Luke P. Blackburn

Luke Blackburn

Luke Pryor Blackburn (born June 16, 1816 in Woodford County , Kentucky , † September 14, 1887 in Frankfort , Kentucky) was an American politician and governor of the state of Kentucky from 1879 to 1883 .

Early years and professional career

Luke Blackburn received his primary education in local schools in his home country. He later studied medicine at Transylvania University . After graduating in 1835, he settled in Lexington as a doctor. When an epidemic of cholera broke out in the Versailles area of Kentucky , Blackburn selflessly campaigned to fight the disease. This made him known and famous in the area.

A short time later he moved to Natchez ( Mississippi ) and worked there as a doctor. In 1848, in New Orleans , the yellow fever broke out and the epidemic threatened to spread northward, Blackburn was appointed by the Government in Natchez for health workers. It was his job to take effective measures against the fever. Blackburn's solution was to impose a quarantine on the affected areas. This measure should have a positive effect and ultimately contain the disease. He also cared for the sick and had an infirmary built at his own expense. In the years that followed, Blackburn remained in town as director of the Natchez hospitals. He went on educational trips to other parts of the United States and Europe and made sure that his quarantine system was also carried over to Louisiana . Tragically, of all people, his wife fell victim to an epidemic.

In the civil war

From 1857 he was based in New Orleans. In the civil war he sided with the south and was used for some secret missions. Apparently he had tried to spread the yellow fever through contaminated clothes in the northern states . It was one of the first attempts in history to use a biological weapon. However, the plan failed.

Political career after the civil war

Luke Blackburn's tomb in Frankfort Cemetery

After the war, he again fought yellow fever in various cities in the south. He returned to politics in 1879 after spending a brief period in the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1843 . The Democratic Party nominated him that year for governor of Kentucky. He won the election with 55.4% of the vote against Walter Evans (36.2%) and CW Cook (8.4%). His term of office began on September 2, 1879 and lasted four years until September 5, 1883. During this time he operated, among other things, a prison reform. A new penal institution was built in Eddyville . Blackburn also issued many pardons to relieve the prisons. Probably for the same reason, but also for financial reasons, it was officially permitted to use prisoners as slave labor.

Old age and death

After the end of his tenure, Blackburn worked as a doctor again. He died in Frankfort on September 14, 1887. His exemplary and selfless commitment to disease control has remained, albeit overshadowed by his behavior during the civil war when he tried to infect the north with viruses.

His younger brother Joseph represented Kentucky in both houses of Congress .

Web links

• Luke Blackburn at the National Governors Association (English)
• History of Kentucky (English)
• Luke P. Blackburn in the database of Find a Grave (English)