Diseases and Epidemics in Wise County : 1856 -1894

Listed below is a list of diseases and epidemics in Wise County from 1856 when the county was formed through 1894. The infant mortality rate was enormous. Notice the many infant and children’s deaths in comparison to adults.

Diseases and Epidemics in Wise County

1856 -1894

Causes of deaths
As recorded in Wise County Death Records
Fannie Lane Steele

In 1856 there were 28 entries of which 19 were children under the age of 12 years old

In 1857, 28 were infants and children and 9 were above the age of 12 years.

In 1864-1866 there were 38 entries of which 22 were infants and children. Many were babies who only lived a few days, hours or months.

In 1867-1869 seventy deaths were listed of which 41 were children

1870-1874 there were 76 entries of which 36 were children

1876-1879 there were 108 entries of which 35 were children

1880-1883 there were 106 entries listed and 50 of them were children

1884 there was 108 entries listed of which 65 of them were children and 73 of the 108 died of the flux.

1885 – 74 listed of which 40 were children under 12 years old.

1886 – 37 listed of which 21 were children

There were very few who lived to be the age of 90 or older. Note the simple and repetitive causes of death such as “fever,” “Old age,” “Hives, ” “Fits,” “Child Bed Fever” and “Croup.” Other causes of death were stated as: “Killed by a horse,” or “Killed by a tree,” “Falling off Train,” “burn,” “drowned,” or simply “shot.”

There were numerous causes listed as simply “Unknown.” This makes us realize how far medicine has progressed. The causes of death listed below does not represent every death during the years listed. I only listed the causes of death for each year as there was numerous repetitions of the same cause of death such as “flux,” in the year of 1884.

From the time our county was formed in 1856 the disease of “Consumption” was rampant, which I understand is “Tuberculosis.” In 1884 there was an epidemic of the disease called “Flux” which was a stomach or bowel disorder. In 1917 the influenza “Flu” epidemic was everywhere including Wise and surrounding counties.

Notice the strange names such as “Bealing,” “Erysipelas,” “Gravel,” “Hydrassal,” “Infantum,” “LaGripp,” “Putrid,” “Torpid,” “Scrofula”

What is the difference in “Hives” and “Bold Hives?”

1856

Hives
Bold hives
Consumption (Tuberculosis)
Killed in a fracus (fracas)
Burns
Croop (croup)
Old age
Child bed (fever)
Killed by a horse
Tipos (typhus) fever (Typhoid?)
Not known
Fits
Dropsy
Croops (croup)
Hives

1857

Flux
Unknown
Pleurisy
Scarlet Fever
Palsy
Fits
Dropsey (dropsy)
Crushed by log

1858

Hives
Flux
Burned
Consumption
Fever
Croop (croup)
Unknown

1859

Unknown
Croup
Scrofula
Fever
Quinsy
Whooping Cough
Dropsy
Liver Complaint
Eating Dirt
Child Baring (bearing)

1860

Croop (croup)
Unknown
Phthis(?)
Burn
Whooping Cough
Ulcer
Hives
Colera (cholera)
Palsey (palsy)
Killed
Quinsy
Palsy
Liver
Gravel
Rhematism (rheumatism)

1861

Measles
Consumption
Croup
Unknown
Croup
Fever
Hives
Stillborn
Colaymorbes
Disease of head
1864-1866
In Child bearing
Unknown
Erysipelas
Dropsy
Fever
Diarrhea
Congestive Heart Failure
Hives
Burn
Flux
Shot
Croup
Childbirth
St Antnies fire
Cancer
Consumption

1867-1869

Fever
Croup
Inflammation
Bleeding
Consumption
Old age
Unknown
Disease ??
Hives
Kidney Disease
Typhoid
Shot
Lung Fever
Irecepilas
Rheumatism
Cholera
Irrecep
Burn
Erecylipus
Change of life
Killed
Cold
Hives
Dropsy

1870-1874

Bold Hives
Unknown
Old Age
Fever
Smothered
Drowned
Diphtheria
Still born
Consumption
Whooping Cough
Cramp
Poisoned
Tumor on arm
Fulex
Hives
Dyspepia (dyspepsia)
Dyspepsia
Kidney Disease
White Swelling
Thrash
Croup
Breast disease
Dropsy

1876-1879

Bold Hives
Consumption
Diphtheria
Hooping Cough (Whooping Cough)
Neumonia (Pneumonia)
Old Age
Palpitations
Unknown
Fever
Burned
Dropsy
Shot
Unknown
Drowned

1880-1883

Fits
Shot/Dr. Howell
Dyspepsia
Unknown
Consumption
Infla. bowels
Coroup (Croup)
Piles
Fever
Heart Disease
Dropsey (dropsy)
Heart Disease
Diphtheria
Scrofula
Cramp
Lung Disease
Bronchitis
Brain Fever
Hives
Burn
Palsy
Old Age
Unknown
Ulcer

1884

Flux
Fever
Swallowed Fish bone
Liver Disease
Inflam..stomach (Inflamed)
Pneumonia Feaver (fever)
Chollera (cholera)
Consumption
Croup
Canser (cancer)
Cold
Lung Fever
Unknown
Dipthery (Diphtheria)
Old Age
Spinal Affection (Infection)
Child Bed Fever
Hart (Heart) Disease
Brain Fever
Inflammation Brain
Dead Born
Dropsy
Ulser (ulcer)
Cramp
Accidently (accidentaly) killed by a tree
Scrofula

1885

Bole Hives
Hooping Cough (Whooping Cough)
Spinal Affection (infection)
Bealing of Stomach
Fits
Hemorrhaging
Flux
Fits
Pneumonia Fever
Bold Hives
Euresipullas (Erysipelas)
Disease of Kidneys
Cancer
Unknown
Brain fever
Consumption
Scarlet Fever
Croup
Canser (cancer)
Accidental Shot
Bold Hives
Dropsey (dropsy)
Burnt to death
Bronchitus (bronchitis)
Heart Disease

1886-1887

Disease of liver
Measels (measles)
Flux
Brain Fever
Yellow Janders (Jaundice)
Fever
Consumption
Inflammatory rheumatism
Diseased lungs
Croup
Unknown
Diptheria (diphtheria)
Infermation (Inflammation)
Bold Hives
Hives
Falling off Train
Scrofula
Burn
Hooping (whooping) Cough
Heart Disease
Diptheria (diphtheria)
Putrid Sore Throat
Crooked limbs
Bold hives
Fevor (fever)
Not known
Dipthery (diphtheria)
Not listed
Cholerra (cholera) Infantum
Flux
Measels (measles)
Inflation of Brain
Croup
Consumption
Rupture In Side
Dropsy
Hives
Childbed fever
Child Bearing
Unknown
Croup and Bold Hives
Lung Disease
Hooping (whooping) Cough
Enlargement of Bowels
Hydrassal
Bone Eresephlis (erysipelas)

1888

Infermation (Inflammation ) of Brain
Nerve Fever
Asthma
Consumption
Not known
Croup
Paralysis
Hives
Dropsey (dropsy)
Shot
Hooping Cough (whooping cough)
Infermation (Inflammation) of stomach
Rodeolo
Not Known
Heart Disease
Measles
Whooping Cough
Erechyalas (erysipelas)
Brain Fever
Fever
Dipthera (diphtheria)

1889

Yellow Jaundice
Not Known
Fever
Spinal Affection
Consumption
Bold Hives
Brain Fever
Old Age
Dysenterria (dysentery)
Diptherie (diphtheria)
Flux
Paralysis
Murdered
Rupture on the Brain
Lagrippe
Dropsey (dropsy)
Suicide
Killed
Rheumatism of the head
Killed Accidentley (accidentally)
Crop (croup?)
Rheumatism of head
Liver Diseas (disease)
Paralysis
Typhoid Fever
Cholery (Cholera) Infantim
Fits
Pneumonia Fever
Died at Birth
Hives
Inflamation (Inflammation)
Membramers (Membranous) Croup
Sore Throat
Diptheria (diphtheria)
Burn
Billious Fever
Inflamation (Inflammation) Bladder
Paralysis

1890

Consumption
Fever
Hives
Yellow Jaundice
Dysentery
Croup
Hooping Cough (whooping)
Drowned
Notriceran (?) (Nutrician?)
Dysentry (Dysentery)
Jarpron
Dysentary
Old age
Typhoid Fever
Not known
Paralyisis (Paralysis)
Dyspepsia
Indigestion
Bold Hives
Brain Fever
Drowned
Measels (measles)
Murdered
Dropsey (dropsy)

1891

Bold hives
Dropsey (dropsy)
Catarrah of Head (catarrhal)
Lagripe
Parralisis (paralysis)
Consumption
Fever
Not Known
Ulcer
Not listed
Pregnant condition
Fever or Lagripp (Lagrippe)
Croup
Heart Diseas (disease)
Shot
Murdered
Relaps on Measels (relapse)
Burnt to death
Rupture
Shot
Congestion of Brain
Yellow Jaundice
Liver Diseas
Pluracy (pleurisy)
Measels (measles)
Shot
Paralysis
Dipthery (diphtheria)
Brain trouble
Torpid Liver
Killed by Train
Dropsy & Fever
Poisoned
Old Age
Croup
Famer (?) (Fever) ?
Lagrippe
Measles
By fire
Killed by Blast
Collery Infantum (cholera)
Hives
Cholliera Infantum (cholera)
Scroffula (scrofula)
Not known
Erresipalis (Erysipelas)
Worms
Hives
Lagrippe
Drowned
Neuralgia

1892

Torpid Liver
Killed by a falling tree
Shot
Not known
Measles
Old age
Typhoid Fever
Flux
Murdered
Bold Hives
Fever
Hives
Consumption
Murdered
Thrash
Spinel (spinal) Affection (Infection?)
Iritation of Stomach (Irritation)
Heart Failier (failure)
Hurt with a tape(?)
Dropsey (dropsy)
Heart Diseas (disease)
Not Known one hand?
Rheumatism
Croup
Herat (Heart) dropsey
Lagrippa (lagrippe)
Acidently (accidentally) Shot
Skin Disease
Gravel
Margetis (meningitis)
Killed in Coal Mines
Cancer
Lagrip (Lagrippe)
Scrofula
Liver Diseas disease)
Rheumatiom (rheumatism)
Worms
Asthma
Shot
Suicide
Bronchitis

1893

Hives
Not known
Killed by Falling
Indijestion (indigestion)
Fever
Absess of Bowels (abscess)
Killed y RR Train
Dipthera (diphtheria)
Dropsey (dropsy)
Consumption
Croup
Abcess (abscess) of Bowels
Diarea (diarrhea)
Fell Down Stares
Scrofulus (scrofulous)
Spinal Menjitis (meningitis)
Cholra Morbus (Cholera morbus )
Flux
Cramp Colic
Rheumatism
Childbed Fever
Liver Diseas (disease)
Diarrehorea (diarrhea)
Died from a fall
Cold
Gravel
Diarrhea
Bronchitus (bronchitis)
Paralysis
Bold Hives
Heart Disease
Spinel Mengetis (spinal meningitis)
Spinel Disease (spinal)
Lagrippe
Burned
Burnt
Exposier (exposure)
Lagripp
Paralissis (paralysis)

1894

Not Known
Scarlet Fever
Spinal Mengitis (meningitis)
Hooping (whooping) cough
Killed Accidintly (accidentally)
Side Pluracy (pleurisy)
Typhoid Fever
Lung Disease
Whooping Cough
Rheumatism
Consumption
Spinal Mengitis (meningitis)
Croup
Burnt to Death
Side Pluracy (pleurisy)
Paralissis (pleurisy)
Rheumatism
Hemorhage (hemorrhage) of womb
Dropsey (dropsy)
Spinal Affection
Whooping Cough
Typhoid Fever
Spinal Menegitis (meningitis)
Bold Hives
Fell – accidently Killed (accidentally)
Ulcer of Bowels
Scrofula
Paralisis (paralysis)
Lagripp
Fever
Not known
Hives
Brain Fever
Hooping (whooping) cough
Erecipelas (erysipelas)
Cole (cold)
Flux

The Appalachian Quarterly

Special Focus:June Carter Cash – Compiled by members of WCHS

Tribute: Ruth Kilgore Hamilton by Rhonda Robertson

Regular Features: Aging-–Marie Olinger Davis – by Dorothy H. WittUncle Dan Richmond – by David Chaltas & Richard G. BrownW. VA Unclaimed Civil War Medals Tell us a Big Tale – By Kathleen TaylorDescendants of WM. Vicars – by Dawna VicarsJohn Counts of Glade Hollow- By E.J Sutherland Tazewell Co. Marriage Register 1800-1853 – by Rhonda RobertsonFirsts for Wise County Historical Society: Wedding Legend of the Baker Estate – by Fred H. LawsonCommemorative-Carter SignName and Family of Dotson by Emory L. HamiltonHylton Family Heritage by James F. Carver

Melungeons

Melungeon Movement In the Past Decade – by Jim Callahan

American Indian Melungeon Book By Karlton Douglas

Wikipedia Definations of Melungeon-ness

National Melungeon Registry

The Uncertainty of Melungeons – by Karlton Douglas

Dictionary of Genealogy and Archaic Terms – by Dick Eastman

On The Bookshelf – Fannie Lane Steele

APPALACHIAN QUARTERLY

Special Focus

Bad Talt Hall by Nancy C. Brown

Features

Letters from the Battlefield by Greg Lepore

Shoot-out at Martin Train Depot by Bob Hall

The Whitakers by David C. Whitaker

Descendants of William Vicars by Dawna J. Vicars

The Saga of Bad John Hall by Bob Hall

Benjamin Harrison 1750-1808 by Jeremy F. Elliott

Mystery of the Young Soldiers by Willis Sexton

Aging Gracefully – Emily Qualls by Dorothy Witt & Wanda Rose

Correction by Benjamin F. Luntz

Wise County Marriage Books by William C. Gobble

Melungeon

Pike County Kentucky Marriages by Patricia H. Baldwin

New Columnist by P.H. Baldwin

Mixing It Up by Karlton Douglas

Melungeons and Myth by George R. Gibson

Update–What is Melungeon by Dr. N. Brent Kennedy

On The Bookshelf by Fannie Lane Steele

Calendar: Events of the area

Rita Kennedy Sutton

Rita Elizabeth (Kennedy) Sutton was born March 13, 1906 in the community of Imboden, near Appalachia, Virginia. Later, her name was changed to Rita Jo, for a favorite character in “Little Women.” The daughter of Benjamin F. and Rosa R. Kennedy, she spent most of her life in Dickenson county. She was an avid reader and brilliant scholar.

Rita Kennedy Sutton

By Mrs. Bonnie S. Ball

Rita Elizabeth (Kennedy) Sutton was born March 13, 1906 in the community of Imboden, near Appalachia, Virginia. Later, her name was changed to Rita Jo, for a favorite character in “Little Women.”

The daughter of Benjamin F. and Rosa R. Kennedy, she spent most of her life in Dickenson county. She was an avid reader and brilliant scholar. The family moved to Clintwood where she attended high school.

At age 17 she entered Martha Washington College, and at age 19 she returned to Dickenson County, where she taught English, French, and History in the junior high school near Fremont and McClure.

On September 2, 1928 she was married to John I. Sutton, a banker from Abingdon. She later attended William and Mary College, and moved to Abingdon. The following Spring they moved to Clintwood, where her husband opened the first Piggly Wiggly store.

Their daughter, Eliza Rose (Mrs. Kent Rigg), was born in 1929. At the age of 24, Rita Kennedy Sutton was suddenly stricken by polio, after which she went to an Abingdon hospital for six months. Eventually a vaccine was developed that cleared the infection. After two months she went to Warm Springs, Georgia for treatment periodically.

In August , 1932 the Kennedy family moved to Wise. Although Rita’s body grew weaker, her will grew stronger,” She later became Advertising Manager for the Piggly Wiggly grocery chain, and became interested in genealogy, having published “Early Osbornes & Alleys,” “Early Carters in Scott Cunty, Va.”, and “Kennedy’s Piggly Wiggly Stores, Inc.: A Backward Glance.”

Quotation from a biographical sketch by Catherine C. Riggs, In The Coalfield Progress.

Mrs. Sutton was a founding member of the Wise Study Club, a woman’s group that remains true to its early motto, “Tis the mind that makes the body rich.” Mrs. Sutton was an honorary life member of the Southwest Virginia Historical Society.

According to her granddaughter, Catherine C. Riggs, she became a published author at the age of 71. She taught herself to type at 67. In 57 years she was unable to walk, but never complained. She passed away on November 20, 1987.

What a marvelous woman!

From: Historical Sketches of Southwest Virginia – Publication No. 22 – 1

Home Crafts Day

Mountain Empire Community College

Big Stone Gap, Virginia

Each Year in October, HOME CRAFT’S DAY is held at Mountain Empire Community College where people can bring their crafts to show and sell.

There is Apple butter making, Corn grinding, Wood work of many kinds, and various crafts where people show their magnificent handiwork of the mountains. Lots of Vendors, Music, Food and Fun.