by Shannon Butler
Nobody wants to be considered a pest, especially when your vocation is actually to entertain people with your talent for drama. So when a young actress found herself in the local “pest house” in 1895, newspapers made quite a fuss, and so did local authorities. First, we must determine what exactly a pest house is. To be clear, a pest house is not someplace to store an annoying neighbor or other random individuals. In fact, pest houses were a sign of humans beginning to understand infectious diseases and the need for proper quarantines. Here in Poughkeepsie, there was a pest house on the grounds of Vassar Hospital, where individuals diagnosed with infectious things like cholera or tuberculosis would be placed.
9 year-old actress Lillian Graham was part of the Uncle Tom’s Cabin Company, a traveling troupe performing the famous story in the 1890s. She played the role of Little Eva and was considered to be quite talented. Her mother had been traveling and performing with her, but she suddenly became ill and was left behind in Chicago to recover. When the company arrived in Poughkeepsie, Lillian complained of a sore throat which gradually got worse. Another female member of the company escorted her to Vassar Hospital, where she was informed that she could not be admitted unless she had an order from a physician. She was advised to take Lillian to Doctor D.B. Ward, located on Garden Street. The doctor quickly determined that this was a case of diphtheria, which was an incredibly infectious and dangerous illness.
Dr. Ward immediately instructed the woman who was attending to Lillian to take her right to the pest house, while he informed the health warden. The keys for the pest house were located at the police station, which the health warden quickly dashed off to collect. It seems that the pest house had not been used in well over a year, so it required a quick cleaning, and fires to be made in order to warm it up. All the while, the young actress stood in the cold, awaiting a bed to be prepared. Suddenly everyone wondered whether or not this was a suitable place for the little girl. Rumors circulated that not only was the house unclean, but that the sheets on the beds had not been disinfected since the last case of scarlet fever infected the place.
In the midst of all of this, there was some concern over random people and doctors being allowed into the pest house to care for the child. There was, of course, a concern for spreading the illness; the more people with access to the child, the more likely her sickness would spread. The editors of the Poughkeepsie Daily Eagle also suggested the need for a better hospital for contagious diseases in the city (something other than the pest house). They went on to defend the idea:
“While all other papers published sensational articles about Lillian Graham’s case, the Eagle gave its readers a plain statement of the facts, and was the only one to suggest a practical remedy, in the shape of a hospital, for contagious diseases.” – 19 Mar 1895
On the 26th of March, a man named Barry Adams got off of the train and immediately asked to see his daughter Lillian. He informed authorities that Lillian was the daughter of his first wife (the same person who was recovering in Chicago from an illness), from whom he had been separated. The health officials informed him that he could not have access to his child, but that she was feeling better and would be allowed to go home soon. Luckily, her case was a mild one: she recovered and left the pest house on April 3rd. For a while afterwards, there was much talk in the papers about the failures of this whole ordeal. Who was responsible for the conditions at the pest house, who was allowed in the pest house to care for the child. Also the fact that, as the girl had been with her acting troupe, all of the members would have been exposed, yet they still performed in front of a packed crowd at the Collingwood Opera House.
Considering the times we are living in now with the Covid-19 pandemic, this story seems to hit a bit close to home. So remember to wear your masks and to remain vigilant. Be safe, fellow history nerds.
Resources:
Poughkeepsie Eagle News, 18 Mar 1895, 19 Mar 1895, 25 Mar 1895, 6 Apr 1895, 11 Apr 1895
Images:
01 – Photo of Lillian Graham Adams in costume
02 – Image of the Sandborn maps from 1895 showing the location of the pest house on the Vassar Hospital campus
03 – Clipping from the Poughkeepsie Daily Eagle, 21 Mar 1895
