2. The Kansas Flu?
Did the deadly 1918-1920 influenza pandemic begin in Kansas? While this pandemic is often called the “Spanish flu”, there is a strong possibility it originated in Camp Funston, a training camp for WWI recruits at Fort Riley. We will follow the paper trail to trace the origins of this theory. So how did it get to Camp Funston? To help answer this question, we’ll talk with historian John Barry about his work on the Kansas origins of the flu pandemic. Finally, we’ll explore the question of why and how it matters where a pandemic started.
GO FURTHER
Curious about the sources we use and want to learn more about the topics, people, and places we discuss in this episode? Then this space is for you.
John Barry’s book: The Great influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History, Penguin Books, 2004. Buy it from Amazon, or support local independent bookstores in Kansas by ordering it from one of them.
Examine a map of military training locations in the U.S. during WWI. See how Camp Funston connected by rail to other training facilities in the Middle West and West.
See the full article “Strange Disease in Spain” from the Junction City Union, May 28, 1918.
View the Chart “Respiratory Diseases at Camp Funston - Sept. 20, 1917 to Aug. 20, 1918” from Opie et al (1919) article.
Full text of “Cantonment Life Illustrated: Camp Funston” publication from 1918.
View the article: Opie et al, “Pneumonia at Camp Funston”, JAMA Jan. 11, 1919 at JAMA Network (charges may apply to download full text)
Find at a library Near You: Edwin Jordan, Epidemic influenza: A Survey, American Medical Association, 1927.
Read a review of A.A. Hoehling’s 1961 book “The Great Epidemic” from The Kansas City Star (via the Kansas State Historical Society)
View the entry on “Influenza: Haskell - Kansas” from U.S. Public Health Reports, April 15, 1918, Vol. 33, No. 14, pg. 502. (Or if you want a longer read, view the entire issue at the US National Library of Medicine.)