People

Theodore Wagner

Theodore Wagner was a farmer located east of Dundee, Illinois who came to brief public notice in early 1915. He is known from a single contemporary news item reporting that he had reportedly become mentally unwell, the disturbance attributed to extreme fear that his dairy herd would be infected during the Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreak of 1915.

Known Activities

Wagner operated a dairy farm east of Dundee, Illinois during the Progressive Era. Beyond his agricultural occupation, nothing further is documented about his personal history, family, or the duration of his farming operation in the area.

In January 1915, a dispatch originating from Elgin, Illinois reported that Wagner had reportedly become insane through fear of foot and mouth disease infecting his dairy herd. (Source: The Day Book (Chicago), January 27, 1915 (Chronicling America)) The foot and mouth disease outbreak of that year affected livestock operations across the broader region, and anxieties among dairy farmers were widespread. The precise circumstances of Wagner's condition — including whether he received medical or institutional care — are not recorded in the available source.

The account appeared in a brief, multi-item news column in The Day Book (Chicago, Ill.), Last Edition, January 27, 1915, and should be treated with appropriate caution given the compressed and incidental nature of that coverage.

Timeline

Date	Event
January 27, 1915	The Day Book (Chicago) reports Wagner reportedly became insane from fear of foot and mouth disease infecting his dairy herd (Source: The Day Book (Chicago), January 27, 1915 (Chronicling America))

## Sources

1915-01-27_chronicling-america_image-3-of-the-day-book-chicag-p3-east-dundee.md — The Day Book (Chicago, Ill.), January 27, 1915, Last Edition, Image 3. Available via Chronicling America, Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045487/1915-01-27/ed-1/?sp=3