 1/2.

1657-1918 Epidemics in U.S. - 1657 - 1918