How Our Ancestors Addressed the Spanish Flu |

“The more the situation changes, the less it changes.”

About 100 years ago, the ancestors of Clearfield and the surrounding Progressland area dealt with much of what we do today: wearing masks, closing schools and offices, and overwhelming amounts. Uncertainty and fear.

In the fall of 1918, the Spanish flu hit the country, killing millions of people worldwide. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, the official estimate of deaths in the United States is about 675,000 deaths.

The topic of Spanish influenza was reported by The Progress in 1918 and 1919, with George Scott writing his 50th anniversary in 1968 and Jane Elling’s 50th and 75th anniversary in 1993.

It finally struck the Clearfield area and was first discussed in the progress of September 30, 1918. There, John Mills Jr. of Houtsdale, who was also a member of the Marine Corps, died from the previous week “Pneumonia after the Spanish flu attack.”

On October 4, 1918, people noticed a massive closure, where we are now. State Health Director Dr. B.F. Royer has ordered the closure of “all recreational facilities and all salons” in the state. The 5 October 1918 edition states that all schools and churches were closed and read as follows:

Local health committee certified by. Here, State Department representative Dr. John W. Gordon, in compliance with the orders of state health authorities, has decided to order the closure of all churches, Sunday schools, public schools and parish schools in Clearfield. The action was decided by local health authorities this morning and was decided at a meeting in the court’s arbitration room at 1 pm today. This action was approved by a committee of representatives of the town. The meeting was attended by Mayor Chase, pastors of various churches, town doctors, bankers, county security committees, women’s clubs, child aid organizations, free lending committees, Red Cross committees, and various newspapers. Physicians pointed out that the epidemic could reach the clear field and advised everyone with a cough or a cold to stay indoors until fully recovered. The closure order is to remain in force as long as it is prudent to ban the gathering of all at the discretion of the health authorities. All funerals must necessarily be private while the closure order is in force. “

Then, on Sunday, October 6, Progress said, “Extra! Seven cases of influenza in Spain were found in Clearfield.” A local doctor discovered seven cases of influenza at 3 pm. That afternoon, there were cases of “Mill Road on the West Side, two in the East End and four in different sections of the other wards.” An emergency hospital was then set up using the new Children’s Aid Society building on South Second Street. Elizabeth Cleese, a 39-year-old tuberculosis count nurse, was appointed supervisor of the hospital on October 8 after a case in 24 boroughs.

The barber shop was closed on October 11, but it had been closed for about one and a half weeks before October 21, so it was reopened on October 15. The progress status became the heading of “the flu epidemic became serious”, and there were 31 houses. Eleven patients under quarantine in Clearfield Borough and Emergency Hospital. Plymptonville’s estimates at that time were 60 to 75 cases. At that time, I was worried that the crease might be infected with influenza.

Two days later, lawyer Reno W. Edwards became the first person to die of a Spanish flu in Clearfield. The next day, George Van De Walt, 36, on Daisy Street, died and all offices were ordered to close on Saturday at 5 pm. Closed instead of the usual 9pm.

Then, on October 25, the progress was reported, “conservative estimates set the number of cases to 500 with 52 patients in an emergency hospital in Clearfield”. Five tents were then placed on the lawn of the hospital to create a room for new patients. One day later, Dr. John Frederick Howe died after being hospitalized with his wife. He also said on 26 October that his husband and three-year-old son had died of the flu, killing six in Dubois within 24 hours and Mrs. John W. Verner of Chesterhill. Philipsburg also reported plans to open an emergency hospital in the Reliance Fire Hall earlier this week.

Tuesday, October 29, was a sad day for the community as it was reported that Clees, who took care of the influenza cases in Spain, died. Progress management editor G.A. Stewart wrote:

Death in Clearfield has never caused more real grief or community regret than ever before. For everyone, the supreme sacrifice of this good woman may be made for each citizen of the town, so death and sorrow may be trapped on each fireside. “

The Clearfield company was closed for her funeral, the assembly ban was lifted and she was able to attend worship at her house’s front porch on Ogden Avenue.

Three more patients died in the hospital — W. Gerber, the head of the C.A. county. Greglin director of Silk Mill; Mrs. Andrew Powell of Woodland. Powell died the next day after six were reported dead in Dubois and one in Grampian.

In other parts of the region, Madera reportedly had a large number of sick people, but the infected were treated at home and did not need a makeshift hospital. On October 30, three deaths were reported in Grampian. One of them was the Catholic priest, the priest, the priest. Fox — Closed the business there.

Carwensville opened temporary hospitals at Moose Lodge, with hospitals in Philipsburg, Kerrytown, Houtsdale, Brisbane and Morrisdale. Elling quoted Jasper M. Fritz and Gerald R. Fritz’s 1991 book on Osceola Mills saying that 24 people died in Osceola Mills from October 1st to November 20th. Up to 500 cases have occurred in the immediate vicinity. A book written by David Former and Lawrence Cromshaw on the history of the St. Agnes Parish in Morrisdale said the King Hotel became an emergency hospital and treated 74 patients, seven of whom died.

On November 11, the public ban on the rally was lifted to celebrate the day of the armistice and the end of World War I, and the ban was lifted entirely on November 14. The situation returned to’normal ‘with 90 new cases reported and the death of one in the first week of restarting in Clearfield, but influenza cases still remain. There were talks of another two dead that week and another quarantine issue. However, on December 2, the Health Committee decided to maintain the status quo and closed the emergency hospital itself on December 16. Also, on December 16, there were 60 cases in Winburne, saying, “The local health authorities are ready to deal with the epidemic at the hospital at the emergency school home.” Charles Larson, 22, Steve Yustavonie, who left a widow and five children, was one of the most recent deaths.

Outbreaks of the Spanish flu were well tracked in the region, but were not well covered at a later stage. Since January 1, 1919, The Progress heading topic has essentially disappeared, and Scott’s study found that all that was left was an incidental report of death from influenza or pneumonia. In addition, the number of deaths in Clearfield Borough or Clearfield County was not published during that time.