Every corner of the globe has been touched by the coronavirus pandemic. Daily life has come to a standstill for many in Jefferson County and around the world.
But in the midst of the unknown, it can be comforting, and daunting, to remember that pandemics are commonplace in the history of humanity.
Jefferson County has weathered one such crisis before and its evidence can be found in the early pages of The Leader.
The “Spanish Flu” ravaged the world from 1918 to 1920. The pandemic is estimated to have infected 500 million people worldwide and killed roughly 675,000 in the United States over two to three years.
By comparison, in just over one month, roughly 42,000 Americans have been killed by COVID-19.
Spanish Flu, which got its name not from an origin in Spain, but from first being widely reported there, is believed to have been brought to the U.S. by military service members who contracted the disease while fighting in World War I. It was often called “the grippe.”
Cases began appearing in the U.S. in April 1918, and the height of the outbreak occurred in October of that year when cases and coverage first appeared in issues of The Leader. It can be viewed as a snapshot in time, with the early days of confusion and immediate social restrictions parallel to today.
Cases first began to spring up at military bases in the Puget Sound region, disrupting military assignments.
“Up to the present time not a single case of the disorder has been reported in the district, and it is hoped that an advance quarantine will greatly cut down the chances for an epidemic,” The Leader reported on Oct. 3, 1918.
Soldiers from nearby bases were still allowed to visit Port Townsend, but quarantine regulations prevented them from attending large social gatherings, which The Leader reporters noted might “prove somewhat embarrassing for the social life in this section, as the artillerymen have been among the best patrons of all dances given in this city.”
Comparisons can be drawn between the 1918 influenza pandemic and COVID-19 through how it affected everyday life. For both, within weeks of the first reported cases in the region, schools, restaurants and businesses were shuttered and people were urged to stay home. People began to wear surgical masks in public and stockpile food and supplies.
But the medical realities of the two pandemics are very different. The 1918 disease primarily impacted younger generations as older people seemed to have some sort of immunity. Today, the older generation is more susceptible to complications from COVID-19.
“Spanish Flu” was also commonly referred to as the “three-day flu” because it came and went so quickly. A person would develop symptoms and either be killed or recover within three days. COVID-19 symptoms can lay dormant for a week or more once a person has become infected, if they present symptoms at all.
The 1918 pandemic largely ran its course through humanity with no vaccine or treatment and eventually died out. Experts say that until there is a vaccine, COVID-19 will continue to circulate through the population and “stalk” the human race, one World Health Organization official said.
On Oct. 5, 1918, the reality of the situation seemed to be settling in with The Leader reporting multiple cases among civilians in Seattle and an increased sense of urgency among public health officials.
“It would be the greatest sort of manifestation of luck if this section escaped without a visit from the scourge,” The Leader reporter noted.
Directions for individuals to keep themselves safe and healthy echo those heard today.
“Keep away from public gatherings and public places as much as possible. If necessary for you to go into crowded places, get out as soon as possible.”
“If you have any symptoms whatsoever of grippe, stay at home. Do not visit others or permit others to visit you.”
Sound familiar?
The first local cases were reported at Fort Worden and Fort Flagler on Oct. 6, and soldiers were no longer allowed to leave their stations and go into town.
Over the next two weeks, cases began to crop up among the residents, but it seems citizens were not taking the threat seriously until Oct. 20, 1918 when The Leader reported, “It was announced last evening on the very best of authority that unless more diligence is shown in the enforcement of the quarantine regulations against the Spanish Influenza… the immunity from the disorder which residents of Port Townsend have thus far enjoyed will become a thing of the past, allowing the disease to secure a foothold which will bring about a recurrence of what has been happening in other cities… It is declared that the time for talk has ended and a point has been reached when vigilance and activity must be shown if the disastrous effects of a severe epidemic are to be avoided.”
Over the following weeks, cases rapidly increased, and it seems people began to take the threat more seriously. Community groups were formed in different areas of the city and tasked with keeping a watchful eye on neighbors and reporting suspected cases and, most likely, breaches of quarantine. Public gathering places such as The Rose Theatre, churches and bars were closed, but it did not seem to dampen the spread.
“Health Officer L.T. Seavey yesterday extended the quarantine regulations to cover all establishments where bowling, pool, billiards and card games are played. All gatherings for pastime are prohibited by the latest orders.” The Leader reported on Oct. 26, 1918.
“Lodge meetings come under the ban of the latest instructions, although it is claimed that this was scarcely necessary, as the average resident has such a wholesome respect for the ‘flu’ that he is keeping away from anything savering of a ‘meeting’ of more than two people. Barbers have been muzzled temporarily, and yesterday all tonsorial artists [hairdressers] were seen to don their gauze mask before mowing the hirsute shrubbery of the populace.”
Life in 1918 in Port Townsend was interrupted quickly, but once the danger passed, businesses and daily life returned and the community was stronger for it. May we remember that times of crisis are times of togetherness and Jefferson County will weather any storm.
The Leader archives from 1905 to 1920 can be found online in the University of Washington Libraries collection.
