Death in the redwoods : the effects of the Spanish influenza on Humboldt County

In 1918 Humboldt County, California, the United States, and the whole world was faced with one of the deadliest pandemics in history. The Spanish Influenza, or the Spanish Flu, was this pandemic, in less than one year it, killed around 600,000 Americans and millions around the world. Not even isolated Humboldt County could escape the disease. Humboldt County and the nation as a whole were unprepared for such a pandemic due to lack of medical staff, tight quarters in the military training camps, and the increase in traveling during the war. This paper examines the impact the Spanish Flu had on Humboldt County in different ways. First examining the home front and how the flu impacted the towns and cities in Humboldt County. Next the military training camps where the Spanish Flu hit hard is examined to see what men from Humboldt were facing. Finally the influenza's impact in Humboldt is compared to Philadelphia and San Francisco which were two of the worst hit cities in the U.S. by the influenza. While the influenza affected each place differently, in the end all cities and camps were likewise unprepared for the flu and played down the danger of the influenza with disastrous consequences. Humboldt County's cities and towns were no different than most of the United States as they were unprepared and many of the newspapers played down the danger. Like every city, town and camp, Humboldt County was short staffed when the influenza hit, had a press playing down the dangers and was consumed with war fever which was a distraction from the flu. The local governments of Humboldt County however, did take action faster than many other local governments. Even so, the Spanish Influenza had a major impact on Humboldt County, resulting in over 200 deaths and thousands of infected citizens. It would take another generation for Humboldt County, as well as the many areas in the United States affected by the pandemic to recover.