This Month Marks 100 Years Since The Spanish Flu Epidemic (Wyncote: elementary school, tax)

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by thedirtypirate

Interest, I have never read anything about Yellow Fever happening that year too.



In the grand scheme of things, the fever of 1793 was probably more devastating. Some say that's why George Washington decided to go lay the first blocks that would become build Washington DC. 5,000 people died in 1793 between Aug and Nov. That's a WAY higher percentage than the 12k in 1918 where the city pop. was nearing 2 million.

Years ago, when the Inquirer had its own Sunday magazine, there was a big article about the yellow fever epidemics. For whatever reason, I've always remembered that 1918 was the last year listed, I guess because my father was born the next year. Years later I realized that my grandmother's uncle died in Philadelphia that year & questioned her. She claimed to not remember, but did remember that her grandmother encouraged him to go to Philadelphia to avoid being drafted into WWI.

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by southbound_295

Years ago, when the Inquirer had its own Sunday magazine, there was a big article about the yellow fever epidemics. For whatever reason, I've always remembered that 1918 was the last year listed, I guess because my father was born the next year. Years later I realized that my grandmother's uncle died in Philadelphia that year & questioned her. She claimed to not remember, but did remember that her grandmother encouraged him to go to Philadelphia to avoid being drafted into WWI.

He might have found some sort of essential war work. My grandfather didn't serve because he worked in the coal mines.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by Gerania

He might have found some sort of essential war work. My grandfather didn't serve because he worked in the coal mines.

That's probably what it was & could have been at the naval shipyard. I don't know. I could try to get a death certificate, but have other things to deal with first. Maybe he died of some other cause, because they shipped his bady back to Michigan.

[BigSwede]

Originally Posted by thedirtypirate

I got the idea of making this thread because of an article I was reading about how Sweden essentially turned into a Socialist Welfare State because of the Flu. I wonder what some short term and long term effects came about because of it. I wonder if the perception of the city changed.

Do you have a link to that article?

[thedirtypirate]

Originally Posted by BigSwede

Do you have a link to that article?

Yep

How Spanish flu helped create Sweden's modern welfare state - The Guardian

[BigSwede]

Originally Posted by thedirtypirate

Yep

How Spanish flu helped create Sweden's modern welfare state - The Guardian

Thank you!

[pman]

Originally Posted by thedirtypirate

Interest, I have never read anything about Yellow Fever happening that year too.



In the grand scheme of things, the fever of 1793 was probably more devastating. Some say that's why George Washington decided to go lay the first blocks that would become build Washington DC. 5,000 people died in 1793 between Aug and Nov. That's a WAY higher percentage than the 12k in 1918 where the city pop. was nearing 2 million.

I would think DC, had it been a city, would have had similar issues given its similar climate.

[Jo48]

My Grandma had three young children and was pregnant with my Dad during that 1918 Flu Epidemic. Nobody in the family died.

My Grandpa was a Trolley Car Conductor in NYC. Imagine all the sick people he came into contact with? Dad said his father used to ride his bicycle to Philly to see his sister. Ok, given that it now takes about 4 hours by car, how long did it take by bicycle? I would suppose he must have been a very healthy and strong young man to do that. 1918 Flu????

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Jo48

My Grandma had three young children and was pregnant with my Dad during that 1918 Flu Epidemic. Nobody in the family died.

My Grandpa was a Trolley Car Conductor in NYC. Imagine all the sick people he came into contact with? Dad said his father used to ride his bicycle to Philly to see his sister. Ok, given that it now takes about 4 hours by car, how long did it take by bicycle? I would suppose he must have been a very healthy and strong young man to do that. 1918 Flu????

In a time when the only vaccine( or rather inoculation) available was for smallpox, he was exposed to just about everything from polio to TB.

In 1958 measles almost killed me for example. I remember the last big polio outbreak in the early 1950s before the Salk vaccine.

[thedirtypirate]

Originally Posted by kyb01

OT but can be added as a tangential fact.

Philadelphia has, approximately, 500 centenrarians living in the city. Many of them are natives like my aunt. Every year the city throws a party for these people at the Sugar House casino.

Every one of these people also lived through the great Flu epidemic so, in a way, that's something to celebrate.

That's pretty wild to think about. A lot of things have changed in the last 100 years.

Originally Posted by ElijahAstin

My great-great-grandfather died in the epidemic. No other family was affected, as far as I know.

Wow, do you happen to know what neighborhood he lived in? Just curious if it was mainly people in South Philadelphia.

Originally Posted by pman

I would think DC, had it been a city, would have had similar issues given its similar climate.

It is just an urban legend. The idea for a federal district arose from the Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783. Another interesting story in history.