The summer and fall of 1848 Salisbury endured an alarming
epidemic of typhoid
fever. At least 13 deaths occured in the Salisbury area. Because the
population at the time was roughly 200 this was considered a high mortality
rate.
An edpidemic of diphtheria overtook the town and surrounding
area in the fall and winter of 1861. There was an unusual number of deaths
both of children and adults. The Yowler family suffered the loss of all
seven of their children. Diphtheria is an acute infectious disease acquired
by contact with an infected person or a carrier of the disease. It was
usually confined to the upper respiratory tract (throat) and characterized
by the formation of a tough membrane (false membrane) attached firmly to
the underlying tissue that would bleed if forcibly removed. In the nineteenth
century the disease was occasionally confused with scarlet fever and croup.
Frost
On June 4, 1859 there was a heavy frost that destroyed the
crops and vegetation. Summer turned to autumn. The trees shed their leaves.
The people of Salisbury knew they had to recoup the losses by growing another
crop. They decided to grow buckwheat. The results were phenomenal. Elk-Lick
township grew a bumper crop!
Fires
December 1848 -- Loss: Newly built home of Benjamin DeHaven.
1850 -- Loss: Home of Jonathan Kelso and two carpenter
shops.
1851 -- Loss: Hotel owned by Benjamin DeHaven.
1868 -- Loss: Homes of Peter S. Hay, Ambrose Breig and
Peter Welfley.
1884 -- Loss: Hotel owned by Dennis Wagner
March 18, 1895 -- Loss: Office of Peter Livengood, Henry
Loechel Hotel, The Livengood and Saylor store, Doctor Speicher's home.
A drug store, harness and barber shop. Total property loss exceeded $40,000.
April 8, 1895 -- Loss: Hotel owned by Drusilla Hay, wagon
making shop,and meat market.
September 16, 1924 -- Loss: The McKinley Building, the
Loechel Hotel, Frank Keefer's grocery, a pool room, a restaurant and the
Hay Hotel. A number of other buildings were damage. The above photo was
taken the morning after the fire.
Influenza Worldwide Epidemic
In 1918 the Salisbury area was hard hit by the influenza
epidemic. It is said that a wagon would go down the street each day
picking up the dead. This illness would often take lives very quickly.
Flood of October 1954
Hurricane
Hazel struck Salisbury Oct 13-15, 1954. Pictured here is the Salisbury
branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Flood waters tore the railroad
bed to pieces and stood the ties on end. Paved roads were washed away,
people were stranded in homes and vehicles. Two men, George Hillegas and
William Petry died from heart attacks provoked by the flood. Abe
Shoemaker drowned during Hurricane Hazel.
