Influenza Blues

As the influenza season wanes I decided to examine how this disease impacted my ancestors in Michigan. Prior to the late 1880s not many deaths were ascribed to influenza, usually in the single digits each year, but after that numbers of influenza deaths reported to the state were generally larger, culminating in the Spanish Influenza epidemic at the end of WWI.

References for Graph [1-8]

The low numbers of influenza deaths could be an actual trend or they could be an artifact of the abysmal state of data collection at the time (see Why Early Michigan Birth Records Are Unreliable) or the fact that we don't know who provided the cause of death (see Is That Really The Cause Of Death?).  Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to draw conclusions without additional data. It also bears remembering that influenza may have contributed to far more deaths than the numbers indicate because people weakened by influenza are more susceptible to other diseases such as bronchitis or pneumonia. The pneumonia may have been the cause of death, but if not for the influenza that laid someone low in the first place they may never have succumbed.

While the usual pattern of seasonal flu is to prey on the very young or old, the Spanish Influenza virus that spread around the world at the end of WWI fatally attacked the very demographic expected to be most resilient, people in their 20s and 30s. In the years for which the data was provided, most of the influenza deaths in Michigan were in those 70+ or under five, but in 1918, the peak of the Spanish flu in Michigan, young adults were hardest hit: 1,996 deaths in those 20-29 years and 1,521 deaths for those 30-39. [8]

At Fort Custer, they can pinpoint to the hour when Spanish flu struck the base. At 10 a.m. Sunday morning on Sept. 29, 1918 the first soldiers were rushed to the camp hospital. [9] Then “the disease seemed to break out all over camp simultaneously.” [9] With more men continually entering the hospital, a quarantine was put in place by late afternoon Monday. Almost no one was allowed to enter or leave the camp, training exercises were curtailed and intermingling of men from different barracks was prohibited. [9, 10] The importance of taking precautionary measures was exemplified by the 78^th Infantry regiment. As of Monday (Sept 30), the average number of cases “per regiment has been 38. In the 78^th infantry three companies failed to observe the rule which requires that mess kits be boiled for ten minutes and then dried without using cloths. In this regiment the number of men afflicted with respiratory diseases was 669.” [9]

By Monday morning 557 had been admitted to the base hospital and by the end of Tuesday that number was believed to be about 2,000. [9] 5,650 men were in the hospital on October 9, but Camp Custer considered itself lucky because only about 25% of the men in camp had been afflicted while in many places that number was 50% or more. [10] By October 24, the number in hospital was reduced to 1,650 and the admission rate had returned to normal levels. [11] All in all, Fort Custer weathered the storm better than other camps of similar size. In comparison with three other camps, Custer had fewer sick and fewer fatalities. Statistics for deaths/total number of sick patients were also much better: Camp Sherman: 13.14% of those sick with influenza died, Camp Devens 9.78%, Camp Grant 8.66%, Camp Custer 5.95%. [12]

Camp Funston, Kansas in 1918.  This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons.

Although the situation stabilized quickly at Fort Custer, the epidemic was in full swing in Kalamazoo and elsewhere. By early December about 1000 children were absent from school in Kalamazoo, most sick with influenza. [13] The City Commission, meeting as a Board of Health, ordered that all public gatherings were prohibited. “This includes churches, schools, theaters, moving pictures shows, pool rooms, bowling alleys, dance halls, lodge rooms, reading rooms in the Public Library. . . we further order that all street cars, interurban cars, and public conveyances shall have ventilators open regardless of outside temperature and . . . shall be thoroughly cleaned each day.” They also mandated that all new and existing cases of influenza be reported and quarantined until the City Commission rescinded the order. During the meeting it was reported that flu cases “were rapidly increasing, and to such an extent that it was becoming impossible for the force of doctors and nurses available to adequately handle the epidemic.” [13]

The city commission, however, couldn't rigorously enforce regulations and prevent people from coming in contact with potentially sick people like the commanding officers could at a military encampment such as Fort Custer. Kalamazooans could still encounter sick or exposed residents at the five-and-ten stores, though there was debate about allowing them to stay open, as well as other stores. [14] As a result, the epidemic continued. While 1918 was the peak year for influenza deaths in Michigan, at 6,742, 1919 and 1920 each tallied about 3,000 deaths from influenza (see graph).

The Spanish flu came as a shock to our ancestors. Now, we should know better. Wherever pigs, ducks and humans live in close contact this mutable virus will mix and match genes to stir up a potentially lethal new strain. The kind of epidemic experienced at the close of WWI could easily happen again and should come as no surprise when it does.

1. Secretary of State of Michigan, Twenty-Ninth Annual Report Relating To The Registry And Return Of Births, Marriages And Deaths in Michigan For The Year 1895 (Lansing, Michigan: Robert Smith Printing Co, 1897), pp. 154-155; digital images, Google Books (http://books.google.com/books: accessed 1 Feb 2013)
   
2. Secretary of State of Michigan. Thirty-Fifth Annual Report of the Secretary of State on the Registration of Births And Deaths Marriages And Divorces in Michigan For The Year 1901. (Lansing, Michigan: Robert Smith Printing Co., 1905), p. lxiv; digital images, Google Books (http://books.google.com/books: accessed 1 Feb 2013)
3. Secretary of State of Michigan. Forty-First Annual Report of the Secretary of State on the Registration of Births And Deaths Marriages And Divorces in Michigan For The Year 1907. (Lansing, Michigan: Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., 1909), 39; digital images, Google Books (http://books.google.com/books: accessed 1 Feb 2013)
4. Secretary of State of Michigan. Forty-Second Annual Report of the Secretary of State on the Registration of Births And Deaths Marriages And Divorces in Michigan For The Year 1908. (Lansing, Michigan: Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., 1910), p. 25; digital images, Google Books (http://books.google.com/books: accessed 1 Feb 2013)
5. Secretary of State of Michigan. Forty-Third Annual Report of the Secretary of State on the Registration of Births And Deaths Marriages And Divorces in Michigan For The Year 1909. (Lansing, Michigan: Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., 1911), p. 43; digital images, Google Books (http://books.google.com/books: accessed 1 Feb 2013)
6. Secretary of State of Michigan. Forty-Sixth Annual Report of the Secretary of State on the Registration of Births And Deaths Marriages And Divorces in Michigan For The Year 1912. (Lansing, Michigan: Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., 1914), p. 45; digital images, Google Books (http://books.google.com/books: accessed 5 Feb 2013)
7. Secretary of State of Michigan. Fifty-First Annual Report of the Secretary of State on the Registration of Births And Deaths Marriages And Divorces in Michigan For The Year 1917. (Lansing, Michigan: Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., 1920), p. 45; digital images, Google Books (http://books.google.com/books: accessed 5 Feb 2013)
8. State Department of Health. Fifty-Second, Fifty-Third and Fifty-Fourth Annual Report of the Commissioner of Health On The Registration Of Births And Deaths Marriages And Divorces In Michigan For The Years 1918, 1919 And 1920. Lansing, Michigan: Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., 1922), pp. 40, 194, 288; digital images, Google Books (http://books.google.com/books: accessed 9 Feb 2013)
9. “Spanish Influenza Hits Camp Custer; Quarantine Is On,” Trench And Camp [Battle Creek, Mich.], 3 October 1918, page 1, column 1, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library (http://www.kpl.gov: accessed 13 February 2014), Miscellaneous Kalamazoo Publications Collection.
10. “Influenza Situation In Camp Improved Though Many Die Of Pneumonia,” Trench And Camp [Battle Creek, Mich.], 10 October 1918, page 1, column 1, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library (http://www.kpl.gov: accessed 13 February 2014), Miscellaneous Kalamazoo Publications Collection.

11. “Health Conditions Are Resuming Normal State Within Custer Limits,” Trench And Camp [Battle Creek, Mich.], 24 October 1918, page 1, column 1, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library (http://www.kpl.gov: accessed 13 February 2014), Miscellaneous Kalamazoo Publications Collection.
12. “In Spite Of Epidemic Local Cantonment Has High Health Standing,” Trench And Camp [Battle Creek, Mich.], 7 November 1918, page 1, column 5, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library (http://www.kpl.gov: accessed 13 February 2014), Miscellaneous Kalamazoo Publications Collection.

13. “The 'Ban' Again On,” The People [Kalamazoo, Mich.], 12 December 1918, page 1, column 3, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library (http://www.kpl.gov: accessed 13 February 2014), Miscellaneous Kalamazoo Publications Collection.
14. “About This Closing Order,” The People [Kalamazoo, Mich.], 12 December 1918, page 8, column 1, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library (http://www.kpl.gov: accessed 13 February 2014), Miscellaneous Kalamazoo Publications Collection.

MuseOn Kalamazoo

Even if you don't live near Kalamazoo you can still get a free dose of Kalamazoo history three times a year. The Kalamazoo Valley Museum's magazine, museOn, which is available online, can provide a little bit of your ancestors' world from people to places to past-times. The current edition includes a piece about some of the different industries that have employed Kalamazooans. You can read it here. 

Each issue has something of interest. Some recent subjects have been the history of Kalamazoo's townships, Kalamazoo during the Depression, Kalamazoo's history of windmill making, Kalamazoo and the car, Kalamazoo dressmakers and many others. Because back issues are available here on the KVM website  I encourage you to take a peek at issues past to see if they have covered a topic of particular interest to you. If you had ancestors who lived in Kalamazoo during the Civil War you may be interested to peruse the Winter/Spring 2005 issue which has a number of articles relevant to Kalamazoo life in that time period. One that was of particular interest to me lately was on page 12 of the Winter 2012 issue which had a photograph of the members of Kalamazoo's Orcutt post of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). One of my people, Lawrence Flynn, may very well be in this photo if it was taken prior to 1917. I contacted the museum and they confirmed that the photo was, alas, undated.

One fun feature is the “What Is It” page. Three historical objects are shown and your job is to identify them if you can. Sometimes they are real stumpers.

If you live within an easy drive of Kalamazoo you should scroll to near the end of each issue to see what local history talks are coming up in their Sunday Series. Over the past few years they have had speakers discuss Kalamazoo baseball, horse racing, “The Sins of Kalamazoo-- Gambling, Saloons and Pool Halls,” Kalamazoo's musical history and many other topics. If I lived in the area I would attend many of them.

If you can remember to periodically check for new issues you can keep up to date on Kalamazoo's past.

If you want to see what else the Kalamazoo Valley Museum has to offer you can go their website or read my blog post about it.

Indian Lake Poem

When I got together with a cousin of mine a few years ago she passed along to me many old photos and some papers that had belonged to her mother.  It was really exciting to discover photos of my Flynns and Hartmans that I had never seen before.  Among other things was a poem written by my gg-grandmother.  It turns out that this was a hobby of hers, as I found out by searching through old Kalamazoo newspapers.

Without further ado, here is Sarah (Clemens) Flynn's poem about Indian Lake, which she probably wrote after one of many visits to see her daughter Cora (Flynn) Lemon at Lemon Park.

Indian Lake

As I sat on the shores of fair Indian Lake

On a beautiful Sabbath day,

As the waves washed up on the sands at my feet,

Methinks I could hear them all say,

“'Tis thus for ages we have rolled on this shore

Sometimes as peaceful as now,

But when the Storm King in his fury doth rage

In high-capped splendor we bow.

“Once the red man rowed here in his birch bark canoe

As free as the bird of the air;

And the thick woods rang with their shouts and their songs

While chasing wild beasts to their lair.

They have left us their names. Alas! That is all;

For they have been driven from home.

The white man has come with his civilized ways

And caused the poor Indian to roam.

“The trees have been thinned, now a beautiful grove

Surrounds our waters so clear.

In place of the wigwams of our old Indian braves

The home of the white man is here.

Each year new cottages appear on our shore

And boats take the place of canoe

The fame of our fish have gone far and wide,

Yes, farther than Kalamazoo.

“Now it is called a resort, by name of Lemon Park,

And all through each long summer day

The campers or parties for pleasure will come

Each happy in his or her way.

No changes we make, now, as in ages past

The very same welcome we make

To those who delight to see the waves splash

On the shores of our beautiful lake.”

Crossword Solution

For those who are interested, here is the solution to my genealogy crossword puzzle.