Who Remembers Northeast Oregon’s Rabies Epidemic?

It started with coyotes, which are normally known for staying away from people, and their homes. But coyotes began wandering into people's yards and attacking their animals. Then humans started getting chased by their domesticated livestock and pets!

Most people didn't believe it was happening and just disregarded the weirdness believing their animals were being poisoned.

It was a rabies epidemic and the year was 1910.

Residents complained their animals were being attacked by a rabid coyote, but experts said otherwise until people were attacked by rabid coyotes -- and killed.

For years people walked around in their daily lives carrying a shotgun in fear of being attacked by coyotes and even mountain lions. Anybody could be attacked at anytime. At night you could hear animals being attacked by rabid beasts, sometimes even your own pet. All you could do was hide under your covers.

Things didn't start getting better until 1917 -- and even then people still walked around in fear.