From the Daily Star:

"It is hereby ordered by the Mayor that all places of public assembly, including churches, Sunday schools, public schools and all places of amusement, including theaters, motion pictures, dance halls and pool rooms be closed at once and until further order of the Mayor by public proclamation, and the police of the city will see to the rigid enforcement of this proclamation."

While this sounds like a headline for today, this article appeared in the September 30th, 1918 edition of the Daily Star, Fredericksburg's newspaper. The issue then was not Covid-19, but the Spanish Flu pandemic that was sweeping across the globe. While there is no one remaining in our congregation who would remember that time, our situation today offers a glimpse of what life must have been like during that time.

While called the Spanish Flu, it is believed that France was actually the origin of the disease.  Spain was more open than other nations in publically reporting the spread of the flu, and thus received the credit for its origin. Many theories developed concerning how it arrived in the United States. A theory popular on the East Coast was that German saboteurs afflicted with the flu were sent ashore from submarines to spread the illness among the population.

The medical authorities, struggling to combat a disease for which they had no remedy, urged the adoption of what may have seemed rather draconian measures. No large gatherings, use of masks, isolation of the sick, and proper hygiene were constantly stressed as means to control the "Gryppe."

One rather interesting control measure was instituted by the military authorities at the newly established Marine Corps base at Quantico. The authorities allocated $5,000 for Fredericksburg to use to improve its community cleanliness so that soldiers, when visiting the town, would be at less risk of becoming ill. Any business that a solider might patronize would have to be approved, and that approval resulted in a certificate to be placed prominently in the front window. Any business that failed to meet the cleanliness standard would have an armed soldier stationed in front of the business who would prevent any soldier from entering. This is an interesting turn of events since it is now believed that military bases across the county, in full operation because of World War I, were the greatest catalyst in the spread of the disease.

Still, the illness afflicted many in the community and the number of deaths became alarming. Yet there were some who questioned the need for the strict measures that had been instituted. On October 25 the Daily Star responded by reporting that there had already been thirty to forty deaths and that "These figures furnish an unanswerable reply to why churches and schools were closed. If this action had not been promptly taken the disease, being a highly communicable one, particularly in crowds, would have undoubtedly reached such proportions as to have caused panic all over the land. . . No protest has been made by the ministers or school authorities, save in one or two instances, because they realized the absolute necessity of the actions taken."

On November 8, the Mayor issued another proclamation that since the illness seemed to be under control, the previously imposed control measures would be discontinued. The schools, churches, and other public gathering places re-opened and life began to return to normal. The difficulties of October became quickly forgotten when three days after the measures were lifted, the Armistice was signed ending World War I.