Warren Remembers Plague Dead.
Dedication Ceremony Held
For 180 Victims of Deadly Plague.
Warren — Nearly 180 years after they died, the victims of a plague that spread terror and death throughout the town of Warren were finally recognized with a memorial service and their graves marked with a stone.
Dozens of people gathered at the Warren Village Cemetery Sunday to participate in a service to honor the dead. Afterwards, a memorial plaque was unveiled, which now marks the area where the plague victims were buried.
The disease was called spotted fever because of the bruise-like spots on those afflicted. It was also called the black death because several hours after their death, the corpses turned black. It raged through town in 1815, and well over 50 people — about 10 percent of the town's population at that time — perished in just a few weeks' time. As many as 40 of the dead were buried in unmarked graves in the Warren Village Cemetery, some by the light of the moon and without a service or mourners present.
It is difficult now to know what disease it was that hit Warren in 1815, indicated Dr Bob Averill, who implemented much of the research done on the Warren plague, but the symptoms suggest a Salmonella bacteria, such as the one which causes typhoid fever, was to blame.
Warren was hard hit, but nearby Wentworth was barely touched by the plague, indicated Reverend Don Towle of Wentworth Congregational Church, and the disease disappeared when the cold weather came that year. Later, in 1863, Wentworth experienced the spotted fever and 19 people died.
As generations passed, the unmarked graves in Warren were forgotten. In the oldest section of the cemetery, where gravestones mark the burial spots of the town's early settlers, there is an area where dips and mounds indicate graves exist. Two years ago, curious Warren Historical Society members decided to find out who was buried there.
The answer is found in a 124-year-old book, "The History of Warren, A Mountain Hamlet Located Among the Hills of New Hampshire," by William Little, which was published initially in 1870. The book devoted an entire chapter to the plague. The symptoms of the disease were described by Little, as well as the town's frantic efforts to attract the help of physicians, and the nighttime burial of the dead.
The society, with the backing of the town selectmen, decided to do something about the unmarked graves. It organized last weekend's ceremony and raised funds to purchase a marker.
Sunday's program included music and songs, remarks and prayers from numerous clergymen, and comments from town officials and Historical Society members. It ended with the unveiling of the marker and the playing of Taps.
The town chipped in half of the $1,300 to buy the granite stone and the Historical Society continues to gather donations to cover the rest.
"May the likes never visit our hamlet among the hills again," writes Little in his account of the plague, "for the mind shudders at uncoffined burials, at funerals without prayers, at midnight grave-digging, at persons buried in nameless graves, unbeknown to their friends. Let the memory of the woes of 1815 be forgotten."
Thanks to the placement of the memorial stone in the cemetery, the plague and its victims will not be forgotten again. >The Record Enterprise, September 21, 1994.
Dedication Ceremony Held
For 180 Victims of Deadly Plague.
Warren — Nearly 180 years after they died, the victims of a plague that spread terror and death throughout the town of Warren were finally recognized with a memorial service and their graves marked with a stone.
Dozens of people gathered at the Warren Village Cemetery Sunday to participate in a service to honor the dead. Afterwards, a memorial plaque was unveiled, which now marks the area where the plague victims were buried.
The disease was called spotted fever because of the bruise-like spots on those afflicted. It was also called the black death because several hours after their death, the corpses turned black. It raged through town in 1815, and well over 50 people — about 10 percent of the town's population at that time — perished in just a few weeks' time. As many as 40 of the dead were buried in unmarked graves in the Warren Village Cemetery, some by the light of the moon and without a service or mourners present.
It is difficult now to know what disease it was that hit Warren in 1815, indicated Dr Bob Averill, who implemented much of the research done on the Warren plague, but the symptoms suggest a Salmonella bacteria, such as the one which causes typhoid fever, was to blame.
Warren was hard hit, but nearby Wentworth was barely touched by the plague, indicated Reverend Don Towle of Wentworth Congregational Church, and the disease disappeared when the cold weather came that year. Later, in 1863, Wentworth experienced the spotted fever and 19 people died.
As generations passed, the unmarked graves in Warren were forgotten. In the oldest section of the cemetery, where gravestones mark the burial spots of the town's early settlers, there is an area where dips and mounds indicate graves exist. Two years ago, curious Warren Historical Society members decided to find out who was buried there.
The answer is found in a 124-year-old book, "The History of Warren, A Mountain Hamlet Located Among the Hills of New Hampshire," by William Little, which was published initially in 1870. The book devoted an entire chapter to the plague. The symptoms of the disease were described by Little, as well as the town's frantic efforts to attract the help of physicians, and the nighttime burial of the dead.
The society, with the backing of the town selectmen, decided to do something about the unmarked graves. It organized last weekend's ceremony and raised funds to purchase a marker.
Sunday's program included music and songs, remarks and prayers from numerous clergymen, and comments from town officials and Historical Society members. It ended with the unveiling of the marker and the playing of Taps.
The town chipped in half of the $1,300 to buy the granite stone and the Historical Society continues to gather donations to cover the rest.
"May the likes never visit our hamlet among the hills again," writes Little in his account of the plague, "for the mind shudders at uncoffined burials, at funerals without prayers, at midnight grave-digging, at persons buried in nameless graves, unbeknown to their friends. Let the memory of the woes of 1815 be forgotten."
Thanks to the placement of the memorial stone in the cemetery, the plague and its victims will not be forgotten again. >The Record Enterprise, September 21, 1994.
Warren Remembers Plague Dead.
Dedication Ceremony Held
For 180 Victims of Deadly Plague.
Warren — Nearly 180 years after they died, the victims of a plague that spread terror and death throughout the town of Warren were finally recognized with a memorial service and their graves marked with a stone.
Dozens of people gathered at the Warren Village Cemetery Sunday to participate in a service to honor the dead. Afterwards, a memorial plaque was unveiled, which now marks the area where the plague victims were buried.
The disease was called spotted fever because of the bruise-like spots on those afflicted. It was also called the black death because several hours after their death, the corpses turned black. It raged through town in 1815, and well over 50 people — about 10 percent of the town's population at that time — perished in just a few weeks' time. As many as 40 of the dead were buried in unmarked graves in the Warren Village Cemetery, some by the light of the moon and without a service or mourners present.
It is difficult now to know what disease it was that hit Warren in 1815, indicated Dr Bob Averill, who implemented much of the research done on the Warren plague, but the symptoms suggest a Salmonella bacteria, such as the one which causes typhoid fever, was to blame.
Warren was hard hit, but nearby Wentworth was barely touched by the plague, indicated Reverend Don Towle of Wentworth Congregational Church, and the disease disappeared when the cold weather came that year. Later, in 1863, Wentworth experienced the spotted fever and 19 people died.
As generations passed, the unmarked graves in Warren were forgotten. In the oldest section of the cemetery, where gravestones mark the burial spots of the town's early settlers, there is an area where dips and mounds indicate graves exist. Two years ago, curious Warren Historical Society members decided to find out who was buried there.
The answer is found in a 124-year-old book, "The History of Warren, A Mountain Hamlet Located Among the Hills of New Hampshire," by William Little, which was published initially in 1870. The book devoted an entire chapter to the plague. The symptoms of the disease were described by Little, as well as the town's frantic efforts to attract the help of physicians, and the nighttime burial of the dead.
The society, with the backing of the town selectmen, decided to do something about the unmarked graves. It organized last weekend's ceremony and raised funds to purchase a marker.
Sunday's program included music and songs, remarks and prayers from numerous clergymen, and comments from town officials and Historical Society members. It ended with the unveiling of the marker and the playing of Taps.
The town chipped in half of the $1,300 to buy the granite stone and the Historical Society continues to gather donations to cover the rest.
"May the likes never visit our hamlet among the hills again," writes Little in his account of the plague, "for the mind shudders at uncoffined burials, at funerals without prayers, at midnight grave-digging, at persons buried in nameless graves, unbeknown to their friends. Let the memory of the woes of 1815 be forgotten."
Thanks to the placement of the memorial stone in the cemetery, the plague and its victims will not be forgotten again. >The Record Enterprise, September 21, 1994.
Dedication Ceremony Held
For 180 Victims of Deadly Plague.
Warren — Nearly 180 years after they died, the victims of a plague that spread terror and death throughout the town of Warren were finally recognized with a memorial service and their graves marked with a stone.
Dozens of people gathered at the Warren Village Cemetery Sunday to participate in a service to honor the dead. Afterwards, a memorial plaque was unveiled, which now marks the area where the plague victims were buried.
The disease was called spotted fever because of the bruise-like spots on those afflicted. It was also called the black death because several hours after their death, the corpses turned black. It raged through town in 1815, and well over 50 people — about 10 percent of the town's population at that time — perished in just a few weeks' time. As many as 40 of the dead were buried in unmarked graves in the Warren Village Cemetery, some by the light of the moon and without a service or mourners present.
It is difficult now to know what disease it was that hit Warren in 1815, indicated Dr Bob Averill, who implemented much of the research done on the Warren plague, but the symptoms suggest a Salmonella bacteria, such as the one which causes typhoid fever, was to blame.
Warren was hard hit, but nearby Wentworth was barely touched by the plague, indicated Reverend Don Towle of Wentworth Congregational Church, and the disease disappeared when the cold weather came that year. Later, in 1863, Wentworth experienced the spotted fever and 19 people died.
As generations passed, the unmarked graves in Warren were forgotten. In the oldest section of the cemetery, where gravestones mark the burial spots of the town's early settlers, there is an area where dips and mounds indicate graves exist. Two years ago, curious Warren Historical Society members decided to find out who was buried there.
The answer is found in a 124-year-old book, "The History of Warren, A Mountain Hamlet Located Among the Hills of New Hampshire," by William Little, which was published initially in 1870. The book devoted an entire chapter to the plague. The symptoms of the disease were described by Little, as well as the town's frantic efforts to attract the help of physicians, and the nighttime burial of the dead.
The society, with the backing of the town selectmen, decided to do something about the unmarked graves. It organized last weekend's ceremony and raised funds to purchase a marker.
Sunday's program included music and songs, remarks and prayers from numerous clergymen, and comments from town officials and Historical Society members. It ended with the unveiling of the marker and the playing of Taps.
The town chipped in half of the $1,300 to buy the granite stone and the Historical Society continues to gather donations to cover the rest.
"May the likes never visit our hamlet among the hills again," writes Little in his account of the plague, "for the mind shudders at uncoffined burials, at funerals without prayers, at midnight grave-digging, at persons buried in nameless graves, unbeknown to their friends. Let the memory of the woes of 1815 be forgotten."
Thanks to the placement of the memorial stone in the cemetery, the plague and its victims will not be forgotten again. >The Record Enterprise, September 21, 1994.
Inscription
In Memory of | Those Who Lie in | These Unmarked | Graves. | Victims of | the 1815 Plague. | Erected by the | Town of Warren | and the Warren | Historical Society | 1994
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