The “Great Epizootic” of 1872-1873 incapacitated urban horses across North America. This Boston newspaper article details the disruptive effects of what is thought to have been equine influenza, and includes veterinary medical advice to readers on caring for their own horses.
What does this account suggest about the centrality of animal labor in the city? How was horsepower sustained and managed? What were factors helped encourage a transition away from horses to electric-powered transportation and the internal combustion engine?
Citation:
“The Horse Disease.” Chicago Daily Tribune. November 3, 1872, 2.
Library Item date:
1872
Library Item Location:
Daily Evening Traveller see map Boston, MA United States