San Joaquin County and the Spanish Influenza Epidemic of 1918

In the spring and summer of 1918, Stockton newspapers were reporting on the Spanish Flu in Europe. One or two lines buried in the back pages. The top stories of the day at that time were about allied victories during WWI. Starting in September of 1918, those one or two lines of print grew to one or two paragraphs. As the days went by, front-page articles were printed daily . What follows is an incomplete timeline of how the Spanish Influenza spread through San Joaquin and other counties in California as gleaned from local newspapers.

28 May 1918 - Epidemic in Madrid - "Business life in Madrid is almost paralyzed by the outbreak of a species of influenza. The exact nature of the disease has not been determined."

5 June 1918 - A newspaper article suggests that a German submarine carried disease germs into Spain which has caused the strange epidemic similar to the grippe.

27 June 1918 - "Influenza is now epidemic all along the German front. Special hospitals are being established to deal solely with this disease of the new Spanish type. It is presumed to have been brought to the trenches by men returning from their leave."

14 September 1918 - 1400 cases of Spanish Influenza Reported in Boston.

18 September 1918 - A small paragraph in the Stockton Daily Evening Record reported that 20 have died in Boston and have 200 new cases of the influenza.

21 September 1918 - "No Influenza on this Coast So Far" Dr. George Ebright, president of California State Board of Health said, "Epidemics of this nature usually follow the line of railroad travel. It may appear here within two weeks."

27 September 1918 - The government has posted notices asking the public's help to prevent the spreading of the Spanish Influenza by using a good throat gargle every morning and evening and a nose wash of a weak saline solution two or three times a day.

28 September 1918 - "Influenza Found in San Francisco and Waterford" - 8 cases were reported to the San Francisco City Board of Health. William P. Felker, wife, daughter and two sons from Waterford (12 miles east of Modesto) have the Spanish Influenza. The family had been in Havana, Cuba, came through New Orleans with many soldiers on the way to the Presidio. The family has been placed in quarantine in their home.

3 October 1918 Washington D.C. is taking steps to prevent the spread of the Spanish Influenza - all schools have been closed and theaters might be next. 11 deaths so far in the city.

7 October 1918 - In Redding 22 cases of the Spanish Influenza have been reported and one death - Edmond A. Brouiliard age 36.

7 October 1918 - One family member that was quarantined in Waterford on September 28th has died - Albert Felker age 19.

8 October 1918 - "Stockton is one of the very few cities of importance in California that has not been visited by the influenza. Redding has 23 cases, Oakland has 10 cases, San Francisco has 36 cases, Los Angeles has 31 cases and Ukiah has 5 cases. The Sherman Institute - an Indian school in Riverside County has reported 160 cases.

11 October 1918 - San Francisco has 266 cases, 113 of them reported in the last 24 hours.

11 October 1918 - The Red Cross in Stockton is offering a free course in hygiene and the care of the sick. It is very important that women in every household should be prepared to meet an epidemic.

12 October 1918 - 4000 cases reported to the California State Board of Health. New cases reported for Friday are 1776. Long Beach = 600, Los Angeles = 307, San Francisco = 106, San Jose = 116, Pasadena = 77. U.C. Stanford reported 150 cases. Reported today: Fresno = 72. Cities with no cases to report: Stockton, Sacramento, Santa Rosa and Bakersfield. San Francisco reports 531 new cases for the week ending October 12th.

15 October 1918 - 29 cases reported in Stockton. Modesto has reported 50 cases. Total reported to State = 6092. Richmond reported 315 new cases on Sunday. Fullerton reported 73 new cases.

16 October 1918- In Stockton, theaters and places of amusement are ordered closed until further notice. As of Tuesday evening 29 cases and as of one hour ago 94 cases. Symptoms are: headache, backache, fever, sharp pain in the chest and sore throat.

16 October 1918 - San Francisco reported 384 new cases and 4 deaths bringing total to 1388. Fresno reported 59 new cases bringing total to 220 and 6 deaths.

17 October 1918 - Kern County has reported 276 cases and 3 deaths

17 October 1918 - In Stockton 250 cases and 4 deaths. Public schools are now closed as are church services and all public meetings. Arrangements have been made by the city of Stockton and County of San Joaquin to jointly finance whatever expense is involved in giving the best service possible to those unable to buy medicine or have a regular doctor.

18 October 1918 - Stockton reported 103 new cases bringing the total to 383.

19 October 1918 - The Red Cross in Stockton is hiring women to care for children of those who have the influenza. The pay is the same as a nurse's aide - $30 per month. They also are hiring practical nurses - $50 per month and trained nurses $75 per month.

19 October 1918 - San Francisco reports 4430 new cases for the week ending October 19th.

20 October 1918 - 25,000 cases to date have been reported to the California State Board of Health. Of that number, 4000 were reported today.

23 October 1918 - Red Cross needs at least 100 more nurses.

23 October 1918 - Stockton reported 184 new cases yesterday bringing the total to 1010 and 3 deaths. Los Angeles reported 909 new cases and 64 deaths. San Francisco reported 347 new cases. Oakland reported 362 new cases and 27 deaths. Camp Fremont 100 new cases and 7 deaths. South San Francisco 420 new cases. California total = 37,000.

24 October 1918 - Stockton reports 1170 cases and 4 deaths bringing the total deaths to 17 as of last evening. San Francisco reports 1372 new cases and 72 deaths.

25 October 1918 - Los Angeles reported 1039 new cases and 43 deaths.

26 October 1918 - Ordinance is passed in San Joaquin County requiring everyone who goes out of their home to wear a mask.

28 October 1918 - San Francisco reported 1250 new cases and 78 deaths.

29 October 1918 - "Epidemic Totals Showing Decline, Situation Now Well in Hand" -The headline doesn't make sense when you look at the figures. In San Joaquin County on Saturday 225 new cases and on Monday 180 new cases. Yesterday 10 deaths reported, Saturday 8 deaths all in San Joaquin County.

30 October 1918 - "Normal Health Will Soon Reign - Epidemic Nearing Its End" Stockton reported 340 new cases and 9 deaths. Total to date = 2637 cases in San Joaquin County.

31 October 1918 - San Francisco reports 18,706 cases to date and 904 deaths.

4 November 1918 - San Francisco reported 212 new cases and 45 deaths bringing totals to 20,819 cases and 1309 deaths.

5 November 1918 - Stockton reported 198 new cases and 21 deaths over 2 day period. Los Angeles had 1061 new cases and 83 deaths. San Francisco had 531 new cases and 77 deaths.

6 November 1918 - Stockton had 79 new cases and 13 deaths. San Francisco had 392 new cases and 68 deaths.

9 November 1918 - Stockton reported 117 new cases and 14 deaths.

10 November 1918 - Stockton reported 81 new cases bringing total 3759 cases and 149 deaths.

13 November 1918 - Stockton reported 271 new cases and 33 deaths.

14 November 1918 - Stockton reported 93 new cases and 14 deaths.

15 November 1918 - Dr. Fred Clark, superintendent of the Stockton State Hospital, said a soldier from Camp Fremont brought the influenza to the male part of the hospital. He was isolated but not before he had infected others. Of the 2500 patients at the hospital, there are 490 cases of influenza and 55 deaths.

17 November 1918 - Stockton reported 89 new cases and 7 deaths bringing total to 4457 cases and 202 deaths. 1 in 23 people are dying of the influenza.

18 November 1918 - 150,000 cases in the State of California and over 10,000 deaths. Total deaths in San Francisco to date are 1928 and for Los Angeles 1598.

23 November 1918 - Stockton reported 49 new cases and 8 deaths.

4 December 1918 - "Influenza Reports Increase for Day" - 41 new cases reported in Stockton yesterday. Only 20 the day before.

5 December 1918 - Washington DC reports that since September 15th there have been 350,000 deaths in United States. Stockton reports 43 new cases.

8 December 1918 - Stockton reported 86 new cases and 1 death. The public will have to wear masks again.

10 December 1918 - From Sacramento - Slight Secondary wave of influenza - 184,000 cases to date in California. 64 cases in Stockton reported and 6 deaths.

11 December 1918 - San Francisco reported 244 new cases and Los Angeles reported 805 new cases.

13 December 1918 - Stockton reported 74 new cases and 5 deaths.

14 December 1918 - Stockton passes an ordinance enforcing isolation - "It shall be unlawful for any person within the City of Stockton suffering from Spanish Influenza to go outside his place of residence until the physician attending him discharges him as cured. Additionally, there must be a sign posted at the entry to residence stating "Spanish Influenza Here"

2 January 1919 - Stockton reported 20 new cases.

7 January 1919 - Stockton reports that in October 1918 there were 2859 cases and 66 deaths. In November 1918 there were 2085 cases and 186 deaths. In December 1918 there were 1227 cases and 89 deaths.  In January 1919 there have been 74 cases and 17 deaths to date.

11 January 1919 - Sacramento reports deaths in California for October 1918 were 5381 and in November 1918 there were 6492.

15 January 1919 - City of Lodi reports 145 new cases last week, week before that was 48 new cases.

20 January 1919 - San Francisco reports that 87 people have been arrested today for not wearing a mask.

21 January 1919 - Stockton reported 35 new cases.

26 January 1919 - Stockton reported 24 new cases today and 15 deaths.

28 January 1919 - Stockton reported 10 new cases. If the situation continues to improve, all bans will be lifted soon.

3 February 1919 - All schools in San Joaquin County have re-opened.

7 February 1919 - The mayor of Stockton proclaimed at 10:10 AM that the epidemic of the Spanish Influenza has ceased to exist.