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CHOLERA IN 1833
(Source: History of Madison Township, Franklin
Co., Ohio - 1902)
Chapter IX
In the latter
part of June, 1833, a man traveling by canal
boat from Cleveland, stopped off at the road
crossing the canal about a mile and one-half
west of Winchester, and went to the
residence of a Mr. Woodcock - who
lived near where the toll gate used to be
kept on the Columbus and Winchester pike,
now owned by Mr. Judy - and at his
request Mrs. Woodcock did some
washing for him, and it is supposed that the
clothes were infected with cholera.
Mr. Woodcock went to George's creek to
fish while his wife did the washing; he soon
after returned and drank freely of
buttermilk. In a very short time
afterwards he took violently sick, his
family and near neighbors thinking from the
effect of the buttermilk. At the time
this was one of the most thickly settled
neighborhoods in the township, and of course
everybody was always ready to lend a helping
hand when they had to depend on each other.
It was not long until nearly the whole
neighborhood had gather to lend what
assistance they might, none dreaming of hte
dread pestilence so soon to enter
their homes. Mr. Woodcock soon
died, and only a few hours afterwards his
wife died also. Dr. Wiley, who
lived in the Wheeler house, now
owned by J. M. Lehman, expressed the
opinion that they had died of cholera.
Nearly all present thought it precautionary
to leave at once, and suited their actions
to their feelings. But it was
too late. Within the next few weeks
some 30or more persons died in this
neighborhood alone. Nearly all died in
a few hours after being attacked.
Among those who died are the following:
Wm. Woodcock, a cooper by trade, and his wife;
Walter Hughes,
and his son Walter, who lived in a
log house just south of the road and
opposite the residence of George Keichle;
Henry Schoonover and son Perry aged 7 years,
who lived in a log house on the bank of
Walnut Creek, just back of Chaney's
track, now occupied by Mr. Bitler;
John Schoonover, who lived 200 to 300 years south
of his brother Henry;
Wm. Davis and wife,
George W. Drain,
Benj. Boyd and his wife
Polly and two children, Isaac
and Sarah; they lived in a log
house just north of Union Grove Cemetery,
which house was afterwards removed to the
first lock west of Winchester, where it
stood many years and was finally consumed by
fire.
Mrs. Isaac McCormack.
Evans McCormack,
Thompson Cross, wife and son, who lived in a
log cabin that stood near where D. H.
Tallman now lives;
a Mr. Cox, who lived in a log house on the
Amos Painter farm;
a Mr. Gale, who lived about one hundred yards
south from the canal, on the east side of
the Oregon road, and
Mrs. Wm. Smith,
who lived in the old brick house on the
Jerry Alspach farm. She was the
last victim.
Mr. Martin, in his history referring to this
epidemic, writes: "In the summer of
1833 the cholera made its first appearance
in Franklin county. It first broke out
in the early part of the summer, in a
neighborhood on the canal, in Madison
Township, where it proved very fatal, but
was confined to a space of a few miles only.
On the 14th of July it made its first
appearance in Columbus and continued until
about October. * * *
During its prevalence there were about two
hundred deaths in Columbus, notwithstanding
the whole population of the town was not
much, if any, over three thousand, and it
was supposed that one-third had fled to the
country. * * * The
mortality and terrors of this season far
surpassed any pestilence that ever afflicted
Columbus before or since."
In the latter part of August, 1854, there were three
deaths in Winchester supposed to have been
by cholera. Two strangers came on a
boat; one of them died the next morning and
the other soon after; the third one was
Dutch Philip (Philip Bourne); he lived
in the house now occupied by Mrs.
McFadden; it was then plastered on
the outside and painted to represent
variegated marble, and in consequence was
called the "calico house." The two
strangers died in the old Bartlit
store building near the canal bridge, in
which Jacob Direling then kept a
tavern. |
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