In June of 1740, a deadly epidemic of "throat distemper" gripped the town of Cambridge, MA. A few adults and many young children succumbed to the disease, most between June 22 and June 25.
On June 23, Harvard dismissed its students early, sending them home in hopes that they would not fall ill. This precaution seemed prudent, especially since President Holyoke's and Steward Bordman's families were among those hardest hit.
Many of the victims of this epidemic are buried in the Harvard Square burying ground.