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When Phoenix reopened schools and movie theaters after a bad wave of influenza cases in late 1918, the city was hit by a second wave in early 1919
The newspaper in Winslow AZ suggested a strict quarantine “instead of dodging the question for fear it might injure business”
The newspaper in Winslow AZ suggested a strict quarantine “instead of dodging the question for fear it might injure business”
Winslow knew all about the flu
When it hit the town of a few thousand in late 1918, the community had so many cases authorities had to turn the high school into a hospital
Here’s how it played out in the pages of The Winslow Mail …
When it hit the town of a few thousand in late 1918, the community had so many cases authorities had to turn the high school into a hospital
Here’s how it played out in the pages of The Winslow Mail …
The influenza seemed to strike Winslow suddenly. There hadn’t been much mention of it in The Mail until Oct 4, 1918 https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn96060765/1918-10-04/ed-1/seq-1/
“There is an epidemic of lagrippe in Winslow, and the doctors say there are more than 200 cases now,” the paper said
“There is an epidemic of lagrippe in Winslow, and the doctors say there are more than 200 cases now,” the paper said
A week later, cases had more than doubled:
“The Spanish influenza, which made its first appearance early last week, spread with such rapidity that Saturday it was estimated there were more than 500 cases“
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn96060765/1918-10-11/ed-1/seq-1
“The Spanish influenza, which made its first appearance early last week, spread with such rapidity that Saturday it was estimated there were more than 500 cases“
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn96060765/1918-10-11/ed-1/seq-1
That Saturday, the mayor called Gov Hunt, who advised quarantining the town and dispatched the state health officer with nurses
They arrived Sunday and started turning the local high school into a hospital …
They arrived Sunday and started turning the local high school into a hospital …
Spare beds and sheets were gathered from across Winslow and the assembly room and classrooms of the local high school were set up as racially segregated wards
“Monday night, there were 76 patients and every bed was filled … “
“Monday night, there were 76 patients and every bed was filled … “
By Friday, there were 115 patients in the hospital and a total of 420 cases across a town of maybe 3,730 (the population at the 1920 Census)
Two weeks after Winslow opened its emergency hospital, the facility had cared for about 200 people
24 people in the town had died
Two weeks after Winslow opened its emergency hospital, the facility had cared for about 200 people
24 people in the town had died
Among the first victims in Winslow was a Mrs Jackson, a widow who worked in a local shop and was the mother of five children. All of them got the flu
The newspaper noted a Y.B. Ortega lost his wife, mother of their year-old baby, as well as his father and a brother
The newspaper noted a Y.B. Ortega lost his wife, mother of their year-old baby, as well as his father and a brother
The flu seemed to change everything in Winslow for a while
The Mail noted that just about every business in town was operating with fewer employees. The Santa Fe RR barely had enough workers to run the trains. A grocery store usually staffed by about 20 people operated with 7
The Mail noted that just about every business in town was operating with fewer employees. The Santa Fe RR barely had enough workers to run the trains. A grocery store usually staffed by about 20 people operated with 7
The town had to borrow a doctor from Phoenix as local physician Dr Sprankle was himself bedridden with the flu. Another local doctor was busy with dozens of flu cases at the Indian school in Leupp
The Winslow Mail paints a picture of how the flu of 1918-19 impacted one small community
The newspaper chronicled the lives and deaths of some of the town’s residents with a certain intimacy that bigger papers lacked
The newspaper chronicled the lives and deaths of some of the town’s residents with a certain intimacy that bigger papers lacked
The Winslow Mail at the time mostly ignored residents who were not white
But there were many and came from all over
Occasionally, the newspaper revealed the diversity of 1918 Arizona
Here, The Mail praised the local Japanese community for its generosity during the outbreak
But there were many and came from all over
Occasionally, the newspaper revealed the diversity of 1918 Arizona
Here, The Mail praised the local Japanese community for its generosity during the outbreak
The emergency hospital set up in Winslow’s high school finally closed at the end of October 1918
But locals noted the inconsistent regulations from one town to the next. While quarantine rules remained in effect in Winslow, movie houses had opened back up in ravaged Flagstaff
But locals noted the inconsistent regulations from one town to the next. While quarantine rules remained in effect in Winslow, movie houses had opened back up in ravaged Flagstaff
