Dying in Monroe County: Old time disease names
October 10 , 2014
As Halloween looms, there is always a feeling of macabre in the air. Neighborhood children will don costumes of zombies, mummies, or ghosts in hopes of trick-or-treat goodies. But the genealogical and historical importance of death cannot be taken lightly. Read More...
1918: Influenza hits Monroe County
January 01 , 2014
The influenza virus has been in existence for thousands of years. There have been documented epidemics and pandemics of the influenza virus for hundreds of years, but the Influenza Outbreak of 1918 was the worst on record. Monroe County was not exempt from this outbreak, and in September of 1918, the county recorded its first several hundred cases of the deadly flu. Read More...
Doctor’s orders: Take two baths and call me in the morning
July 07 , 2013
During the mid to late 19th century, many people sought alternative remedies of every kind to help cure their ailments. One of the treatments that was in vogue at the time and was purported to cure an array of illnesses and afflictions involved the healing powers of water.
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Swiftwater laboratory starts with Col. Slee
April 04 , 2009
In 1897, Richard Slee established Pocono Biological Laboratories in Swiftwater — his first client was the U.S. Army. Slee’s lab was the first and only company in the United States to produce France’s improved smallpox vaccine. Only one year later, Slee provided all of the vaccines used in Cuba during the Spanish-American War in 1898. Read More...