SMALLPOX EPIDEMIC IN FARMINGTON
By: Karen Ru
TODD-WADSWORTH SMALLPOX INOCULATION HOSPITAL
700 ft. southwest of Settlement Road, deep into the woods and in between both Plainville and Farmington town lines lies the Todd-Wadsworth Smallpox Hospital. The land belonged to the Josiah Kilbourn family and was purchased by Elias Brown in 1798. The hospital was easy to get to by stagecoach and was close so people who were “immune” to smallpox could visit. Rattlesnake Mountain sheltered the hospital from the cold north winds that blew in the fall and winter. Farmington licensed doctors Eli Todd and Theodore Wadsworth to open a smallpox hospital near the Southington town line in June, 1792. Dr. Eli Todd and Dr. Theodore Wadsworth were highly respected in the Connecticut area at that time, and patients were considered to be in good hands if they were treated by these two doctors.
Town Lines
The Todd-Wadsworth Hospital is located near both Farmington and Plainville townlines. It was far enough away from population but also accessible by stagecoach.
Location of Hospital
The hospital was created with an unknown number of smallpox pest houses, which were houses that were isolated without any food or medical care. The hospital may be burned down townspeople in the 1800ś to remove the fear of future contamination.
Fun Fact:
The Todd-Wadsworth Smallpox Inoculation Hospital never advertised its services because it constantly had people filling up the 20 rooms