{"id":7,"ordinal":0,"modified":"2026-04-17 19:33:28","content_modified":"2026-04-17 19:33:28","featured":1,"title":"The Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1867","creator":"Zachary Doleshal, Ph.D., SHSU Public History Students of 2017","description":"<p>The Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1867 explores one of the most devastating events in the history of the Lone Star State. Originating in Indianola in June, the virus spread by way of infected persons to Galveston and then across East-Central Texas. Millican, Huntsville, La Grange, Brenham and Chappell Hill, Alleyton, Hempstead, Goliad, Navasota, Victoria, Montgomery, and Houston were all hard hit. The virus did not finally stop until November 26th with the first frost of the year.  By then, approximately 4,000 Texans had died, which suggests that close to 40,000 had become infected.\r\n\r\nThe disease would dramatically change many of these towns, as industries were slow to recover, prominent families never returned, and colleges began to think about relocating. Reconstruction efforts were seriously undermined, as yellow fever took the life of Assistant Commissioner of the Freedmen's Bureau, General Charles Griffin, in Galveston, and approximately 393 United States soldiers across the state.\r\n</p>","postscript_text":"The 2017 undergraduate and graduate students of Sam Houston State’s Public History classes would like to thank the following institutions and individuals for help with this project:\r\n\r\nThe Department of History at SHSU\r\nSHSU Special Collections and Archive\r\nSandra Rogers of the Texas Prison Museum and Archeological Steward of Walker County\r\nThe College of Graduate Studies at SHSU\r\nThe Center for Community Engagement at SHSU\r\nThe Walker County Historical Commission\r\nThe Deeds and Records Division at the Walker County Courthouse\r\nSpecial Collections at the University of Texas at Arlington\r\n","tour_img":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/fullsize/b71e4e1ef124b1e2210348da52ab105c.jpg","items":[{"id":238,"title":"Cincinnati, Texas","latitude":30.9255988890379995837065507657825946807861328125,"longitude":-95.529041290282975751324556767940521240234375,"thumbnail":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/b71e4e1ef124b1e2210348da52ab105c.jpg","fullsize":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/fullsize/b71e4e1ef124b1e2210348da52ab105c.jpg","subtitle":null,"address":null,"custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":249,"title":"Yellow Fever in Indianola, Texas","latitude":28.511944899999999591955202049575746059417724609375,"longitude":-96.4874750000000176441972143948078155517578125,"thumbnail":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/eaf54b25b128f7a75cf6dcbae0e77a5c.jpg","fullsize":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/fullsize/eaf54b25b128f7a75cf6dcbae0e77a5c.jpg","subtitle":"A Modern-Day Ghost Town","address":null,"custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":251,"title":"Yellow Fever in Galveston, Texas","latitude":29.301347899999999668807504349388182163238525390625,"longitude":-94.79769579999998541097738780081272125244140625,"thumbnail":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/b99465081f52cea2608a4aa7815abd78.jpg","fullsize":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/fullsize/b99465081f52cea2608a4aa7815abd78.jpg","subtitle":"\"Those Remaining Died on the Island like Sheep\"","address":null,"custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":248,"title":"Yellow Fever in Houston, Texas","latitude":29.760426700000000010959411156363785266876220703125,"longitude":-95.3698028000000022075255401432514190673828125,"thumbnail":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/59738d00daa4576f12526f002ecf4e59.jpg","fullsize":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/fullsize/59738d00daa4576f12526f002ecf4e59.jpg","subtitle":null,"address":null,"custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":243,"title":"Yellow Fever in Navasota, Texas","latitude":30.3879845000000017307684174738824367523193359375,"longitude":-96.087734899999986737384460866451263427734375,"thumbnail":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/c43840afb9a36b8405c8221933276fcf.jpg","fullsize":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/fullsize/c43840afb9a36b8405c8221933276fcf.jpg","subtitle":"\"A City in the State of Siege\"","address":null,"custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":239,"title":"Yellow Fever in Huntsville, Texas","latitude":30.723526299999999622514224029146134853363037109375,"longitude":-95.550777100000004793400876224040985107421875,"thumbnail":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/f5524b2730e7863a49e665b635c690f4.jpg","fullsize":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/fullsize/f5524b2730e7863a49e665b635c690f4.jpg","subtitle":null,"address":null,"custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":237,"title":"Yellow Fever in the Penitentiary","latitude":30.721781799999998696648617624305188655853271484375,"longitude":-95.54653639999997949416865594685077667236328125,"thumbnail":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/03c11846c6c9649eb423bbbe1ecc16a3.jpg","fullsize":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/fullsize/03c11846c6c9649eb423bbbe1ecc16a3.jpg","subtitle":null,"address":null,"custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":247,"title":"Yellow Fever in La Grange, Texas","latitude":29.90550329999999945584931992925703525543212890625,"longitude":-96.87664699999999129431671462953090667724609375,"thumbnail":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/0ad0e6b11e8f62ecf892870299c321ca.jpg","fullsize":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/fullsize/0ad0e6b11e8f62ecf892870299c321ca.jpg","subtitle":"\"No One Left to Bury the Dead\"","address":null,"custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":244,"title":"Yellow Fever in Anderson, Texas","latitude":30.48769709999999832916728337295353412628173828125,"longitude":-95.992451500000015585101209580898284912109375,"thumbnail":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/9de540bb2351db57ef6c8af21614e2af.jpg","fullsize":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/fullsize/9de540bb2351db57ef6c8af21614e2af.jpg","subtitle":"No Town Escaped Unscathed","address":null,"custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":245,"title":"Yellow Fever in Bryan, Texas","latitude":30.67436430000000058271325542591512203216552734375,"longitude":-96.369963200000029246439225971698760986328125,"thumbnail":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/a7fb3bb6128993d5549f7e6d35bddc75.jpg","fullsize":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/fullsize/a7fb3bb6128993d5549f7e6d35bddc75.jpg","subtitle":"Death on the Rails","address":null,"custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":246,"title":"Yellow Fever in Millican, Texas","latitude":30.4685376999999988356648827902972698211669921875,"longitude":-96.2024592999999867970473133027553558349609375,"thumbnail":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/81fffbbea759ade0cdb871455b556cd5.jpg","fullsize":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/fullsize/81fffbbea759ade0cdb871455b556cd5.jpg","subtitle":"\"The Village of the Dead\"","address":null,"custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":250,"title":"Yellow Fever in Hempstead, Texas","latitude":30.097440500000001151192918769083917140960693359375,"longitude":-96.07829179999998814309947192668914794921875,"thumbnail":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/1af56dd43c7ef5c0019f608ce7194ac4.jpg","fullsize":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/fullsize/1af56dd43c7ef5c0019f608ce7194ac4.jpg","subtitle":null,"address":null,"custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}}]}