Jim Kershner’s this day in history
From our archives, 100 years ago
A flock of nearly 1,200 sheep went “loco” near Boyds, Washington, just north of Kettle Falls, after eating poisonous death camas.
Then, people saw “something they never saw before and probably was never seen in any community in the world,” said the deputy state food inspector, sent out to investigate.
They watched helplessly as nearly all of the sheep “died amid horrible sufferings or met death by jumping into Kettle River or into Deadman’s Creek.”
It began when a local sheepman shipped his large flock to a government forest reserve near Boyds and let them graze in what looked like “tempting pasture.” It was tempting, but in the worst of ways. The sheepman didn’t know it was covered with death camas, a plant that slightly resembles edible camas but is toxic.
The first hint that something was wrong came when one sheep suddenly “went insane, bounded into the air, tore around and died of convulsions.” The sheepman had no idea why. Within the next 24 hours nearly all of the sheep suffered the same fate.
The inspector said the entire district is covered with death camas and that parents should warn their children against gathering or eating the plant or its bulbs. It differs from edible camas in having white flowers instead of blue.