Smallpox 1881

“The virus which causes smallpox is contagious and spreads through person-to-person contact and saliva droplets in an infected person’s breath. It has an incubation period of between 7 and 17 days after exposure and only becomes infectious once the fever develops. A distinctive rash appears two to three days later. The most infectious period is during the first week of illness, although a person with smallpox is still infectious until the last scabs fall off. The speed of smallpox transmission is generally slower than for such diseases as measles or chickenpox. Patients spread smallpox primarily to household members and friends because by the time patients are contagious, they are usually sick and stay in bed.” (World Health Organization)

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In 1881 it was customary for two-mast schooners to come up from Chicago and anchor off the western shore of Grand Traverse Bay between Traverse City and Northport. Men would then use canoes to transport wood and other goods from the beach to the schooners.

Two such schooners were the Helen Pratt and the Perry Bronson. Unknown to the Natives two men were exposed to smallpox while loading these schooners and brought the disease back to Peshawbestown were it spread quickly.


The Helen Pratt

The Michigan Department of Health Annual Report, 1882, does not name these men and neither the Leelanau county death records or the Michigan death records list any deaths in Bingham township for October of 1881. However two white men, brothers Frank Foster and Jay Foster died in Kasson township on Oct. 26^th and Nov. 1^st of small pox.

From "The Inter Ocean" Chicago, Illinois, 17 Nov 1881, page 2

In a letter dated Nov. 20, Dr. L.F. Ingersoll, health officer of Bingham Township, Leelanau County stated that once he was informed on Oct. 18 that a death had occurred and “that the deceased had a peculiar breaking out” he went to investigate.

"I gave instruction to have the dead interred immediately, and the house thoroughly disinfected. The other case is still living, isolated. The school suspended, and the same evening a meeting of the board called to decide on what steps to purse. As a result of that meeting I was instructed to vacciante every man, woman and child in this township. I commenced with the Indians, and have nearly completed my work in the town. Notices were printed and posted in different localities, informing the public that travel was not permissible through the village. In order that isolation might be more complete, a man was stationed at the village and provision for all the Indians supplied from this place, no Indian from that section being allowed to leave. A great many had been exposed before it was known that the dread disease had made its appearance, and as Indians are of a wandering nature, some of the exposed ones had carried the contagion into the interior, and across the bay, as shown by the disease making its appearance in two other ports of this county. Of those exposed thirty-three have contracted the disease, and eighteen have died." [Michigan Dept. of Health – Annual Report, 1882, page 416]


From the "Emmet County Independent" 22 Nov 1881:

"Week before last, Father Zorn, the Catholic priest, returned from Grand Traverse county, where he had been called upon to attend members of his church who had the small pox. He was taken sick Sunday, and on Tuesday last developed unmistakable signs of the small pox. As soon as the facts were made known a special meeting of the village [Harbor Springs] council was held, and it was determined to take stringent measures to prevent the spread of the disease. The schools were ordered closed for two weeks, and all public meetings prohibited. all persons who had been exposed were ordered quarantined, and the marshal was instructed to arrest any who appeared upon the streets. Vaccine virus [i.e., smallpox material] was obtained at once and all persons who had been in the slightest manner exposed were vaccinnated [sic].To still further lessen the liability of the spreading of the disease the Indians were advised to leave town and go upon their homesteads at once, and a large proportion of them have done so. It is confidently expected that by the adoption of these precautions the spread of the disease will be entirely prevented, although it is possible that one or two of the Indian nurses may have taken the contagion. There is no danger whatsoever of the disease becoming epidemic, and there is every reason to believe that, as in several other towns of this region where the disease has appeared, there will be but one or two cases. Some were disposed to condemn the council for becoming frightened without sufficient cause; but all will admit that in such matters an excess of caution is preferable. Father Zorn having been vaccinnated [sic] years ago has only the varioloid, and is already recovering.   [Transcription by Art Dembinski]

Dr. Ingersoll's next letter, dated Dec. 5, states twenty-four have died and thirty-two are convalescent.

"The close of the outbreak was reported by Dr. Ingeroll on Jan. 1, 1882 as follows: -- Small-pox has ceased spreading at last, the thorough vaccination having headed it off. Thorough disinfection has been accomplished, and yesterday bedding and clothing were furnished those who have been afflicted with the disease. All clothing and bedding has been burned. Also several houses that had sheltered a great many of the sick and were difficult of disinfection have been burned." [Michigan Dept. of Health – Annual Report, 1882, page 417

Bingham township small pox deaths were reported to the Leelanau county clerk.

page 163:

16 Dec Louis Wabawonnago, age 38 years, 9 months,, son of Francis and Agatha

4 Dec William Sha a waki, age 6 years, 2 months, son of Peter and Margaretha

29 Nov Joseph Naquam, age 2 years, 7 months, son of Charles and Mary Ann

page 164:

10 Nov girl, age 4 months, parents not given

16 Nov Charles Naquan, age 25 years, 1 month, son of John and Mary Naquam

27 Nov Michael Kabian, age 28 years, 9 months, son of Joseph and Margaretha

-- Dec Moses Pjiquoewidong age 25 years, 1 month, parents unknown

27 Nov Mary Ann Kingbirth, age 7 years 1 month, daughter of John and Louisa
[her cause of death is unknown].

20 Nov Selina Blackman, age 13 years 2 months daughter of Joseph and Mary

24 Nov Mary Ann Blackman, age 8 years, 4 months, daughter of Joseph and Mary

23 Dec Michael Nanago, age 12 years, 3 months, son of Peter and Lucy

31 Dec Moses Nanago, age 10 years, 5 months, son of Peter and Lucy

20 Dec Agatha Nanago, age 8 years, 2 months, daughter of Peter and Lucy

19 Dec Hubert Nanago, age 6 years, 6 months, son of Peter and Lucy

24 Dec Julius Nanago, age 2 years, 2 months, son of Peter and Lucy

30 Nov Wabaquam, age 49 years, 7 months, parents unknown

5 Nov Joseph Kessawaby, age 16 years, son of Joseph and Mary Ann

18 Nov Mary Nanago, age 11 years and 5 months, daughter of Joseph and Mary Ann

21 Nov Steven Keshebanasy, age 18 years, 9 months, son of Louis and Catherine

20 Nov Mary Ann Keshebanasy, age 14 years, 6 month, daughter of Louis and Catherine

page 165:

27 Nov Francis Kesb...anasky age 7 years, 2 months, son of Louis and Catherine Keshebanchy

30 Nov Joseph Blackman, age 39 years, son of John and Mary

14 Nov Agnes Blackman, age 15year 4 months, daughter of Joseph and Mary

14 Nov Margaretha Blackman, age 1 day, daughter of Joseph and Mary

14 Nov Willliam Banachy, age 37 years, 9 months, son of Joseph and Mary Benachy

16 Nov Jacob Benachy, age 2 years, 1 month, son of William and Mary

18 Nov Mary Pontiac, age 16 years, 5 months, daughter of Louis and Angelique

16 Nov Enis (no last name given), age 6 months, son of unknown

20 Nov Mary Smook, age 2 years, 1 month, daughter of John and Elizabeth

23 Nov Joseph Chippeway, age 66 years, 6 months, son of Joseph and Mary Ann

21 Nov Louis Chipeway, age 22 years, 7 months, son of Joseph and Mary Ann

26 Nov Daniel Agoshy, age 70 years, 4 years, parents deceased

28 Nov Mary Ann Agoshy, age 68 years, 3 months, parents deceased

30 Nov Joseph Burd, age 12 years, 9 months, 9 days, son of William and Elizabeth

14 Dec Michael Agoshy, age 38 years, 11 months, son of Daniel and Mary Ann

16 Dec George Agoshy, age 12 years, 5 months, son of Daniel and Mary Ann

10 Dec John Kenwaqueonqua, age 38 years, 1 month, son of John and Mary Ann

8 Dec Sophia Kenwequenqua, 26 yers, 8 months, daughter of Daniel and Mary Ann

11 Dec Mary Ann Kenwequenqua, age 9 years, 2 months, daughter of Daniel and Mary Ann

10 Dec unnamed female, age 7 years, 6 months, daughter of Daniel and Mary Ann

10 Dec unnamed, age 10 days, child of Daniel and Mary Ann

William Thomson, supervisor of Milton township, Antrim county reported on Dec. 12, 1881.

"The infection was brought to this township by an Indian from Sutton's Bay, Leelanaw county, Michigan. The number of deaths is 10, and the number of cases is 12. There are no cases at present in the township. A quarantine has been established within the township, 1 1/2 miles from any public highway, where all parties that have been exposed to the disease are now. Communication is made by a bulletin board. A disinfectant has been used quite extensively amongst the Indians; sulphur has been used. I think they have been used with good results. [Michigan Dept. of Health – Annual Report, 1882 pages 392-393]

In Kewadin smallpox started with John Smoke and in 3 1/2 weeks took his entire family.

John Smoke, age 30, died 20 Oct. (listed as single)

Ma-ge-nah, age 25, died 10 Nov, wife of John Smoke, listed as married

Lucy Smoke, age 3, died 14 Nov, daughter of John Smoke and Ma-ge-nah

Madeline Smoke, age 10 days, died 14 Nov, daughter of John Smoke and Ma-ge-nah

Mary Smoke, age 11, died 15 Nov, daughter of John Smoke and Ma-ge-nah

Next to die:

Samuel, age 5, died 15 Nov, son of Noch-we-ge-sick

Oh-me-quay, age 30, died 24 Nov, single

Mary No-pe-nee-quay, age 50, died 25 Nov, single

Aiken, age 42, died 1 Dec, married

Julia Aiken, age 9, died 1 Dec, daughter of Aiken

Me-shaw-n-qua, age 50, died 2 Dec, married

Na-ah-te-no-quay, age 48, 20 Dec, married

Ce-me-mah,go-quah, age 95, 21 Dec, married

The Elk Rapids newspapers of the time were slow to report.

Nov 4, 1881 "The Indian who was reported to have had the small pox died on Friday. It has been pronounced no to be small pox but the result of sleeping among poison ivy"

Nov 25, 1881 "A case of small pox has been reported at Indian Town. Every precaution has been taken to prevent its spread"

Dec 2, 1881 "Ten Indians have died of small-pox at Indian Town, and those that have been exposed to the disease are kept away from the others."

Dec 2, 1888 "The small-pox is creating considerable excitement among the Indians and they are scattering in all directions. No white person has had the disease yet, and precautions are being wisely taken.

Whoever reported that there was small-pox in this village [Elk Rapids] to the State Board of Health did it maliciously or else he did not know much about the geography of his own town. All the cases that are known of in the county have been in Milton township."

Dec 23, 1881 "Phy Bailey vaccinated 54 Indians at Deroucher's and it worked on 53. All that could be done, has been, to alleviate the sufferings of the Indians there, and to prevent the spread of the disease"

Frances Blackman and Dr. Horace W. Nelson wrote to George Lee on 9 Nov 1881

Original

George Lee in turn wrote to Hon. H. Price (Commissioner of Indian Affairs) 9 Nov 1881 including the above letters.

Original

W. H. Nelson (same as Dr. Horace W. Nelson) wrote to George Lee on 16 Nov 1881.

 

 

 

Geo. W. Lee wrote to Hon H. Price on 23 Nov 1881 regarding Dr. Nelson's letter.

Geo. Lee to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs 23 Nov 1881

Original 

Geo. Lee to H. Price, dated 19 Dec 1881.

Original

The letter of Dr. Nelson names the following deaths:
Mitchel Agosa, his father, mother and grandchild, Joe Blackman,  a brother of Andrew Chippewa, and a female in the Nannegon family.

Death records show:
Joseph Blackman died 30 Nov; daughters Margaretha born 13 Nov, died 14 Nov, Agnes, died 14 Nov.; Selina, died 20 Nov. and Mary Ann, died 24 Nov.

Michael Agosa died 14 Dec, his father Daniel and mother Mary both died 28 Nov., his brother George also died 14 Dec. Michael's children were young themselves, therefore no grandchild.

Lewis Chippewa, brother of Andrew, died 21 Nov.

Peter Nanego lost the following children: Hubert, 19 Dec; Agnes, 20 Dec, Michael, 23 Dec, Julius, 24 Dec, and Moses, 31 Dec.

Grace Hooper's Pioneer Notes gives this [incorrect] story of smallpox in Kewadin. "On fall a ship came to Traverse City and put ashore a man with small pox. The man sat by the old dock eating when Wa-qua-see, an Indian, passed by. The man gave the Indian some of his food. Next morning the man was found between two lumber piles, frozen to death. In a short time, the Indian came to Kewadin, stopping at several tepees to visit. The next day he died. He had stopped at Jacob Sogod's. There, a relative became sick and Jacob took care of him, but did not become sick for he had swallowed som of the fluid of the skunk mixed with herbs. This kept the sickness away. Had the others known this sickness was coming, they could have stopped it, but about fifty people died. Some bodies were buried, but some whole families were left unburied. Small pox had swept the village like a plague."

Michigan Dept. of Health – Annual Report, 1882

page 416

LEELANAW COUNTY.

Dr. S. J. Hutchinson, of Northport. reported, Nov. 6, small-pox in Leelanaw township, where it had been contracted from Bingham township, where it had been prevailing some time. The health officer of Bingham township, Dr. L. F. Ingersoll, was immediately asked to report it, and the following, dated.

Nov. 20, is his reply:—
Your communication arrived yesterday, and I take this early opportunity of replying to

the inquiries contained therein.
October 18 I was informed by an Indian that a death had occurred at Pashawba town, an Indian

village four miles north of this place, and that the deceased had a peculiar breaking out.
It became my duty, as health officer, to investigate, so I repaired thither, taking with me the

supervisor of the township. I found what I suspected, that the Indian had died from small-pox,

and also that another Indian was affected in a similar manner. I found that these two Indians

were engaged in loading a schooner near Traverse City, where they were, without at the time

knowing it, exposed to the disease.

I gave instruction to have the dead interred immediately, and the house thoroughly disinfected.

The other case is still living, isolated. The school suspended, and the same evening a meeting of the board called to decide on what steps to pursue. As a result of that meeting I was instructed to vaccinate every man, woman and child in this township. I commenced with the Indians, and have nearly completed my work in the town. Notices were printed and posted in different localties, informing the public that travel was not permissible through the village. In order that isolalation might be more complete, a man was stationed at the village and provision for all the Indians supplied from this place, no Indian from that section being allowed to leave. A great many had been exposed before it was known that the dread disease had made its appearance, and as Indians are of a wandering nature, some of the exposed ones had carried the contagion into the interior, and across the bay, as shown by the disease making its appearance in two other ports of this county. Of those exposed thirty-three have contracted the disease, and eighteen have died. It has been impossible for me, as yet, to get names and ages correct, but I hope to do so soon, and will forward the same to you. If we have been derelict in our duty please inform me. We, as the board of health of Bingham township, have discharged our duty to the best of our ability, and if we have erred it is through ignorance, and any suggestion will be gratefully received and acted

upon.

Dr. Ingersoll was informed that the board of health of Bingham had been neglectful of its duty in not informing this Board at once, on Oct. 18, of the existence of small-pox in that township. He was also asked regarding the name, nature, port of departure, etc., of the vessel from which the Indians first contracted the disease. His reply is as follows, dated Dec. 5, 1881

Your favor is at hand and so far as is in my power I will satisfy your inquiries. For two weeks
previous to the development of the disease (small-pox) in the two Indians who first died, they
were engaged in loading the Perry Bronson and Helen Pratt, respectively. They are schooners,
and came from Chicago and were loaded at different points between Northport and Traverse
City. They were loaded from the beach by Indians, as is the custom here, the wood, etc., being
transported in canoes from land to the vessels, so it cannot be said that the vessels came to any
particular port.

There was developed at about the same time one case at Traverse city, in the Bay House, a hotel.
Through press of business I did neglect notifying you of the existence of small-pox in our town,
and not from any desire to hush the matter up, as is evident from the fact that within less than
half a week nearly every person in this county was apprised of the danger and immediate steps
taken to vaccinate the people and isolate the Indians. I remarked before that the Indians are a
restless race, and to prevent any of the 300 residing in the northern part of this town from wander-
ing away would require a regular picket-guard entirely round the town, which is not compact but

page 417

scattered for two or three miles along the beach. They are crafty, treacherous, and cannot be
relied upon, and we find them very difficult to manage. They are so in fear of the disease that
they steal away even after exposure, and I only wonder that no more cases in the interior have
developed. Twenty-four have died, thirty-two are convalescent, and the vaccination has pre-
vented the development of any new cases.


We offered free vaccination to each and every inhabitant of this township. There being no
money in the treasury a town meeting was called and bonds voted for the requisite amount. The
bonds were issued and money drawn and paid. Many question the right of townships to issue
bonds to raise money for this purpose.


The close of the outbreak was reported by Dr. Ingersoll on Jan. 1, 1882, as follows:—


Small-pox has ceased spreading at last, the thorough vaccination having headed it off. Thorough disinfection has been accomplished, and yesterday bedding and clothing were furnished those who had been afflicted with the disease. All clothing and bedding has been burned. Also several houses that had sheltered a great many of the sick and were difficult of disinfection have been burned.

Page 392

ANTRIM COUNTY.
The infection was brought to Milton township, Antrim county, by an Indian from Sutton’s Bay, Leelanaw county. William Thomson, supervisor of the township, reported as follows, Dec. 12, 1881:—

Page 393

The infection was brought to this township by an Indian from Sutton’s Bay, Leelanaw county,
Michigan. The number of deaths is 10, and the number of cases is 12. There are no cases at
present in the township. A quarantine has been established within the township, 1 1/2 miles from
any public highway, where all parties that have been exposed to the disease are now. Commu-
nication is made by a bulletin board. A disinfectant has been used quite extensively amongst tho
Indians; sulphur has been used. I think they have been used with good results. No white per-
sons have been infected by the disease, and the Indians that have been affected are all with dark
complexions

Vonda Belanger, in her book "Hertiage of Provement", now Lake Leelanau, mentions the smallpox epidemic. Of the eight deaths in Leland township in 1881, none was Native American and none was from smallpox. The events mentioned took place in Peshawbestown. 

Additional letters and transcriptions available at "We have a terrible sickness here at this place..."

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https://books.google.com/books?id=sCviAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=editions:jiWoc-5EJX0C&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwis35qbt8XKAhWE5iYKHZaaDSg4FBDoAQg9MAY#v=onepage&q&f=false


The exact burial place of all of those who died of smallpox is unknown.  Those in Peshawbestown were said to have been placed in a 'fish house' by the lake, below the school and the building was burned. In the 1940s two female elders used to go to the spot and pray for the victims. Those in Kewadin were possibly buried behind the Kewadin Indian Mission church.