Some of you may know that, in a part of Hickory Hill Park that is near Oakland Cemetery, lie the scant remains of the last pest house in Iowa City. There isn’t a whole lot to see, but it’s the history and significance of such a structure that is really interesting. This is especially true during these times, when the terms ‘social distancing’ and ‘coronavirus’ are on everyone’s lips, and an infectious illness has changed the way we all live, work, and interact with one another.
Starting in 1881, Iowa City had a series of pest houses, places where people with…..