100 Years Ago - No Lifting of the epidemic bans in Scranton

Nov. 02--Nov. 2, 1918

No lifting of store bans because of flu

Dr. S.P. Longstreet, Scranton public health director, addressing the influenza epidemic, said "there will be no lifting of the ban ... until we're satisfied that the city is absolutely safe from a recurrence of the disease."

The possibility of lifting the bans came up after Longstreet's office reported there had been only 61 new cases of influenza in the past 24 hours. The number of infected was at 5,255 and the total number of deaths at 554.

Longstreet also ordered that all stores in Scranton were to close at 6 p.m. and stay closed until Monday morning. The closure was to keep people from gathering in crowds throughout the city. Stores exempt from the closure were grocery stores, butcher shops, cigar shops, candy shops and fruit stands.

35 years of free mail began with 10 carriers

Nov. 1 was the 35th anniversary of the establishment of free mail delivery in Scranton. Scranton's first free mail delivery started with 10 carriers in 1883. The carriers were David Jenkins, Harry Fuller, Samuel Heller, Anthony Scanlon, John N. Phillips, Eleazer Evans, Henry Knoepfel, William Williams, Charles Kirst and Thomas O'Donnell.

Riots in Lancaster linked to flu outbreak

Munitions workers took to the streets of Lancaster when they discovered that all transportation in and out of the city had been banned after the state Health Department quarantined the community because of the influenza epidemic. The munitions workers needed to travel to Coatesville.

The owners of Lancaster's traction company defied the state's order and transported 1,000 passengers out of the city. The city Chamber of Commerce was looking to fight the ban in court.

BRIAN FULTON, library manager, oversees The Times-Tribune's expansive digital and paper archives and is an authority on local history. Contact Brian at bfulton@timesshamrock.com or 570-348-9140.

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