Kate Smulsley, “The Fort Plain Fasting Girl” Was an International Celebrity
One New York Times article from 1884 reads, “Fort Plain, N.Y., Aug. 21.–Interest in the case of Kate Smulsey, the young girl who, for 163 days, has been involuntarily starving to death, is spreading throughout this section of the country with extraordinary rapidity.” According to Kate’s family, she had nothing to eat except a small piece of watermelon, as well as beef broth. After her story was in the news, over 1,000 people came to visit where she lived in a small cottage. Doctors were so fascinated by this story, that there were inquiries requesting to study her that came as far away as Japan. Her parents tried to get her to eat, but she refused, saying that food made her “turn purple and bloat”. When she died in 1885, she was just 75 pounds. Hundreds of people showed up to watch.