1917 Epidemic at Galesville, Wisconsin

Date: 26 Feb 1917 to 19 Mar 1917
Location: Galesville, Trempealeau, Wisconsin, United States
Surnames/tags: Twesme Gipple Trempealeau County, Wisconsin

Galesville, Wisconsin is the picture of perfect small-town life. Founded in 1854 by Judge George Gale, it has been known as “The Garden of Eden” since Reverend David Van Slyke published a booklet in 1886, in which he claimed that the Garden had been found at last.^[1]

Yet, for a few weeks in the late winter of 1917, Galesville was anything but idyllic. From February 26 to March 19, the tiny village was under siege by an unknown assailant. Residents of the village initially presented with sore throats that, in many cases, quickly became more serious and, for some, deadly.

The disease started slowly and quickly picked up speed. The first case was on February 26th, and each day after there were a few more, until on March 4th, 44 cases appeared on one day.^[2]

At the point at which there had been four deaths within 48 hours, Mayor A.T. Twesme, village president of Galesville and noted local attorney, ordered local schools closed. He then called in the state board of health and requested additional physicians and nurses from Winona and Rochester, Minnesota. On 13 March 1917, the La Crosse Tribune reported that Mayor Twesme was of the belief that the epidemic was related to cows. Twesme was quoted as saying, “There have been similar epidemics traced to cows, and while we have no proof at present that the milk is infected, we shall have all cows furnishing milk to Galesville examined.”^[3]

Twesme notified the Mayo Clinic, which led an investigation into the epidemic. On March 12, the investigating physicians immediately issued a boil order for both water and milk. They deduced that, due to the large number of patients and the “explosive nature of the epidemic”, a single source of contamination was to blame. The boil order stopped the epidemic in its tracks.^[4]

It became clear to investigators that all the affected patients were using milk from the same dairy farm. Six cows of a herd supplying milk to Galesville were found to be infected with the streptococcic bacteria.

The La Crosse Pasteurized Milk Company took out a quarter-page ad in the La Crosse Tribune on March 17 titled “RAW MILK IS DANGEROUS”. It further stated:^[5]

The epidemic at Galesville, Wis., should convince you of this. If the milk at Galesville had been pasteurized this epidemic undoubtedly would not have occurred.

At the height of the outbreak, 25% of the inhabitants of Galesville were infected, and it was later determined that half of the families in town had one or more infected member.^[6] It resulted in numerous deaths. A local newspaper, published on Saturday, March 17, 1917 reported the following:

It is estimated that there are at least 150 cases of the disease (milk fever) in Galesville. At least six of the patients are in critical condition, it is admitted. Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Quarberg, both of whom are past eighty years of age, are expected to die. Physicians say that Mrs. Quarberg can live but a few days at the most. Her husband is also in a serious condition.

For his actions in the quelling the epidemic, Twesme later received an award from the Mayo Clinic Foundation, and was recognized for his role in leading to the widespread acceptance of the pasteurization of milk.^[7]

Dr. Jegi, when asked in 1947 about the most outstanding experience in his long career as family physician in Galesville, named the streptococcal infection of 1917. He said that more than 300 people were taken ill and 20 died, and that many suffered the ill effects for years. He was struck by the number of people who were so “desperately ill” within a short period of time. There were three doctors in town at that time; Jegi was the only one who was not stricken and could continue to work. ^[8] The other two doctors were Dr. George Christiansen and Dr. J.J. Powell. Powell himself contracted the illness but recovered.

Among the deaths reported:

• David Lauson, 84
• Enoch Lea, 74
• Mrs. Emily (Beebe) Willson, 88
• Marie Brudlos Johnson, 75.
• Teresa Uhl Phillips
• Emily Bradshaw Gipple (mother of Galesville Republican editor Bert Gipple)
• Donald Sacia, 10 days
• Helen Grover, 17
• Anna, Mrs. Hjalmer Anderson, and her infant child, 35
• Elizabeth "Lisa" Geurtler, Mrs. Andrew Guertler, 48
• Marion Hammond, 11 months
• Freddie Boe, aged 11
• Joseph Jensen, 58

Sources

1. ↑ Rev. D.O. Van Slyke. 1886. Garden Of Eden. Independent Printing House, Galesville, Wis.
2. ↑ Henika,G.W., I.F. Thomspon. 1917. Septic sore throat Epidemiologic study of a milk-borne epidemic at Galesville, Wis., due to the use of infected milk. JAMA. 1917;LXVIII(18):1307-1309. doi:10.1001/jama.1917.04270050009003
3. ↑ The LaCrosse Tribune, La Crosse, Wisconsin, 13 March 1917, page 1.)
4. ↑ Henika, G.W., I.F. Thomspon. 1917. Septic sore throat Epidemiologic study of a milk-borne epidemic at Galesville, Wis., due to the use of infected milk. JAMA. 1917;LXVIII(18):1307-1309. doi:10.1001/jama.1917.04270050009003
5. ↑ The La Crosse Tribune, La Crosse, Wisconsin, 17 March 1917, Saturday, p. 6
6. ↑ Wisconsin Board of Health. Report, Volume 27. Hygenic Laboratory, Madison.
7. ↑ https://co.trempealeau.wi.us/departments/court___legal_departments/circuit_court/albert_t_twesme.php; accessed on May 7, 2022
8. ↑ Winona Republican-Herald, Winona, Minnesota, 30 April 1947