influenza

Communities closed down when the flu pandemic struck North Dakota in the fall of 1918. But the length of restrictions on schools, churches, theaters and public gatherings differed. Fargo’s lockdown lasted about three weeks. Bismarck’s restrictions lasted a month. Grand Forks reopened after seven weeks, and Minot’s restrictions ended after eight weeks, one of the longest closings in the state.

When the flu pandemic struck Bismarck in 1918, everyday life ground to a halt. Schools, churches and theaters closed. Public gatherings ended. Bismarck's city health officer ordered waitresses and other food handlers to wear face masks. The Red Cross made and distributed masks to the public. Police had orders to arrest and jail anyone loitering or congregating on streets. The chief of police put extra officers on duty for enforcement. With school off, Bismarck children were banned from congregating. And in these dark days of the pandemic, World War One lingered in its final weeks.

North Dakota has a long history of vaccinations, from smallpox to polio. Smallpox was a terrible, contagious disease that could leave people scarred and…

Earlier this month we heard how another wave of influenza struck North Dakota in early 1920. Bismarck’s city health officer banned public dances for 16…

The Bank of North Dakota is the only state-owned bank in the U-S, and is forever tied to the populist Nonpartisan League that controlled state politics a…

The flu pandemic a century ago lasted beyond 1918. It lingered into 1920 and sent parts of North Dakota back into lockdown. North Dakota’s state health…

Somehow North Dakota’s State Penitentiary managed to keep the flu epidemic from getting inside for the entire year of 1918, but that didn’t last.The flu…

In 1919, North Dakota's legislature pressed on with business despite the flu pandemic. It was a p[particularly historic session. The populist Nonpartisan…

School closures have long been a measure aimed at slowing epidemics in North Dakota. Schools closed for weeks, even months due to outbreaks of disease.…

Not everybody went along with mandates meant to curb the 1918 flu pandemic. Bismarck had a mask mandate for waitresses and others handling food. The city…