A Letter from the Spanish Flu

         She was rummaging through an old box of donation forms when she found it. In early September 2021, museum archivist Kaili Smith glanced over a letter tucked away amongst an array of museum forms from the 1980s era. She had been searching for specific paperwork on an old donation, and had inadvertently stumbled across a letter that offered a peek into a rather interesting period of history in Blaine County.

         It was written in Hailey, Idaho during the Spanish Flu, in February of 1920.

         We can assume that when this type-written letter came into the museum, apparently sometime in the 1980’s, the staff must have found it mildly intriguing. It was presumably a typical donation of “old letters” that the museum docents dutifully accept and file in our archives, occasionally wondering if these documents would ever be pertinent to any type of research. They could not have known that years later, in 2021, we would be reading this letter sitting at the front desk of the museum in the midst of the next global-level pandemic. 

 As a museum director with a penchant for historic research, when the Covid-19 pandemic began in early 2020 I found myself poring over any historical information I could find to study the last widespread pandemic and how the world and our community went through it. 

 And so I turned my research to the Spanish Flu, which started in 1918 following an outbreak in military barracks at the end of World War 1. The illness quickly spread worldwide, ultimately resulting in approximately 50 million deaths. This pandemic lasted until 1920, although the exact ending point is somewhat ambiguous. 

  I suppose there is some comfort that comes from realizing that the situation we are experiencing as a society has happened before...that another generation had endured and prevailed through a similar experience. And that, most encouragingly, life did indeed return to normalcy. 

It seems that during the Spanish Flu, the world had to grapple with effective ways to prevent the spread of a dangerous illness, much like in 2020. Mask wearing was also utilized, and there were similar feelings by Americans on whether it was effective, and even whether they agreed to participate in mask wearing. In fact, those against masks in 1919 were called “mask slackers.” This was a part of history I hadn’t heard about, and what I was finding was fascinating in light of the current similarities.

     But unfortunately, my search for local information from the Wood River Valley during 1920 did not produce results. That time period happened to be a gap in the local newspaper coverage, as there had been an economic downturn in the Wood River Valley between 1910s-1930s. Silver prices had plummeted, squelching the booming mining era, and the successful tourism of Sun Valley would not occur until 1936.

 Which is why, on top of World War 1 (1914-1918), a flu pandemic must have added greatly to the hardship of the residents in Blaine County.

 I wanted to know how bad it had been here. I wanted to find personal accounts or references to how our communities handled the Spanish Flu.

 Which is why, as Kaili excitedly handed me the letter as I walked in the door of the museum, her eyes were gleaming. “Rebecca, I found it.”

  I read the letter out loud with excitement. We both immediately went into researcher mode, verifying the facts of the writer and the place and time of the letter through historical records.

   His name was John M. Price. He was 41 years old in 1920. He had immigrated from Wales, and was a mining engineer and foreman at the North Star/ Independence Mine, located in present Triumph, Idaho.

  He appears to be in Blaine County alone and away from his wife Jean, who was just outside of Denver, Colorado at the time. In the letter, he is essentially telling her not to come visit him in Blaine County. 

  Here is the transcript of the portion of the letter that mentions the flu:

   “ The flu situation is bad, over this entire 

section and much worse in Blaine county than last year. There are

 a number of deaths in Hailey with a number of serious cases.

I do not consider it wise to return at this time. As you know

we cannot secure the services of competent physicians and those

that get the pneumonia are nearly sure to go, while where you are

they could receive the best of attention. John will be at Nampa

where there is a good hospital and should he get sick will be

taken there at once and if I should catch it I will also go there

as I would be afraid to stay here. The Auditor that was here

had it before he left and it was with relief that he departed 

as he would have some chance if he succeeded in reaching the Lake

which was his destination.

I have escaped wonderfully well, but did really

wish that I would take on the trip as I could have gone to a 

hospital and had it over with, but I do fear it here, since it is 

really bad. Dutton told me today he had 65 cases in Hailey, of 

which a number were in serious condition. Under these circumstance

 I do not consider it advisable to return before the first of the 

month or until the epidemic has run its course.

I am feeling very fine at present and am 

using every precaution but of course might take it at any time.

With much love and do so hope that you are

 better, although I do not understand the situation, and that you 

will not get the flu.

            Many kisses your loving John”

  The doctor “Dutton” that he references was a 30 year old general practitioner that lived and practiced on River Street in Hailey. He was fresh off the field of WW1, serving as an army medic. It’s worth noting, having looked into Dr. Dutton’s life, that his own father-in-law and several other family members died of the Spanish Flu.

The other “John” he mentions is their son, who was living at the time near Nampa, Idaho.

The good news? John and Jean Price, as well as their son John, did survive the Spanish Flu, living well into their 80s.

 Discovering a letter like this may not change anything about the current circumstances. But it brings some type of connection with a citizen of Blaine County exactly 100 years ago, going through very similar challenges from a disease that took the world by surprise, and shaped everyone’s daily life and choices.

John, you counted cases too? Same. 

John, you struggled with whether your family and loved ones should visit you? Same. 

John, you tried ‘using every precaution’? Same.

  And possibly most resonating is the underlying tension that you can feel from this letter that comes from trying to make the best decisions for yourself and your loved ones in the midst of an unclear situation.

Same, John. 

Written by Rebecca Cox