THE GREAT EPIZOOTIC OF 1872 Equine Influenza Devastates America

AMERICA COMES TO A HALT Imagine a transportation disaster that within 90 days affected every aspect of American transportation, everything Americans took for granted, and everything that ensured their safety.

AMERICA RAN ON HORSE POWER Throughout most of U.S. history, the horse has been the engine of business and commerce. Our nation relied on the gentle animal to move freight and perform countless tasks.

A highly contagious strain of equine influenza originated in Toronto, Canada and swept south into the US in late 1872, affecting the entire country within 90 days. It is estimated that 80%-99% of horses were eventually infected. Horses were unable to stand in their stables and were seen coughing violently in the streets. 9/25-Markham, Ont. 10/1- Toronto 10/10-Detroit 10/14- Buffalo, NY 10/17-Rochester, NY 10/18- Montreal 10/19- Syracuse, NY 10/21- Keene, NH 10/22- NY, NY 10/22- Boston 10/23- Bangor, Me 10/23- Chicago 10/24- Baltimore 10/26- Pontiac, Mi 10/28- Philadelphia 10/28- Wash D.C. 10/29-Columbus, OH 11/1- Newark, De 11/2- Charleston 11/4- Springfield, Ill 11/5-Grand Rapids 11/6- Richmond, Va 11/10- Indianapolis 11/10-Savannah 11/13- Louisville 11/27- New Orleans 12/1-Colorado Springs 12/7-Havana, Cuba 1/26-Albuquerque

AMERICA CAME TO A STANDSTILL  The government in Washington D.C. was shut down  Ships in New York harbor could not unload their cargo  A small fire in Boston grew into a devastating inferno destroying a large amount of the city  The U.S. Cavalry was forced to fight the Apaches on foot

EVERYDAY LIFE WAS FROZEN In Philadelphia,  streetcar companies suspended service  undelivered freight accumulated at wharves and railroad depots  consumers lacked milk, ice and groceries  saloons lacked beer  work halted at construction sites, brickyards and factories  city governments curtailed fire protection and garbage collection.

ISOLATING DIDN’T HELP While the mortality rate was relatively low, estimated at only 1%-2% overall, large cities lost many more horses than in rural areas. Since there were no horses to haul coal out of mines, many railroads went bankrupt as well as thousands of other businesses.

NEWSPAPER REPORTS Reporting in the New York Times gives an insight into the extent of the outbreak. "There is hardly a public stable in the city which is not affected“. the paper reported on October 24, "It is not uncommon along the streets of the city to see horses dragging along with drooping heads and at intervals coughing violently." "Large quantities of freight are accumulating along the Erie Railway in Paterson, New Jersey. “The disease is spreading rapidly in Bangor, Maine. All fire department horses in Providence, Rhode Island, are sick."

THE FATE OF THE ECONOMY WAS IN JEOPARDY It was becoming apparent that a nation so heavily dependent on the horse for so much could suffer an economic calamity from this epidemic. Remember, this disease began spreading in the fall of  What are most farmers doing in the fall of every year?  How do Midwestern crops get to Eastern cities?  What impact would this event have on your ability to buy food for your family?

GREAT BOSTON FIRE OF 1872 One of the major casualties of the Great Epizootic was the city of Boston itself. A great fire swept through the industrial section on November 9, ultimately destroying 65 acres of the city, comprising 776 buildings.

No one is certain how the fire started. The water supply in the area was inadequate, and many of the buildings had wooden roofs and were filled with flammable materials. Citizens of Boston were forced to haul water to the location on foot, without the assistance of heavy, faster-moving horses.