Adams County OhArchives Obituaries.....Prather, Thomas July 13, 1851
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Ralph W. Cokonougher rcokon@hotmail.com February 17, 2006, 3:22 pm

 From the Wednesday, July 23, 1851, “Adams County Democrat”, West Union, Ohio:

“CHOLERA.
In our last issue of the 9th inst., we announced to our readers, that we, in 
common with the names of our citizens in West Union, believed that the 
dreaded cholera had done its work in this place.  We were most grievously 
mistaken. After a cessation of a few days, (from Sunday, the 6th instant, to 
Wednesday, the 9th) it broke out again, with increased malignity, and, in a 
few days, had numbered among its victims, some of our most useful and highly 
esteemed citizens.
	The first victim was  H.N.Gole.  Though slightly indisposed, he ate 
his 
dinner as usual, on Wednesday, the 9th inst., and at 9 o’clock that night, 
he was a corpse.  Mrs. Margaret Buchanan was attacked the same afternoon, 
and at 2 o’clock, the next morning, her spirit had taken flight to another 
world.  On the next day, Mrs. Mary Lafferty breathed her last.  She had been 
for several days laboring under a billious attack, but her disease in its 
last stages assumed a choleraic type.  Mr. John Buchanan  was the next 
victim, he died Saturday morning, the 12th inst.  On Sunday morning, Thomas 
Prather, a little boy four or five years old, son of Henry Prather, was 
attacked, and in a few hours was numbered with the dead.  On the same day, 
Mr. Wilson Prather was attacked, and on the next day, he, and his daughter, 
Anne Olivia, were consigned to their graves.
	Thus, in about five days, were seven of our neighbors, but one of whom 
had 
passed the meridian of life, nearly all of whom had as fair prospects for 
life as any persons in our place, and some of whom enjoyed more than 
ordinarily robust health, cut off and assigned  a place among the dead.  A 
death is an event which, in the ordinary course of affairs, occurs not more 
than once in several months in West Union .  It may, therefore, be readily 
supposed that these numerous deaths, happening  in so short a period of 
time, from this dreaded disease, which baffles the greatest medical science, 
and the numerous cases then prevailing in our midst, occasioned no small 
degree of alarm among our citizens.  The cholera season of 1851 will be 
remembered by the residents of West Union, so long as the present generation 
exists, as a time of acute anguish by those who have been bereft of beloved 
relatives, as a period of dread by all.
	To the credit of our citizens be it said, they all remained in the 
place 
whilst the epidemic raged, and in no instance did the afflicted suffer for 
want of attention and assistance.  The alacrity with which some of the our 
young men rallied to the relief of the victims of this disease, is worthy of 
all commendation; and to their promptness many persons in West Union, no 
doubt owe their lives.
	Since Monday week, the 14th inst., we have had no death from cholera 
in 
this place, and probably no new case.  Of those attacked on, and prior to, 
that day, all, except those of whose deaths we have given account, are 
either well, or recovering.  There have been two deaths in the family of Mr. 
Owen, residing about three miles north of this place, his wife and daughter. 
  A son of Mr. Hartness, grand-child of Mr. Owen, has also died.  Besides 
these, we have heard of no other cases in the county.” 


Additional Comments:
     This newspaper issue is on microfilm at the Ohio Historical Society 
Library in Columbus, Ohio, on microfilm roll # 34942.

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