Little White School Museum issued the following announcement on Sept. 10.
Deadly flu pandemic of 1918 the topic at Oswego’s Little White School Museum Saturday, Sept. 22
Just as World War I was winding down, a worldwide influenza epidemic struck, killing far more Americans than did the Germans and their allies during the war years. Learn all about this fascinating page of local and world history when the Oswegoland Heritage Association opens their program series at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, when genealogist, researcher and heritage association board member Tina Beaird presents “Pandemic 1918! Fighting Influenza During the Great War.”
The museum is located at 72 Polk Street (Jackson at Polk) just two blocks from historic downtown Oswego.
Beaird will recount the story of what is arguably the worst world-wide epidemic in modern history. An estimated 100 million people worldwide were infected with what was misnamed the Spanish Influenza between 1918 and 1919. More than 30 percent of Americans were estimated to have contracted the flu, and 650,000 people lost their lives including several local residents. Beaird will guide participants through the outbreak’s history and timeline and explain how the nation’s military and civilian officials desperately tried to combat the disease while, initially at least, trying to suppress news of the disaster’s serious effect on military and homefront World War I activities.
Walk-in registration at the door is welcomed for this program suitable for visitors 16 and up. Admission will be $5 at the door.
The program series continues on Thursday evening, Oct. 4, with the popular—and free—Oswego Cemetery Walk, co hosted by the Oswegoland Park District, the Limelight Theatre Company, and the heritage association at the Oswego Township Cemetery. The cemetery is located on South Main Street in Oswego. Rain date will be Friday, Oct. 5. The OHA’s regular program series wraps up with a free program, “Music of the First World War,” at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at the Oswego Public Library’s Oswego Campus in downtown Oswego, led by musician and historian Andrew Bullen.
For more information on this year’s fall program series, call the Little White School Museum, 630-554-2999; send an email to info@littlewhiteschoolmuseum.org, or visit the museum web site at www.littlewhiteschoolmuseum.org.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Little White School Museum
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