The yellow fever epidemic of 1878 lasted from May to October. It started in New Orleans, most likely spreading up the Delta through the river boats. From New Orleans, the disease made its way to Natchez and Vicksburg, Mississippi, up to Memphis, Tennessee. It wasn't until later that mosquitos were determined to be the cause.

Throughout the summer, Chattanooga was not concerned for themselves over the epidemic. They believed they were immune from the disease due to the higher elevation of the mountainous region. In fact, they invited residents of Memphis to take refuge in their small community, where they set up a refugee camp. Five hundred refugees accepted this invitation by the end of summer.

Citizens were optimistic that even if they contracted the dreaded disease, they would recover quickly because of the hospitable climate. The early stages of yellow fever included flu-like symptoms, chills and fever, but then were also marked by headaches and vomiting until the signature sign of yellow skin invaded the body, which gave the disease its name.

To curtail any signs of fear for the citizens of Chattanooga, the city health board, comprised of town merchants, released an ad on September 11, 1878, stating that false reports of a yellow fever epidemic were being circulated, and there was no such pandemic in the city.

The first death from yellow fever came exactly one week later, when the son of volunteers working in the refugee camp died after playing with children in the camp. Joseph Corey, son of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Corey, contracted yellow fever from those children and died on September 18th, becoming Chattanooga’s first yellow fever victim. His mother died the next day.

Chattanooga realized yellow fever had arrived. Eventually, yellow fever would claim the lives of 366 of its citizens, including doctors, nurses, ministers, and one schoolteacher, who all tended to the sick.

I reference the ad in the second chapter of Richest Girl in Town, “Whispers of Fever” when the cook, Mrs. Maple says, “The health board trying to tell us there’s no fever here. The fever has arrived and it’s killing us. Young and old alike. Whole families gone.”

Just like Nash Hutchinson, many children were left as orphans, creating new problems for the town.

Sources:

Crawley, Laura M. “Yellow Fever Epidemic Took Lives of 366 Chattanoogans.” Chattanooga Times Free Press, 19 June 2005, https://www.pressreader.com/usa/chattanooga-times-free-press/20050619/283502211289934

Starmans, Barbara J. “Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1878.” The Social Historian. 22 July 2015, https://www.thesocialhistorian.com/yellow-fever-epidemic-of-1878/

“The Great Fever Map.” American Experience. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/fever-major-american-epidemics-of-yellow-fever/

“The Tragic Year is 1878.” Hamilton County-Geneology Trails. https://genealogytrails.com/tenn/hamilton/chattanooga_thetragicyearis1878.htm