The influenza epidemic of 1918-1919 killed more people than World War I. It is estimated that 675,000 Americans died from this disease and that between September 1, 1918, and January 16, 1919, 45,000 people died in Massachusetts. The disease entered the country with some sailors that docked in Boston on August 27. Within two weeks, over 2,000 men stationed in the Boston area were infected. By October, towns in Western Massachusetts were seeing high rates of infection and death. This article reports that the disease reached an epidemic in Greenfield on September 28. From September 26 through noon on October 4, there were 340 cases and 16 deaths, which included two nurses. The Board of Health ordered schools, libraries, theaters, and private clubs to close.
Greenfield Gazette and Courier. “Influenza Epidemic Continues.” October 5, 1918. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l08-039/. Accessed on November 9, 2024.
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