When Disaster Hit the Morrison Farming Community

Millions of head of poultry are being killed in Asia today to try and stop the spread of Bird Flu. Over the past few years, thousands of head of cattle have been slaughtered in Great Britain and Canada to try and stop Mad Cow Disease. In 1914 there was a similar happening, but it wasn't in some other country; it was here in the United States. Whiteside County, and more specifically, right here in Morrison, was where it was at its worst.

The disease was hoof and mouth disease. It was a disease that infected split, or cloven, hoofed animals: cattle, hogs, and sheep. Hoof and mouth disease was seldom fatal to humans or, for that matter, even to animals.

The problem was that it was devastating to their health. The sores in their mouths restricted their breathing and eating. The sores on their feet made it difficult for them to walk.

I heard the story, because it struck my grandfather's herd. I know where the big trench was dug and the cattle were shot. It is in the field right out behind my barn.

The disease was common in Europe. But prior to 1913, there had been only five outbreaks in the U.S., and they had been quickly controlled. In 1913 it started with a vengeance, and it got to Morrison in November 1914. The newspapers were full of stories; it was not a happy time.

The State animal health officials took charge, not always with great efficiency. When herds were reported, they were inspected and, if declared infected, the farm was quarantined. No one could leave or have visitors, except to deliver food and necessities. In one case, part of what is now Bunker Hill Road was closed down to all traffic until the cattle were killed, the buildings and yard disinfected, and the farm declared safe.

The farm I live on was found infected in December 1914. My granddad said that he had two, young hired men who had come here from Europe, and they knew what it was when the first animal became sick. They had seen it in Holland.

There was a large cattle show going on at the Chicago Stock Yard at that time, and they had found an infected animal. There were many valuable cattle at the show. When officials threatened to slaughter all the animals at the show, the owners filed court action to stop it. It turned out that the rich prevailed, and, after some negotiations, the kill order was rescinded.

The problem was that ALL killing stopped. My grandfather's herd could not be killed until the court settlement in the Chicago case. This meant the family was quarantined while all this legal action was going on, watching their cattle suffer.

The extermination finally happened. Grandfather said they dug a huge ditch. After the crews had killed 24 cattle and eight hogs on the William Kuehl farm in the morning, that afternoon they came and drove Gramp's 74 head of dairy cattle and seven hogs into the ditch and shot them. The crews covered them with quick lime and dirt. Later, they disinfected the buildings, removed the inside pens, and stacked them outside for the sun to finish the job.

This scene was repeated all over the area. By the Spring of 1915 the disease seemed to be under control: 2336 cattle and 3229 hogs had been killed and buried in the County. The hardest hit was the Morrison area, where $80,848 worth of cattle and hogs had been destroyed. The State paid the farmers half of that total in reimbursements. This was a lot of money at that time, but the dollar loss to the farmers came nowhere near the emotional grief they suffered.

Of course, there were many stories that grew out of all of this. J.J. Entwhistle reported that it had been three weeks since his cattle had been killed. However, no one had shown up to disinfect his farm, and so he was still quarantined. There was one incident in which a local farmer met the inspectors with his shotgun in hand and ordered them off his place. A hearing was held later when tempers had calmed down, and, after an apology, he was found innocent. One farmer, on advice of his lawyer, refused to let the inspectors kill his cattle until he was paid. Finally, Dr. Obed Lintner, a Morrison veterinarian who had been appointed as Assistant State Veterinarian to help in the epidemic, was removed from his position by the State Board. No reason was given. The general opinion among Morrison farmers was that he was treating people fairly and decently. Lintner had objected to the methods being adopted by other State men working in the area.

When the disease first hit, there was a rush to get the livestock to market. The gigantic Chicago Union Stock Yards were even closed down for a time. In Union Grove Twp. it was reported that farmers asked the inspectors to check their cattle before they shipped them. Farmers were told that they must pay the inspector $25 before he would do it. On November 2, 1914, a record was set for shipping livestock to market. Forty railroad cars of livestock were loaded for shipment at the Morrison yards in seven hours.

The Union Grove yards shipped 20 carloads that day, for a new record. The cars were nearly loaded when they discovered an infected animal. Ten of the cars were unloaded before they decided to let the shipment go. The cars were reloaded, and all 20 loads went on their way.

The Sentinel had many articles during this historic and troubling time in Morrison. I guess my favorite story was this one. "Owing to the establishment of a quarantine at the home of alderman Geo. Humphrey, just at the east limits of this city, as a result of the appearance of hoof and mouth disease in his herd, the invitations issued for the marriage of Miss Zada Rosina Humphrey and John Jacob Bruins, on Wednesday, December 30 have been recalled, and instead of the fine wedding planned, the young couple will be married quietly." The article went on to say, "This is the first time that the hoof and mouth disease has interfered with the plans of cupid." Love always wins out--even over hoof and mouth disease!

Things finally got back to normal. After the quarantines were lifted, farmers started replacing their herds. On our farm, all the land that had been used for pasture was put into crops for a year, to try and generate income lost from the milk checks. My granddad even raised some mule-foot hogs. They were a breed of hog that had a solid hoof like a mule and were supposedly immune to hoof and mouth. Gramp said that if they were, that was the only thing they were good for, because they sure weren't good for anything else.

(by Orville Goodenough, Guest Columnist)