End of Days

Washington County citizens were living peacefully, and apparently enjoying life In plain simple contentment until, unexpectedly, in the year 1833, without the slightest premonition, a dreadful scourge Asiatic cholera pounced upon the town, seized its victims by the dozens, making fatal work without discrimination or relenting its hold for weeks.

Scarcely a family wasn't visited by the deadly scourge. Several families being discouraged soon scattered to other towns and places and never returned. That was the first and severest affliction visited upon the people of Salem and Washington County.

Cholera appeared again in 1853 and 1862, but not in so virulent a form. In the year 1853 some 5 or 6 responsible persons, led by David G. Campbell and Col. J. L. Menaugh, cleared away the Mill Dam a mile southwest of town, since that dam was removed there has been no cholera here.

That November of 1833, a wonderful meteoric shower happened in the night. Many superstitious persons believed that the arrival of cholera and the meteor shower signaled the period of this earthly planets existence was about at an end.

Yet here we are revolving with our planet on Its axis as usual.

This story was read at the 6th Annual Old Settlers Days reunion in 1902.