Pest House

Pest House. Quarantine Facility. , Disease was an ominous, evil force around 1900. Successful treatment and vaccination were unavailable. Isolation worked best. Contagious victims were removed to the dreaded place of disease, the pest house, located in a remote corner of town away from healthy family and friends., The term "pest house" derives from the word pestilence, or disease. Contagious diseases such as smallpox, scarlet fever, cholera, or influenza could spread quickly and with deadly force once introduced to the community. Transportation hubs such as Mackinaw City were very vulnerable. Disease outbreaks in distant ports or rail yards could unexpectedly arrive with any inbound boat or train. How was a community to protect its healthy citizens from its unhealthy ones? Isolation! Those who had no family to care for them were transported to the remote pest house!, [Captions:] , Smallpox was contagious and deadly, leaving permanent scars on survivors., Quarantine has always been, and continues to be, a controversial government action in a free society. When, if ever, should it be used?, Mackinaw City's pest house is probably the last remaining pest house in Michigan. It is a modest building that was originally located on the northeast corner of the cemetery, a convenient location for too many of its residents. With the advent of hospitals, the village had no use for the building and sold it to a family in town. The historical society restored it in 2005., Record Of Village Council Proceedings , Meeting called to order by Pres.S.J.Smith, Trustees present,.F.Stringham, G.J.Carlton, L.H.Liebeck, G.Robinson, L.L.Paquet, 6, Absent, C.J.Dietz, 1, Minutes of the last regular meeting read and there being no corrections stood approved as read., Correction was then added to the minutes of Aug.18th, 1933, adding to the minutes the following, "and the notes now due on flying field be renewed for a period of two years from due date.", The Committee appointed on the sale of the pest house then reported that Mr. Bone, who originally thought he wanted to purchase same, now advises that if he cannot have the lot on which the building stands, that he does not want to purchase the house, however the Committee reported that they had looked the building over very carefully, and do not think that it is worth more then about $150.00, and it was decided to have the Hershell place a For Sale sign on same and that the Committee would sell same for that price if they get an opportunity.