A packed house at the Bristol Historical Society were entertained by Rit Carter who presented an informative account of the impact that the Spanish Flu Pandemic had on Bristol in 1918.

In a one-hour presentation, Carter, who originally wrote a four-part history of the pandemic in Bristol in TBE, wove a story of the origins of the H1N1 flu, the way it arrived in Bristol, how it spread once it came here, and the poignant stories of the people and their families whose lives it ended so swiftly.

Some of the more interesting items in Carter’s presentation:

• The age group that was most vulnerable and suffered the most deaths was the group aged 20 to 30.
• Local papers at the time were more concerned in selling war “Liberty Bonds” than in reporting on the rapid spread of the deadly flu.
• Bristol did not have a hospital in 1918, so an emergency hospital was set up in the hall of the Congregational Church.
• Although the pandemic was dated from 1918-1919, the vast majority of deaths in Bristol happened in a two month period of October and November of 1918.
• In doing the research for his original story in TBE, Carter learned that his own great-grandmother was one of the flu’s victims.
• Unlike the pandemic we recently experienced, the pandemic of 1918 had no tools to fight its spread and efffects. There were no vaccines, no medicines, no treatments. Those affected would only live days after they infected.

The audience for Thursday night’s presentation were impressed by Carter’s thorough research and his effective and entertaining way of presenting.

The Bristol Historical Society hosts presentations such as Carter’s each month, usually on the third Thursday of the month. Keep your eyes posted for the topics each month. The presentations are well worth your attendance.

Rit Carter’s four-part history of the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic can be viewed here.

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