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Editor’s Note: It’s no surprise Covid-19 is not the first pandemic to hit the nation. Ellsworth County fought the Spanish Influenza pandemic in 1918. These articles are taken from the pages in The Ellsworth Reporter and The Ellsworth Messenger.

Ellsworth Reporter Thursday, Oct. 24, 1918

INFLUENZA IS SUBSIDING

Ten Cases Reported Over The Eastern Section of The County but Epidemic is Not Spreading

Ten cases of influenza have developed in the eastern section of Ellsworth county within the last week, but only one of them is in Ellsworth city and that is apparently a mild attack.

In Ellsworth the 12 year old daughter of Frank Kreuger has every symptom of the epidemic, but her illness was noted in time and the attending physician does not anticipate that it will reach a serious state.

At Carneiro four members of the Harry McManes family have been victims of the disease. Mrs. McManes contracted it in Kansas City, and the epidemic spread to the baby, to Mr. McManes and Miss Opal McManes. Mrs. McManes had recovered sufficiently Tuesday to be up but both Mr. McManes and Opal were still critically ill.

Sam Johnson and his 12 year old daughter both had influenza symptoms last week but were recovering rapidly Tuesday.

Down near Langley Mr. and Mrs. Frank Johnson and their 6 year old son have the disease. Henry Miller, who was in Ellsworth Monday noon, developed the symptoms on the way home and at 2 o’clock was in bed with the disease in its easily recognized early stages.

The situation over the county is well in hand, and the health authorities do not anticipate any further spread of the epidemic nor any other fatalities.

DEATH CLAIMED TWO

Influenza Fatal In Stricken Thorpe Family — L.L. Coulter Died Thursday Morning Followed Friday by His Wife, Juanita Pearl Thorpe

Ellsworth has very seldom been shocked by two such tragic deaths as those of L.L. Coulter and his wife, Juanita Thorpe Coulter, which occurred within twenty-four hours of each other last week.

After an illness of only a week’s duration Mr. Coulter succumbed to pneumonia superinduced by influenza—the town’s first victim to the dread epidemic. Mrs. Coulter lived only one day longer when her weakened constitution found itself unable to further resist the disease.

The fatal influenza was presumably contracted on a recent trip to Hutchinson and before the symptoms manifested themselves. Mr. Coulter took a night fishing trip on which he got thoroughly wet, aggravating his subsequent illness and rendering more severe the pneumonia attack which followed.

The dreaded disease, Spanish influenza, is playing quite a part in changing people’s plans. The people of Lorraine were greatly disappointed, after having everything so well prepared, to have to close the conference. Schools and all public affairs are closed. In fact one is better off at home. We are told to keep our windows open to get fresh air. One boy was heard to say he would try it, so he opened his window and in-fluenza.

ABOUT OPENING SCHOOL

Dr. Zerzan, county health officer, has informed the county superintendent that in case conditions justified it the quarantine would be raised Friday through a general call over the telephone lines of the county but that in case no general call is given the quarantine will be continued until the public is properly notified. This statement was made Wednesday afternoon. H. Coover, county superintendent.

INFLUENZA PROVED FATAL

Son of Fred Livingston Died in Dakota

Edward, the youngest son of Fred Livingston died last week in Kildron, South Dakota, following an attack of influenza. The boy was 18 years old and had been honorably discharged from the Rainbok division in New York following a severe illness from pneumonia. This illness left him with one lung infected, and it is surmised made him an easy victim to influenza.

Ellsworth Messenger Thursday, Oct. 31, 1918

SPANISH INFLUENZA CASES HAVE TO BE REPORTED

County Health Officer Gives Orders And Advice on Epidemic Now Going the Rounds.

Spanish influenza, the “grippe” or “flu,” is a very highly contagious disease. Householders not employing a physician in cases where influenza is suspected must report them to the county health officer promptly and without fail. This is compulsory. It is best not to take chances with influenza but to call your family physician.

Because of its highly contagious nature precautions should be taken to prevent its spread.

Avoid overcrowding. Avoid poorly ventilated places. Sunshine and fresh air are enemies of the disease.

When sneezing or coughing cover the nostrils with your handkerchief. Move away from the vicinity of anyone sneezing.

All public gatherings are ordered discontinued until November 2 and only resumed then upon definite notice. This applies to churches, theatres, schools and public meetings. Public sales held in the open air are exempted.

Dr. S.T. Boyles of Parsons, who has charge of my practice while I am in military service, will fill the position of county health officer.

Dr. G.F. Zerzan.

Ellsworth Reporter Thursday, Nov. 7, 1918

INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC GROWS

The Spanish influenza has seemingly just begun to spread in Ellsworth. New cases have been reported nearly every day. Members of the following families are reported as having the influenza this week:

Grubb, Storey, Wondra, Seitz, Wellington, Weidman, Pflughoeft, Silverwood, Bartlett, Carhartt, Runzel and Nider. .

HOME SERVICE SUNDAY

Quarantine Will Not Stop Religious Devotions

Ellsworth is asked to observe its usual religious activities next Sunday whether the quarantine ban has been lifted or not. If it still prevails all the church bells will ring at the usual hour and all church members will be expected to conduct a short home service.

Lessons will be studied, collections set aside, and prayers offered for the church, the sick and the success of the county’s United War Campaign next week. Rev. Magee has issued a request that there be a general reading of the Battle Hymn of the Republic and II Corinthians chapter 8.

COMBINED CHURCH NOTES

The ban was lifted last Saturday and the churches opened Sunday morning. Quite a number were present, but many did not know the churches would be open. Every church will be open next Sunday. Let all members of churches and Sunday schools and friends be present. Come. Give Thanks. Rejoice. Kaiser Bill has fallen and Democracy rules the throne.

Sunday schools at 9:45, preaching at 11 a.m. subject “Paul’s Socialism”. Ellsworth League at 6:30 and preaching at 7:30 subject “God’s Speech”. Preaching will be in Methodist church. Everybody welcome. The Pastor.

Ellsworth Reporter Thursday, Nov. 14, 1918

SPANISH INFLUENZA

Do Not Fear When Fighting a German or a Germ!

By Dr. M. Cook.

The cool fighter always wins and so there is no need to become panicstricken. Avoid fear and crowds. Exercise in the fresh air and practice the three C’s: A Clean Mouth, a Clean Skin and Clean Bowels. To carry off the poisons that accumulate within the body and to ward off an attack of the influenza bacillus, take a good liver regulator to move the bowels. Such a one is made up of Mayapple, leaves of aloe, root of jalap, and is to be had at any drug store, and called “Pleasant Purgative Pellets.”

If a bad cold develops, go to bed, wrap up well, drink freely of hot lemonade and take a hot mustard foot-bath. Have the bedroom warm but well ventilated. Obtain at the nearest drug store “Anuric Tablets” to flush the kidneys and control the pains and aches. Take an “Anuric” tablet every two hours, together with copious drinks of lemonade. If a true case of influenza, the food should be simple, such as broths, milk, buttermilk and ice cream; but it is important that food be given regularly in order to keep up patient’s strength and vitality. After the acute attack has passed, which is generally three to seven days, the system should be built up by the use of a good iron tonic, such as “Irontic” tablets, to be obtained at some drug stores, or that well known blood-maker and herbal tonic made from roots and barks of forest trees — sold everywhere as Dr. Pierce’s Golden Medical Discovery.

SCHOOLS OPEN AGAIN

Every District in County Resumes Question of Length of Term Is Now Puzzling Boards

The schools of Ellsworth county reopened Monday morning after a suspension of work that covered a period of three weeks. Every district in the county resumed the interrupted school work and Supt. Coover is busy this week paying his official fall visit to rural schools.

Under a decision of the attorney general, teachers will receive their salaries for the time schools have not been in session if they have the proper kind of contracts.

School boards, however, are puzzled over the question as to whether they must provided a full seven or eight months of work despite the time lost by the enforced vacation. Attorney General Brewster holds that the condition of each district’s finances can best determine this point. The state law obligates a district to provide a certain number of months of school. The teacher’s salary goes on, even if school can not be held.

Therefore if a district’s treasury will not permit its paying a teacher for extra time, the attorney general holds that it can not be charged with dereliction of duty if it provides pupils only a seven months term while paying teachers for eight.

Ellsworth Messenger Thursday, Dec. 19, 1918

QUARANTINE COMMENDATIONS

The county health officer has made the following recommendations in regard to the influenza epidemic. His statement follows: For the City of Ellsworth and surrounding territory, quarantine and precautions used to help eradicate the epidemic of influenza. The county health officer asks and gives them authority, the county superintendent of schools, the teachers and the local health officer to use all precautions which they deem necessary, such as requiring each student to furnish a certificate of health before entering school again and all other persons who have had the influenza before taking up their work in their places of business. Ordinance No. 422, which has been published in the different Ellsworth papers must be strictly complied with and the different persons mentioned in this article are given authority to see that these rules are strictly enforced and all are required to use all means possible to help eradicate this epidemic of influenza.

S.T. Bayles, M.D., County Health Officer

HEALTH BOARDS MEET

Dr. S.T. Bayles, county health officer, was over from Holyrood Sunday and met with city health officials. It was decided that school and all other public gatherings should continue and that a strict quarantine be put on all homes having a member of the family ill with the influenza. This measure would be tried for a week and the results observed, and if not satisfactory, all gatherings be put under the ban.

ELLSWORTH NURSES POPULAR

Nurses in Ellsworth are becoming a scarcity. Towns east and west of here are using the Ellsworth trained nurses at all times and especially now during the influenza epidemic. Ellsworth can also claim a number of Red Cross nurses in service, both in France and in camps in this country.

Ellsworth Messenger Thursday, Jan. 30, 1919

HEALTH OFFICER’S REPORT

Shows 400 Cases of Influenza During 1918

I bet leave to submit the following report of the work of the county health officer relative to the communicable diseases occurring in the county of Ellsworth for the year ending December 31, 1918. Made to the county commissioners on this 22nd day of January 1919.

Respectfully submitted, G.F. Zerzan, County Health Officer.

The historic items on this page appear as they did in the original publication.

A monument was erected at Engineers Canyon, Camp Funston, Fort Riley, Kans., memorializing the 10th Sanitary Train soldiers who died in the flu epidemic. Harry A. Hardy, who is in the photograph, designed the monument. Photograph taken between 1918 and 1920, courtesy of the Kansas State Historical Society.

According to the Thursday, Oct. 24, 1918 issue of The Ellsworth Reporter, the first Ellsworth county victim of the influenza epidemic at Camp Funston died there Wednesday. He was Frank Nemrava of Noble township. The body will probably be brought to Black Wolf for burial. Nemrava was sent to Funston with the contingent of July 25. He was 22 years old and was a strong husky lad, having been employed on the county grading gang just prior to his induction. He has a brother, John Nemrava, farming in Noble township but his mother still resides in Austria.

There are some new influenza cases in the county around Ellsworth but the general situation is greatly improved this week. Holyrood seems to be suffering the worst, forty cases being unofficially reported from there this week. Kanopolis has several cases in Little Mexico but Mayor Nicholas has the situation well in hand and no spread of the epidemic is expected. Over at Carneiro the McManes family, which was critically ill last week, is practically out of danger and their case is a fair example of the general situation there.

Among the new Ellsworth cases is that of Hans Seitz who has been confined to his home since Sunday. His condition is not at all serious and he expects to be at the store again the last of the week.

Forty-nine deaths have occurred in Hays, proving that Ellsworth county physicians have been exceedingly fortunate in checking the disease here.