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Imagine being quarantined for 10 years.

It happened right here in Wilkes-Barre in the early 1900s.

Joseph Norman in 1914 suffered from a mysterious malady causing him to lose his job at the Hazard Rope Company.

Local physicians were not able to diagnose Norman’s ailment until he was taken to a Philadelphia hospital in September 1914.

“A Wilkes-Barrean, Joseph Norman, of 117 Blackman St., is being held by the Philadelphia health authorities on suspicion of being a leper. Microscopical examinations of his tissue convince the authorities that his case is well defined,” the Evening News reported Sept. 14, 1914.

Not wanting to deal with a leprosy patient, two physicians with the Philadelphia department of health quickly returned Norman to his home without notifying the Wilkes-Barre department of health.

Once Wilkes-Barre officials learned of Norman’s medical condition, two policemen were stationed each shift covering 24 hours at the Blackman Street residence to make sure Norman and his family did not leave the property.

For the next few weeks, officials thought about what to do with Norman. One idea included building Norman and his family a cottage in Newport Township away from civilization, while another plan was to move him to a farm in Sweet Valley. As the city couldn’t decide what to do with Norman, the city paid for his living expenses including food, clothing and coal to heat his stove and heat his home.

In an attempt to relieve the city of its financial responsibility of Norman, a city health official asked the state’s Poor Board to take care of Norman and his family.

“It is said that the local poor district could easily take care of Norman by erecting a small building for him at Retreat, where it would not cost as much to keep him in this city,” the Wilkes-Barre Record reported Sept. 16, 1914.

The Poor Board’s city office partially accepted responsibility for Norman as they were already taking care of eight families in quarantine due to typhoid fever, giving the Norman family food and clothing. The city continued to pay for coal deliveries at the home.

Norman believed he contracted the disease from handling acids at the Hazard Rope Company but health officials dismissed this belief, saying leprosy could only be contracted by coming in direct contact with a leper, the Record reported.

Norman never relocated from his Blackman Street home where he remained quarantined for 10 years until his death in March 1924.

During the decade of quarantine, Norman was treated by a local physician and his health slightly improved. Norman was permitted to stay in the rear yard of his home where he chopped wood for the city and neighbors.

“Dr. B. Franklin Royer, state medical examiner, together with Dr. Frank Kosek went to the home of Joseph Norman, the leper, and examined the patient. Norman is still under the surveillance of the city authorities,” the Times Leader reported March 30, 1916.

By November 1916, health officials would not lift Norman’s quarantine despite improvement of his health.

“Joseph Norman, the leper, has made no effort as yet to flee from this city. He is anxious, however, that he be given permission to leave this state so that he could go to New York and engage in farm work,” the Evening News reported Nov. 13, 1916.

Norman’s three children were kept from attending school for nearly five years.

Norman died inside his home March 8, 1924, and buried in Ashley Cemetery.

“Joseph Norman, notorious leper, died at his home on Saturday of the disease which caused great consternation among city authorities and a heated controversy between city and state health authorities regarding continuance of his isolation almost 10 years ago,” the Record reported March 10, 1924.

While leprosy was reported as the cause of Norman’s death, Dr. Nathaniel Ross attributed his death to scrofula, a disease of glands in the neck, according to a March 11, 1924, report in the Record.

“Authorities declare that there are no indications of any disease similar to that suffered by the father or surviving members of the family and the city’s once costly ‘leper’ will probably soon be forgotten,” the Record reported.

Look Back: Wilkes-Barre paid to quarantine leprosy family