HISTORY
A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020
‘The withering hand of a widespread infectious disease’
A look at Hermiston’s
handling of the Spanish
infl uenza pandemic
In 1918, 1919 and 1920
the Hermiston Herald cov-
ered another global pan-
demic of a disease known
as the Spanish infl uenza.
The following excerpts of
the Herald’s coverage of the
beginning of the pandemic
give a glimpse at what life
was like in Hermiston during
that pandemic, just over 100
years ago.
• • •
Dairy and Hog Show has
been postponed
Oct. 19, 1918
Right on the even of
peace rumors from Europe,
was in the shape of the
Spanish infl uenza broke
out in the United States and
spread with such rapidity
that it struck around Herm-
iston at the eleventh hour
of the holding of the Dairy
and Hog Show, and thereby
put a quietus on an annual
event that is always her-
alded with pride and joy by
ranchers and citizens alike.
Elaborate preparations
had been made this year
by the management of the
fair to make the event one
that would go down in the
annals of Hermiston His-
tory as being on a far more
stupendous scale than
any of the fi ve proceed-
ing Dairy and Hog shows.
But the withering hand of a
widespread infectious dis-
ease had to step in at an
inopportune time and put a
stop to these well laid plans
that meant so much to the
dairymen, hog raisers and
agricultural people of this
community, who have
yearly taken just pride in
exhibiting the products of
their farms.
But with good grace
all bow to the precaution-
ary measures enjoined by a
rigid quarantine, and agree
that the mayor’s proclama-
tion closing schools, the
Movie, abandoning church
services and stopping all
public gatherings is the
best method of safeguard-
ing the public against the
spread of infl uenza in this
neighborhood.
Pendleton is under strict
quarantine, as are many
other towns in the county,
including Echo, Stan-
fi eld and Umatilla. These
places, like Hermiston,
are following a mandatory
order from the state board
of health, which has issued
an order under instructions
from the surgeon general
of the government board of
health, to put all towns in
the state of Oregon under
quarantine, with a view to
stamping out the disease at
as early a date as possible.
• • •
Staff photo by Jade McDowell
The Hermiston Herald reports on an outbreak of the Spanish infl uenza in Hermiston in November
1918.
THEREFORE, BY AUTHORITY IN ME VESTED, FOR
THE PURPOSE OF PRESERVING THE HEALTH OF
THE COMMUNITY I DO HEREBY ORDER THAT ALL
CHURCHES, RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS, LODG-
ES, POOL AND BILLIARD HALLS, PICTURE SHOWS,
LIBRARIES, DANCE HALLS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
DANCES BY HEREBY CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER
ORDER.
J. D. Watson, acting mayor during the illness of F. C.McKenzie, Dec. 28, 1918
the breath of others.
Keep your homes,
offi ces and business houses
well aired. Keep well oth-
erwise. Keep the body well
fed and properly clothed.
With children the use of
milk is recommended.
Sneeze in a handkerchief.
Most persons take sick
rather suddenly with the
“Flu.” They feel weak,
have pains in eyes, ears,
head or back or are sore all
over. Some feel dizzy and
vomit. Most complain of
feeling chilly followed by
high temperature. Some-
times before these symp-
toms they look sick, have
blood shot eyes, running
nose or some cough. The
fever lasts three or four
days.
When you take it go
home and go to bed at
once. No one should sleep
stamp out the disease the
city administration must
have the cooperation of
every citizen. It is import-
ant that we observe rules
and regulations to this end
or the disease will spread
rapidly with sad results.
I therefore ask that every
man, woman and child in
the city use every precau-
tion possible in a vigorous
attempt to prevent further
spread of the epidemic.
Do not congregate in
any building.
Do not allow children to
play in groups, and when
two or three play together
be sure none have been
near exposure. It is espe-
cially important to guard
children.
Do not travel on trains
any more than absolutely
necessary. Try to avoid
coming into contact with
in the same room with
the patient. All discharges
from eyes, nose or mouth
should be collected in
gauze or rag as precaution.
It is well for attendants to
wear a wrapper or gown
and gauze mask.
— Mayor F.C. McKenzie
• • •
Infl uenza quarantine to
be lifted tonight
Nov. 16, 1918
After a battle of three
weeks in an endeavor to
stamp out Spanish infl u-
enza in this neighbor-
hood, Mayor McKen-
zie this Saturday evening
will proclaim the lifting
of the quarantine, which
will admit of church-going
people to attend worship
on Sunday and everything
resume normal condition
Monday.
Simultaneously Chair-
man J.D. Watson of the
local school board will
serve notice of the re-open-
ing of the Hermiston
school on Monday morn-
ing of the coming week.
Mr. Watson also desires to
notify teachers and pupils
that school will take up fi f-
teen minutes earlier each
morning and the lunch
hour shortened that much
at noon. This will add an
half hour to normal school
time, and is being done to
make up for lost time on
account of the enforced
vacation.
The careful follow-
ing of the quarantine reg-
ulations as laid down has
completely stamped out
the fl u here it is thought,
for only one new case has
appeared in Hermiston
within the past week, that
being W.F. Smith on the
Dishon place in the west-
ern part of down, and at
this writing he has almost
fully recovered.
Out in Columbia dis-
trict, however, there are
several cases yet, and on
this account quarantine on
school and gatherings may
remain in force there for a
week or ten days to come.
• • •
Hermiston in throes of
real infl uenza epidemic
Dec. 28, 1918
After having been fairly
well immune from the
infl uenza epidemic that
broke out in the state of
Oregon in the fall of the
present year, the city of
Hermiston is now in the
grip of the disease for fair,
with a sprinkling of pneu-
monia thrown in.
Isolated cases there
have been right along, but
early precautions taken by
the city authorities by plac-
ing of the city under rigid
quarantine regulations had
cleared up the Flu situa-
tion, and it looked as if
the town was going to get
by without an epidemic. A
week ago health prospects
were rosy, there being very
little sickness in the com-
munity at the time. But
with one fell swoop infl u-
enza broke out and spread
with alarming rapidity
until now there are many
cases reported here. The
doctors are on the go day
and night, and it is hard to
get nurses to take care of
the sick.
... The disease had
gained such headway by
Tuesday that at a confer-
ence of the council it was
decided to place the city
under strict quarantine reg-
ulations, and as a result the
Flu ban went into effect
at noon on Christmas day
with the issuing of the fol-
lowing proclamation by
J.D. Watson, acting mayor
during the illness of F.C.
McKenzie:
Wheras, infl uenza is
breaking out in our city to a
greater extent than before,
it behooves the City of
Hermiston and its inhabi-
tants to adopt measures to
check the further spread of
this disease in our midst.
Therefore, by author-
ity in me vested, for the
purpose of preserving the
health of the community
I do hereby order that all
churches, religious orga-
nizations, lodges, pool
and billiard halls, picture
shows, libraries, dance
halls, public and private
dances by hereby closed
until further order.
I further recommend
that all stores, restaurants,
meat markets, hotels,
offi ces, banks and other
places of business where
people are in the habit of
assembling for the pur-
chase of merchandise or
transaction of business
shall use diligence in ven-
tilating and otherwise
rendering hygienic their
places of business.
DID
YOU
KNOW...
9.3 MILLION PEOPLE experience
thoughts of suicide EVERY YEAR
SUICIDE AWARENESS WEEK
IS SEPTEMBER 6-12, 2020
Join us for a FREE Virtual Lunch &
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presented by UCo Health:
September 10th at 12pm
Infl uenza in Hermiston
Nov. 2, 1918
The county health offi cer
has visited Hermiston and
found a number of cases
of Spanish infl uenza in our
midst.
In order to successfully
Contact 541-667-3509 or
healthinfo@gshealth.org to register
PET OF THE
W EEK
Reece is a very chill & sweet old man that is
about 10 years old. He loves to be around
his people, but not super cuddly, but he
loves to have his ears rubbed. He loves to sit
outside in the shade and feel the wind on his
face. Reece does have some aging issues, is on
a strict diet for his weight and will need regular
grooming. Due to his age and health, we prefer he
isn’t around young children.
MEET
REECE
Mark Sargent, DVM • Brent Barton, DVM
Eugenio Mannucci, DVM, cVMA • Jana von Borstel, DVM, cVMA
Small and Large Animal Care
Mon: 8-6
Tue - Fri: 8-5
Sat: 8-12
Emergency Service
541.567.1138
80489 Hwy 395 N
Hermiston
www.oregontrailvet.com
Due to the
COVID-19
pandemic, animal
shelters need
our help more
than ever. Please
donate to your
local shelter, or
offer to foster an
animal in need.
If interested please go to fuzzballrescue.com and fill out an application.
If you are not able to adopt, but would like to foster or donate, visit fuzzballrescue.com
or you can mail in donations to Fuzz Ball Animal Rescue, PO Box 580, Hermiston, OR 97838
CAR TROUBLE?
LOST YOUR LICENSE?
DON’T WORRY!
WE GOT YOU COVERED!
A WORC taxi will get you to and from your job
anywhere in western Umatilla County.
Anyone who comes in through the end of December,
can get four FREE punch cards,
which equals 40 one-way rides to/from work.
Visit https://hermiston.or.us/public-transit
to find out how to sign up, and how WORC and the HART
bus service work together to connect Hermiston.