NEWS: Cholera Plague, Haysville, 1891 - (Meade Co / Marion Co) KY --------------------------------------------------------- Contributed to the USGW Kentucky Archives by: DeLynn Strebel "lstrebel@imagine-net.com" 12 Oct 1997 --------------------------------------------------------- I found this in the genealogy papers from my aunt. Newspaper Article/Washington/Marion Co Ky unknown Kentucky newspaper The following article was published in Kentucky newspaper in 1891: Haysville Some Reminiscences of Cholera Plague Mr. D.W. Nash, of Danville, has kindly furnished us with the history of Haysville, this county which certainly is very interesting, and as a portion of it relates two our own town, it cannot be otherwise than of interest to our citizens. in 1814 Justice Hays moved to this county from Virginia. He possessed a large portion of this world's goods, consisting of money and Negroes. Mr. Hays located at Haysville, or rather he located Haysville. He built a large hotel, a fine barn, a large storehouse and numerous cabins for his negroes. All went well up to 1832 or '33, at which time cholera made its appearance first in Louisville, then Bardstown. At this time Springfield had a fine band of musicians, one of which went to Bardstown while cholera was there. In a day or so he returned and died inside of twenty four hours. In a week the entire band had followed him. Harrodsburg and Danville suffered terribly from the plague, many negroes and white bodies being hauled out to the woods and never buried. But to return to our subject, Mr. Hays at this time was keeping a large stage stand and hotel. James Thompson and Bluford Penick were keeping store in Mr. Hays' storehouse. Mr. Hays contracted cholera. He was removed to one of the negro cabins the night he was seized by the dreadful disease and died the following night. During this illness no one but a negro man gave him any attention whatever. The night following his death the cabin and his dead body were burned together. No one seemed to know who fired the house. Panic seized the people, and many went to the mountains, hoping there by to get beyond reach of cholera. James Thompson, on of the firm of Thompson and Penick, became alarmed for the safety of himself and family. He went to Dr. Forest and had Forest to bleed him. He then took a Powerful dose of medicine, put his family on the stage, mounted a horse and they all came to Lebanon, arriving late in the evening. He took cholera that night and died the next morning. Lebanon then numbered 260 or 300 persons. In two weeks no less than 50 had died. A year after Mr. Hays' body was burned the large stable used in connection with the Hotel was struck by lightning and burned down, with several fine head of horses. The stable was rebuilt at once. A short time passed, when the fine hotel was destroyed by fire. In a few months the hotel was rebuilt. Another year passed, to see the fine stable again in ashes. Not exceeding two years afterwards the hotel was struck by lightning and burned down. Up to 1880 there had been quite a number of temporary houses erected near the hotel site, out either by fire or wind they too soon disappeared. A Presbyterian Church on the same side of the road also fell in flames. On the opposite side of the road not a house has been destroyed by fire, lightning, or wind. Mr. Hays' fortune of some $75,000 passed to his son, who died in a year or so, then to his grandson, Green Hays. This was in '52 and in '58 the last dollar had disappeared. Newspaper Article/Washington/Marion Co From unknown Kentucky newspaper ------------------------------ USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free genealogical information on the Internet, data may be freely used for personal research and by non-commercial entities as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format or presentation by other organizations or persons.Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for profit or any form of presentation, must obtain the written consent of the file submitter, or his legal representative and then contact the listed USGENWEB archivist with proof of this consent.