Dozens rest in forgotten graves at Chattahoochee, Florida.
by Dale Cox |
| A surviving wooden grave marker at Florida State Hospital Cemetery No. 3 in Chattahoochee, Florida. |
The flu struck in the early fall of that year, sickening entire communities in as few as 48-hours. The pandemic was especially deadly in military camps, prisons, and other places where large numbers of people lived in close proximity. At the Florida Industrial School for Boys in Marianna, for example, 264 of the 267 students were incapacitated in less than two days (please see The Pandemic of 1918 at Marianna's School for Boys).
At Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee, things were even worse.
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| Florida State Hospital as it appeared in 1918. The old brick building and its tower were part of the original Apalachicola Arsenal complex around which the hospital developed. |
Considerable evidence shows that the deadly influenza was spread through North Florida by a special "relic train." The train traveled on the railroad from Jacksonville west through Florida to Pensacola, stopping in Tallahassee, Quincy, Marianna, and elsewhere:
The United States Government War Relic Train was at Quincy this morning from 7:30 to 9:30, and quite a large number of people from both the city and county viewed the wonderful exhibits sent out by the government to bring home to the people the closeness of the great struggle.
Captain L.M. Dixon, lieutenant H.B. Smith and Private, Gabriel Rubino, were the main speakers and entertained the audience with patriotic appeals. There were quite a number of catchy songs by other parties in the government train, which were enjoyed very much by the audience.
Chairman Wilson, of the Liberty Loan Committee, aided by his fellow members, worked among the audience, securing pledges for the Liberty Loan. [2]
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| The paddlewheel steamboat Amos Hayes at the railroad bridge over the Apalachicola at Chattahoochee (River Junction), Florida. The "relic train" crossed here on Oct. 5, 1918. |
In Tallahassee, for example, medical authorities reported the spread of the deadly illness less than 48-hours after the train's visit but noted there was no cause for alarm. Before another 24-hours passed, however, people were dying in the city, and the mayor ordered all public places to close their doors.
Quincy developed cases almost simultaneously with Tallahassee. Chattahoochee and Marianna followed just hours later.
At Florida State Hospital, the doctors and nurses were overwhelmed with deathly ill patients. Available statistics show that patients began to die on October 6, 1918, and the death toll soared in the days that followed.
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| The Administration Building of Florida State Hospital was the original officer's quarters of the Apalachicola Arsenal. |
Influenza surged again in November-December 1918, bringing even more deaths and more burials.
Cemetery No. 3 is one of several such burial grounds on and around the hospital and was the one in use in 1918. It is in the woods near Mosquito Creek and is not maintained although it is on state property. Hurricane Michael toppled trees there and damaged remaining grave markers, most of which were made of wood and bore only numbers to identify the unfortunate people interred there. The victims of the 1918 pandemic, with hundreds of other forgotten souls, rest in silence and neglect.
It is now impossible to identify who is buried in most of the graves, but the cemetery ledgers indicate that the following people died at the hospital in October 1918. Deaths before October 5 were likely of other causes.
DEATHS AT FLORIDA STATE HOSPITAL
October 1-31, 1918
1. Acuff,
Miss Clara Age 26 WF 10/16/1918
2. Albritton,
John Age 22 WM 10/4/1918
3. Alderman,
Britt Age 25 WM 10/11/1918
4. Allen,
Rollie Age 8 BM 10/17/1918
5. Almy,
Lillie Age 27 WF 10/20/1918
6. Arnau,
Eugene Age 34 WM 10/7/1918
7. Ash,
Joe Age
23 BM 10/23/1918
8. Bailey,
W.L. Age 71 WM 10/9/1918
9. Baker,
Mrs. Charlotte Age 38 WF 10/21/1918
10. Baldwin,
Peter Age 66 WM 10/5/1918
11. Beauchamp,
Miss Minnie Age 20 WF 10/21/1918
12. Bellamy,
Frank Age 13 BM 10/15/1918
13. Bennett,
Coley Age 17 WM 10/20/1918
14. Berry,
Walter Age 25 M 10/24/1918
15. Brown,
Alice Age 39 BF 10/7/1918
16. Brown,
Jacob Age 60 BM 10/18/1918
17. Bryant,
Annie Age 29 BF 10/15/1918
18. Bustin,
Mrs. Elizabeth Age 47 WF 10/20/1918
19. Butler,
Julia Age 40 BF 10/14/1918
20. Cason,
Gertrude Age 38 BF 10/14/1918
21. Chasen,
Samuel Age 54 WM 10/6/1918
22. Cobb,
E.C. Age 50 WM 10/8/1918
23. Davis,
George Age 40 BM 10/5/1918
24. Demps,
Gussie Age 24 BF 10/16/1918
25. Dingham,
Ella Age 28 WF 10/15/1918
26. Unknown Age WM 10/1918
27. Ellis,
Daniel Age 18 BM 10/12/1918
28. Ferguson,
Fronia Age 30 BF 10/19/1918
29. Francis,
C.W. Age 51 WM 10/11/1918
30. Francis,
George Age 34 BM 10/14/1918
31. Franklin,
Thomas Age 75 WM 10/15/1918
32. Gaross,
Maria Age 74 WF 10/8/1918
33. Golding,
John Age 15 WM 10/17/1918
34. Goosby,
Ida Age 47 BF 10/8/1918
35. Green,
Polly Ann Age WF 10/28/1918
36. Hall,
Rachel Age 75 BF 10/16/1918
37. Harin,
Will Age 31 BM 10/12/1918
38. Harrell,
Willie Age 41 WM 10/15/1918
39. Harris,
W. Age BF 10/12/1918
40. Hill,
James Palmer Age 25 WM 10/14/1918
41. Hinkley,
Lewis Age 21 WM 10/7/1918
42. Holmes,
Eliza Age 50 BF 10/20/1918
43. Horn,
J.B. Age WM 10/4/1918
44. Hutchinson,
M.T. Age 39 WM 10/3/1918
45. Isaac,
Marinda Age 3 BF 10/2/1918
46. Jenson,
Arthur Age WM 10/17/1918
47. Johnson,
Jim Age 37 BM 10/31/1918
48. Johnson,
Robert Age 26 BM 10/10/1918
49. Jones,
Charles Age BM 10/19/1918
50. Kelly,
Gladys Age 23 BF 10/13/1918
51. Kennedy,
Miss Jennie Age 30 WF 10/24/1918
52. Kensler,
Mary Age 43 BF 10/7/1918
53. Larcus,
Rebecca Age 46 BF 10/14/1918
54. Lee,
Charles Age 56 BM 10/10/1918
55. Lee,
John Age
34 WM 10/8/1918
56. Lee,
Mary Jane Age 45 WF 10/24/1918
57. Lender,
Mrs. Belle Age 51 WF 10/20/1918
58. Logan,
Jim Age 59 WM 10/7/1918
59. Mathis,
Mrs. Maud Age 34 WF 10/20/1918
60. Medino,
Patrick Age 33 WF? 10/8/1918
61. Mercer,
Mrs. Nancy Age 82 WF 10/20/1918
62. Milam,
Benjamin B. Age 32 WM 10/6/1918
63. Miller,
Moses Age 15 BM 10/19/1918
64. Moody,
John B. Age WM 10/12/1918
65. Moondeck,
George Age WM 10/31/1918
66. Moore,
Mrs. Maggie Age 34 WF 10/19/1918
67. Moore,
Maxie Age 25 or
30 BM 10/14/1918
68. Neel,
James Edward Age 14 WM 10/25/1918
69. Parker,
Sam Age 27 BM 10/18/1918
70. Pettington,
Livingston Age 28 BM 10/16/1918
71. Pinkston,
Albert Age WM 10/30/1918
72. Potts,
Carl Age
18 WM 10/21/1918
73. Price,
W.M.M. Age 51 WM 10/16/1918
74. Reed,
Sarah Age 40 WF 10/31/1918
75. Richards,
Willie Age 24 BF 10/19/1918
76. Richardson,
Emily Age 29 BF 10/17/1918
77. Richardson,
Jefferson Age 31 BM 10/12/1918
78. Ridditt,
Mary Age 25 WF 10/12/1918
79. Robertson,
Alderman Age 44 WM 10/14/1918
80. Russ,
Maude Age 17 BF 10/26/1918
81. Russell,
D.S. Age 27 WM 10/10/1918
82. Saunders,
Thomas Age 36 WM 10/10/1918
83. Seabury,
Charles N. Age 80 WM 10/25/1918
84. Sharp,
John Age 46 BM 10/14/1918
85. Sheronse,
Olin Age 35 WM 10/17/1918
86. Smith,
Lillie Mae Age 16 BF 10/3/1918
87. Stephens,
Christopher C. Age 36 BM 10/17/1918
88. Stephens,
Josephine Age 51 BF 10/17/1918
89. Stephens,
Mary Age 31 BF 10/15/1918
90. Sumler,
Charles Age BM 10/11/1918
91. Taylor,
Annie Age 25 BF 10/15/1918
92. Thomas,
Henry Age 44 BM 10/8/1918
93. Thomas,
Martha Age 49 BF 10/24/1918
94. Truluck,
William Age 40 BM 10/19/1918
95. Wade,
Albert Age 21 BM 10/10/1918
96. Walker,
Dennis Age 24 BM 10/26/1918
97. Ward,
Gus Age 36 BM 10/11/1918
98. Warren,
Major Age BM 10/20/1918
99. Washington,
George Age 73 BM 12/15/1918
100.
Webster, Pinkie Age
17 BF 10/23/1918
101.
Wheeler, Mary Age
36 BF 10/22/1918
102.
Whitehurst, John Age
52 WM 10/11/1918
103.
Whitehurst, Lillie May Age 18 WF 10/18/1918
104.
Wiggins, Emma Age
17 BF 10/19/1918
105.
Williams, Fannie Age
40 BF 10/15/1918
106.
Williams, Henry Age
68 BM 10/14/1918
107.
Williams, J.H. Age
56 BM 10/6/1918
108.
Williams, Lula Age
43 BF 10/15/1918
109.
Williams, Spencer Age 37 BM 10/20/1918
REFERENCES:
[1] Cemetery Ledgers, Florida State Hospital.
[2] Pensacola Journal, October 5, 1918.
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