Here is a list of epidemics that I have found and a couple sites: U.S. Epidemics http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001460.html Plagues &Epidemics (from Plumber.com) http://www.theplumber.com/plague.html The American Experience: Influenza 1918 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/influenza/ Plague and Epidemic in Renaissance Europe Periods of Disease Year(s) / Region, Area, City or State / Disease 1657 / Boston / Measles 1687 / Boston / Measles 1690 / New York / Yellow Fever 1713 / Boston / Measles 1729 / Boston / Measles 1732-1733 / Worldwide / Influenza 1738 / South Carolina / Smallpox 1739-1740 / Boston / Measles 1747 / Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina / Smallpox 1759 / North America / Measles 1761 / North America and West Indies / Influenza 1772 / North America / Measles 1775 / North America (especially in North East) / Unknown 1775-1776 / Worldwide / Influenza 1783 / Dover, Delaware (was extremely fatal) / Bilious Disorder 1788 / Philadelphia and New York / Measles 1793 / Vermont / (a "putrid" fever) and Influenza 1793 / Virginia (killed 500 in 5 counties in 4 weeks) / Influenza 1793 / Philadelphia / Yellow Fever 1793 / Harrisburg, PA (many unexplained deaths) / Unknown 1793 / Middletown, Pennsylvania (many mysterious deaths) / Unknown 1794 / Philadelphia, Pennsylvania / Yellow Fever 1796-1797 / Philadelphia, Pennsylvania / Yellow Fever 1798 / Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (one of the worst) / Yellow Fever 1803 / New York / Yellow Fever 1820-1823 / Nationwide (started at Schuylkill River &spread) / "Fever" 1831-1832 / Nationwide (brought in by English Immigrants) / Asiatic Cholera 1832 / New York and other major cities / Cholera 1833 / Columbus, Ohio / Cholera 1833-34 / Kentucky / Cholera 1834 / New York City, New York / Cholera 1837 / Philadelphia / Typhus 1841 / Nationwide (especially severe in the South) / Yellow Fever 1847 / New Orleans / Yellow Fever 1847-1848 / Worldwide / Influenza 1848-1849 / North America / Cholera 1849 / New York / Chole Carol JDrake1039@aol.com wrote: >I also have an ancestor who died along with three of his children. Mine was >in 1806 in Connecticut. It is my understanding that this disease is caused when >infected rat fleas contaminate fresh skin wounds or the flea bite site. Even >though it isn't spread from person to person, I suppose it could be considered >an epidomic it the problem were widespread. Perhaps something like the Junta >Virus that caused so many deaths among Native Americans a few years ago. > > > > > >

Carol: Like your Pier family, our Pierce family came from Berkshire Co., MA to Fitch Hill near Pierstown above Fly Creek, Otsego Co., NY. In the family Bible, Levi Pierce said his brother, Daniel, "married and raised a family and died of the black janlers." I had always assumed this happened in Berkshire, MA, but perhaps, especially if he had already raised his family, it occurred in Otsego Co. I was never sure what disease the 'black janlers' was, typhus, cholera, or blackwater fever (Black jaundice), a type of malaria. Although the color of jaundice is usually yellow but it can range to olive-bronze or green-black giving rise to "black jaundice". Levi gives no clue as to the date of his brother's death, but I'll look a little more closely at the time frame you have provided. Thanks. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - 50x more storage than other providers! http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail

Readers of this line on epidemics might be interested in William Beardslee's recent article on the 1832 Cholera Epidemic in New York State, which can be found in two parts at: http://earlyamerica.com/review/2000_fall/1832_cholera_part1.html and http://earlyamerica.com/review/2000_fall/1832_cholera_part2.html Mr. Beardslee comes from one of the earliest settler families in Pittsfield, Otsego County, and has repurchased and lovingly restored the family homestead there. He writes extensively on local and early American history for periodicals and in the New Berlin press. Hugh MacDougall Official Historian Village of Cooperstown 8 Lake Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326-1016 coophist@stny.rr.com ----- Original Message ----- *************************** > Here is a list of epidemics that I have found and a couple sites: > > U.S. Epidemics > http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001460.html Plagues &Epidemics (from > Plumber.com) > http://www.theplumber.com/plague.html The American Experience: Influenza > 1918 > http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/influenza/ Plague and Epidemic in > Renaissance Europe > > > Periods of Disease > > Year(s) / Region, Area, City or State / Disease > 1657 / Boston / Measles > 1687 / Boston / Measles > 1690 / New York / Yellow Fever > 1713 / Boston / Measles > 1729 / Boston / Measles > 1732-1733 / Worldwide / Influenza > 1738 / South Carolina / Smallpox > 1739-1740 / Boston / Measles > 1747 / Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina / Smallpox > 1759 / North America / Measles > 1761 / North America and West Indies / Influenza > 1772 / North America / Measles > 1775 / North America (especially in North East) / Unknown > 1775-1776 / Worldwide / Influenza > 1783 / Dover, Delaware (was extremely fatal) / Bilious Disorder > 1788 / Philadelphia and New York / Measles > 1793 / Vermont / (a "putrid" fever) and Influenza > 1793 / Virginia (killed 500 in 5 counties in 4 weeks) / Influenza > 1793 / Philadelphia / Yellow Fever > 1793 / Harrisburg, PA (many unexplained deaths) / Unknown > 1793 / Middletown, Pennsylvania (many mysterious deaths) / Unknown > 1794 / Philadelphia, Pennsylvania / Yellow Fever > 1796-1797 / Philadelphia, Pennsylvania / Yellow Fever > 1798 / Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (one of the worst) / Yellow Fever > 1803 / New York / Yellow Fever > 1820-1823 / Nationwide (started at Schuylkill River &spread) / "Fever" > 1831-1832 / Nationwide (brought in by English Immigrants) / Asiatic > Cholera > 1832 / New York and other major cities / Cholera > 1833 / Columbus, Ohio / Cholera > 1833-34 / Kentucky / Cholera > 1834 / New York City, New York / Cholera > 1837 / Philadelphia / Typhus > 1841 / Nationwide (especially severe in the South) / Yellow Fever > 1847 / New Orleans / Yellow Fever > 1847-1848 / Worldwide / Influenza > 1848-1849 / North America / Cholera > 1849 / New York / Chole > >