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Library of Congress / Research Guides / Newspapers & Current Periodicals / Typhoid Mary: Topics in Chronicling America / Introduction

Typhoid Mary: Topics in Chronicling America

In the Fall of 1906, Mary Mallon, a cook, is found to be "patient zero" for a typhoid outbreak leading to her exile.
This guide provides access to materials related to "Typhoid Mary” in the Chronicling America digital collection of
historic newspapers.

Introduction

Search Strategies & Selected Articles

Newspapers & Current Periodicals

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About Chronicling America

Chronicling America is a searchable digital collection of historic newspaper pages from 1770-1963
sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.

Also, see the Directory of U.S. Newspapers in American Libraries, a searchable index to newspapers
published in the United States since 1690, which helps researchers identify what titles exist for a speci몭c
place and time, and how to access them.

Public health experts blame rare typhus bacilli

carrier “Typhoid Mary” for more than 26 serious
cases of the disease. Investigations linked cook
Mary Mallon to households su몭ering typhoid
outbreaks, leading to forced quarantine by the
New York Health Department. After three years
in isolation she successfully fought for release,
only to be exiled to an island cottage for the rest
of her life after authorities discovered she was "How a dish of baked spaghetti gave 93 eaters Typhoid Fever."
continuing to work as a cook. Read more about July 11, 1915. Richmond Times-Dispatch (Richmond, VA), Image
it! 43. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers.

The information in this guide focuses on primary

source materials found in the digitized historic newspapers from the digital collection Chronicling America.

The timeline below highlights important dates related to this topic and a section of this guide provides some
suggested search strategies for further research in the collection.

Timeline

August 4, 1906 Mary Mallon begins work as a cook at home in Oyster Bay, NY. By early September, six members of

Autumn 1906 Sanitary engineer Dr. George Soper investigates the case. He pronounces Mallon the progenitor of t

March 19, 1907 Forcibly removed from her home by the health department, “Typhoid Mary” is sent 몭rst to hospitals

June 30, 1909 Mallon invokes writ of habeas corpus to be released from captivity. New York Supreme Court denie

February 1910 Typhoid Mary is released, on condition that she never work as a cook again.

December 1911 Mallon threatens to sue New York Health Department for mistreatment, but drops suit a year later.

March 1915 Mallon sent back to isolation after she is found to be working as cook, under an alias, at a hospital i

Subjects: Health & Medicine, Individuals, Topics in Chronicling America

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