Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World by Malcolm Harris tells the story of how California went from a Mexican/Mexican-influenced territory, extremely far away from the United States, into a state of entrepreneurs and blatant capitalism …. or at least I assume, as I’ve just started reading.
The book currently is focused on Leland Stanford and his prominent role in early California: , such as whom played a prominent role in California’s early history: mercantilist, governor, building the transcontinental railroad. After his railroad baron days, he used his wealth to create the Palo Alto Stock Farm, the world’s largest horse ranch. At a time when the economy was built around horses, he applied scientific principles to revolutionize the industry.
From page 67:
The country was deeply depended on them, as demonstrated when a wave of equine influenza in the winter of 1872-73 infected roughly 100 percent of its horses, killing more than 1 percent and temporarily debilitating the rest. The Great Epizootic ground eastern cities to a halt, stopping the horse-powered Delaware, Hudson, and Erie Canals in addition to virtually all local traffic. New York City streetcar operators had to drag the cars themselves, and much of Boston burned down when sick horses were left too tired to pull fire engines.
Remind you of COVID? Infections spreading from person-to-person horse-to-horse without any real understanding of how virulent it was? Major economic impact as difficulties mounted in transporting goods and supplies? According to the American Quarter Horse Association article, this epidemic/pandemic is not well-known and fairly forgotten, but its impact on a country recovering from the Civil War was substantial: the country could not function without horses.
It also appears that Harris was conservative in the killing more than 1 percent, as I’ve seen 10% and 25% fatality rates quoted, with many survivors taking months to recover and often never regaining full strength.
Wow.
