Paul Gorn 1878 - 1939

Paul Gorn — The Man Who Broke Quarantine

This stop tells the story of Paul Gorn, a man whose actions during a smallpox outbreak briefly put an entire community on edge.

In July of the early 1900s, Tonawanda was dealing with several cases of smallpox — a disease feared not just for its mortality, but for how easily it spread. Homes with infected residents were placed under strict quarantine. No one was supposed to enter or leave.

Paul Gorn lived on Wall Street in Tonawanda. His brother, Charles Gorn, was one of those suffering from the disease. That meant Paul Gorn’s home was under quarantine.

On a Saturday evening, Paul Gorn ignored it.

He left the house, traveled to Kenmore, and made several stops there — potentially exposing countless people to the disease. On his way back, he went even further, stopping at the armory of the 25th Separate Company, where he took a bath.

When questioned, Gorn told the officer on duty that he had been vaccinated and was allowed inside. He was then permitted to leave.

Once health officials learned what had happened, the response was swift. Health Physician Harris was notified, and Chief of Police Diedrick announced that Paul Gorn would be arrested and prosecuted as soon as he was officially released from quarantine.

At the time, officials worked quickly to reassure the public. Other smallpox cases in Tonawanda were improving. Homes were disinfected. Families were slowly released from isolation. The disease, while frightening, appeared to be under control.

But Paul Gorn’s actions exposed a deeper fear — that all it took was one person breaking the rules to undo public health efforts.

Standing here today, his story reminds us that cemeteries hold more than victims of disease. They also hold the memory of panic, resistance, and the fragile balance between personal freedom and community safety.