The measles cropped up in North Dakota in 1905. At first, it didn’t attract much attention, and there were only small mentions of it. Newspapers reported that “W.S. Dow has been wrestling with the measles this week,” and “H.M. Blazer and family are sick with the measles.” These small incidents were precursors to the main event.
Contagious diseases seemed to be running rampant across the state. Early the following year, newspapers began to sound alarmed as they reported “a big bunch of sick people” with contagious diseases.
In March, the Emmons County Record reported on numerous cases near Linton, including smallpox, scarlet fever, and measles. But measles became the primary concern as the year went on, affecting children and adults alike. On this date in 1906, the epidemic had become a significant public health crisis. The number of hospitalizations increased, as did fatalities, especially among children.
It became clear that the seriousness of measles had been underestimated. The Dickinson Press noted that the mortality rate of measles was greater than that of other diseases considered more serious like smallpox and diphtheria.
With communities struggling to contain the outbreak, the state stepped in to implement measures designed to stop the spread of the disease. The State Board of Health passed a regulation allowing local officials to impose a quarantine on households affected by measles.
Sick children had to be kept home and isolated, while adults not interacting with them could come and go. A sign would be posted on the door of the house, warning potential visitors of the presence of illness. While it was not a complete quarantine, those actively suffering from the disease would be isolated and the newspaper was of the opinion that “it will materially lessen the number of cases.”
Although widely considered a childhood disease, measles is anything but. In 1912, the federal government declared measles to be a notifiable disease, requiring all healthcare providers to report diagnosed cases.
Through the following decade, an average of six thousand deaths from measles were reported every year. The United States Army was affected by an outbreak in 1917 that resulted in three thousand deaths. It was estimated that three to four million Americans were infected each year.
After a measles vaccine was introduced in 1963, that number dropped by eighty percent.
Dakota Datebook by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- Emmons County Record. “Much Sickness.” Williamsport ND. 3/1/1906. Page 4
- Dickinson Press. “Quarantine for Measles.” Dickinson ND. 12/1/1906. Page 1.
- Fargo Forum and Daily Republican. “Grandin.” Fargo ND. 4/17/1907. Page 12.
- Oakes Republican. “Guelph.” Oakes ND. 4/28/1905. Page 4.
- Center for Disease Controle. “The History of Measles.” https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/history.htmlAccessed 10/6/2025.
