Book Report: Public Health in the Town of Boston

Public Health in the Town of Boston: 1630-1822
by John B. Blake (Born: 1922, Died: 2006)
c. 1959, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA
Distributed in Great Britian by Oxford University Press, London
Relation to Author of this Blog: Grandfather-in-Law

John Blake received his Ph.D. in American history from Harvard University in 1954 and studied uner renowned historian Arthur Schlesinger. The book reviewed here was taken from his Ph. D. dissertation. This is the only book he published, going on instead to become chief of the History of Medicine Division of the National Library of Medicine.  

John Blake chose to study Boston for a time frame that spanned colonial, revolutionary, and post-independence and ending when Boston became a city. The town of Boston was, as other large towns and cities in the US and Europe were, dealing with epidemic illnesses like yellow fever and smallpox. At the beginning of the time period, the causes for these illnesses were unknown. We are therefore able to witness the public's attempts to figure out the causes and then debate solutions to protect the public from the illnesses. 

The book alternates between two aspects of public health - two types of solutions for the illnesses - at that time: quarantine and inoculation for illnesses that were thought to spread through contagion; and sanitation issues to deal with illnesses that were thought to be related to environmental factors.

Most readers will find the chapters covering the history of inoculation more captivating than sanitation issues (with my father being one possible exception). I was surprised to learn how early the idea of inoculation came out. And through the book we witness the intense debates over the safety of inoculation at a time when people didn't fully understand what it was really doing and why it was working. With hindsight, and helpful guidance by the book's author, we can see who was right. From there we can draw lessons about how we should think about similar public health issues in our time.

The sanitation issues, though not quite as captivating, are necessary for the discussion of public health. When the book starts, government is not very involved in daily life. However, we can see a shift as people realize that environmental factors can affect public health and therefore necessitate a public solution. The public solutions go so far as to regulate where butchers and tanners can operate and how private citizens are required to maintain their own property (gasp!).

Before I end this post, I want to take a small detour. Those of you who are reading this post likely knew John Blake - or are close to someone who did. So let's take a minute to think about the work he did to write this book. In order to tell this story, John Blake had to pour over town meeting minutes and local publications for all of the years the book covers. That is no small feat and I imagine requires a dedication that surpasses what other writers of history (thinking of the pop-history writers we know about today) endure. 

And I am grateful he did it. The result is an interesting book about the earliest examples of public health policy that changes from inactive government to more active government to deal with the very serious problems of the times.

Picture: Mary Clare Leary

Mary Clare Leary
Born: November 10, 1905, North Lawrence, New York
Died: November 24, 1927, North Lawrence, New York
Relation to Author: Grand Aunt
Sister of Helen Leary KeenanAbove is a picture of Mary Clare Leary - older sister of Helen Leary Keenan. As you may remember, she died in the fire with the three young girls. 

This picture was apparently taken in 1926 - the year before the fire. If the picture was taken in the summer, as it appears to be, she would have been 20 (turning 21 in November of 1926). At the time of the fire, and probably at the time this picture was taken, Mary Clare had been attending St. Lawrence University.

I'm really happy that this picture exists. It is tragic that she died young - before even graduating college. But at least we have this picture to think of her. 

Picatinny: Margaret Williams Paulus

Margaret Williams Paulus
Born: Nov 4 1887, Neath(?), Pennsylvania
Died: March 4 1972, Succasunna, Morris, New Jersey
Relation to Author: Great Grandmother
Mother of Elizabeth (Betty) Paulus Cheney

Margaret Paulus (nee Williams) was born in Pennsylvania in 1887 to Robert Williams and Elizabeth Williams (nee Thomas), who were both immigrants from Wales. She married Frederick Paulus - the son of immigrants from Germany. At the age of 56 and then again at age 64 Margaret went to work for Picatinny Arsenal.

I am guessing that part of the reason Margaret worked at this late age was because of the early death of her husband, who died on March 12, 1934 at the age of 47. Before working at Picatinny, Margaret worked at Van Raalte Hosiery on Myrtle Avenue in Boonton, New Jersey - from 1926 through June of 1943. So she was working before her husband died, but it seems she might have continued because of the loss of his income. How Social Security played into her decision is unclear to me - maybe something for a future post.

Margaret Paulus' first stint at Picatinny was from June of 1943 through October of 1945. She started as a senior laborer making $4.80 per day ($62.68 in today's dollars) and ending as a shop inspector making $0.87 per hour ($10.92 in today's dollars).

Her second stint was from March 1951 through February 1957. Margaret worked as a machining inspector / machine tool inspector / machined parts inspector - inspecting inert components with a starting pay of $1.40 per hour ($12.17 in today's dollars) and ending at $1.96 per hour ($15.76 in today's dollars).

To get a sense of the work she performed, here are the duties from a job description for the Machining Inspector:

Inspects metal parts manufactured by the Arsenal metal shops. Inspections performed cover a great variety of grenades, fuzes, boosters, primers, rockets, and shells, as well as numerous small components parts such as lock assemblies, rotors, firing pins, springs and other items which are internally assembled into the major components. From completed lots selects samples in accordance with Standard Sampling Plan and performs inspections visually and by the application of gages and precision measuring instruments, such as micrometers, verniers, calipers and dial indicators.

Margaret's time at Picatinny ended in October of 1945 ostensibly because of the end of World War II. Though the termination notice does not spell this out explicitly, it seem obvious since notice was received September 24, 1945, only 22 days after victory over Japan. The personnel records show her being terminated in 1957 due to a reduction in force, but it doesn't explain why there was a reduction at that time and I can think of no obvious historical reason.

As you can see, I included her wages in today's dollars. I think it puts it into perspective better. After all, seeing that she was paid $0.87 per hour seems ridiculous and gives the wrong impression. And just to add a little more perspective, $10.92 per hour is roughly $22,700 for the year (assuming 40 hours per week and 52 weeks). 

Before They Were Grandparents

Helen Leary Keenan
Born: November 4, 1909, North Lawrence, New York
Died: May 1, 2004, North Lawrence, New York
Relation to Author: Grandmother

Hubert Keenan
Born: March 20, 1907, St. Lawrence County, New York
Died: November 14, 1984, North Lawrence, New York
Relation to Author: Grandfather

My mother has a collection of old pictures from her side of the family. I have started scanning them and will be posting them on this blog from time to time.

I think it is fitting to start with this picture of Helen Keenan (nee Leary) and Hubert Keenan - my grandparents - because it is one of my favorites. I just love this picture. I love seeing them in their youth. I knew them when they were much older, of course. And to see them so young, vibrant, and happy is amazing. 

While I don't have a date or location for the picture, they look to be about the same age as in their wedding picture (coming soon to this blog) so I would guess the picture is from sometimes around 1937. If anyone has better information, definitely let me know. Otherwise, just enjoy!

New Feature: 150 Years Ago

As you know by now, some of my (our) ancestors on the Cheney side fought in the American Civil War. And since the country will be recognizing the 150th anniversary of the war over the next four years, I will do the same thing here. This blog will mark the events that our ancestors participated in by featuring posts on the 150 year anniversary of when they actually happened. 

I'll start with Judson Cheney and his enlistment 150 years ago this November and follow him through his death at Chaffin's Farm. In 2014 I'll follow Justice Cheney's unfortunately short tenure in the war and in 2015 follow Jesse Cheney as he witnesses the end of the war. 

The events (and therefore the posts) will be spread pretty far apart, but that should give me time to do some research and include some good detail and information. 

The Next Generation (continued)

Brooks, my nephew was born recently. He is the second in the next generation of Cheneys. He is joined by Eamon - the two cousins are the same age and we assume will share many adventures.

Brooks was born in New Jersey - at Morristown Medical Center and will be living in Chatham - a suburban town with good schools that is a 45 minute train ride outside of New York City. His mother is an attorney and his father is a technical engineer (working for Major League Baseball Network - how cool!).

To give you a sense of the world Brooks is being born into: The governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie, an outspoken and brash Republican (and major Bruce Springsteen fan) who is battling the teachers unions in order to help deal with the states' budget deficits. He has repeatedly said that he will not run for president in 2012, but has been asked often because he is a prominent and popular national Republican. Depending on what happens in 2012 (ie if Obama wins reelection), he is considered likely to run in 2016.

On the day Brooks was born, the New York Times and Wall Street Journal featured stories about Steve Jobs resigning from his post of CEO Apple - seemingly because his health is preventing him from fulfilling his duties. Also, rebels broke through into Triploli, signaling the end of Muammar Quaddafi's regime in Libya. The Libya revolution is part of an "Arab Spring" with protests, uprisings and revolutions in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Bahrain, Yemen, and Tunisia.

More importantly, Brooks was born between two significant natural disaster events: an earthquake on August 23, 2011 and a hurricane (Irene) on August 27-28, 2011. Both affected the New York / New Jersey area, although the earthquake was minor - only a 5.8 on the Richter scale at it's epicenter in Virginia. The hurricane caused some flooding, as I am sure his parents will tell him about all the time when he is older.

There are two big issues in domestic politics right now: government debt (which I think is getting more attention than it needs - it is a long term problem not a short term one) and jobs (which isn't getting as much attention as 9% unemployment deserves).

Barack Obama is president and faces reelection in November 2012; his approval ratings are currently declining. The Republican primary field is shaping up, with Rick Perry (three-term governor of Texas), Mitt Romney (former governor of Massachusetts), and Michelle Bachmann (third term Congresswoman from Minnesota) the current front runners. Other candidates include Newt Gingrich (Speaker of the House during Clinton's administration), Rick Santorum (anti-gay former Senator from Pennsylvania), Herman Cain (anti-Muslim owner of Godfather's Pizza), and John Huntsman (former governor of Utah and former ambassador to China in Obama's administration).

The Fire and the Community

The Fire
November 24, 1927 (Thanksgiving)
Residence of Walter and Ida Leary
North Lawrence, NY

Died in the Fire
Arthur Leary (brother of Walter Leary) - Born: ABT 1867
Mary Clare Leary - Born: Sept 10, 1905
Evelyn Leary - Born: Feb 13, 1914
Rita Leary - Born: July 10, 1916
James Walter Leary - Born: Jan 31, 1920
Esther Leary - Born: Feb 27, 1918

Survived
Walter Leary - Born Jan 5, 1874; Died July 19, 1960
Ida Leary - Born Sep 1, 1878; Died Jan 7, 1981
Arthur Leary - Born Dec 15, 1903; Died May 19, 1968
Catherine Leary - Born Oct 7, 1907; Died Feb 29, 1988
Helen Leary Keenan - Born Nov 4, 1909; Died May 1, 2004
Barry Leary - Born Mar 2, 1912; Died Nov 29, 1969


I feel pretty comfortable assuming that all of the grandchildren of Helen Leary Keenan have at least heard the fire mentioned and probably briefly described. We all probably know the general story; it happened in the morning on Thanksgiving, the four youngest - Evelyn, Rita, James and Esther - and the second oldest - Mary Clare - died in the fire along with Helen’s uncle (her dad’s brother) Arthur. We also probably remember hearing that Mary Clare was found with the three young girls and that Jimmy, the youngest boy, was at the window but walked back into the fire.

The obituary of Walter Leary in 1960 says the following about the fire 33 years later: “The family received aid from all over the North Country after their plight. This fire is still considered one of the worst tragedies ever to occur in this area.”

I think these two sentences capture the two big aspects of this tragic event; how this affected our family and how the community responded. In this post I want to cover the community response.

Here is a quote from a Potsdam Courier Freeman article on the fire (Nov 30, 1927) regarding the community response.

The entire North country has moved swiftly in response to an appeal for members of the family. Prominent men from 16 different towns gathered in the stricken village Friday afternoon to render what aid was possible. In less than a moment $500 [author's note: this is $6,492 in today's dollars] was subscribed before the better plan was adopted of opening a subscription in each of the towns so that all who cared might contribute. About $2,000 was pledged up to yesterday [$25,968 in today's dollars].

The fund was opened by R.H. McEwen, former North Lawrence resident, and now Ogdensburg banker, with a check for $100 [$1,298 in today's dollars].

An organization meeting was held in the town hall in Winthrop Saturday night when representatives from the surrounding towns gathered to lay plans. Rev. Father Jacques of the St. Lawrence church, North Lawrence was named treasurer. Malone, Massena, Potsdam, Nicholville, Brasher, Wintrop and St. Regis Falls were represented.

In Potsdam Sunday morning the ministers brought the matter to the attention of the congregation and asked for help. A canvas was made Monday afternoon at 4 o'clock by the district Boy Scouts. The work will be continued for several days and checks may be made to Allan L. Gurley of Potsdam.

The women of Winthrop will provide furniture for one bedroom for the family.

Women and girls named Helen will contribute specifically for Miss Helen Leary and those named Katherine will aid Katherine Leary both of whom were sleeping on the ground floor of the house when the fire broke out. They escaped with Mr. and Mrs. Leary.

Aid for the two remaining sons will be provided by all Sunday school classes composed of boys in the North Country. The other son [Arthur] was in New Jersey when the fire occurred.

My first thought is how amazing it is that the community responded in this way. I want to believe that this type of generosity still exists, but I wonder if it is possible in an age of increased urbanization and the decline of the small community. Either way, the article shows that the community rallied to offer what they could to help a family that experienced one of the worst tragedies ever in the area.